Athletics have existed as entertainment since even before the time of the gladiators. Thankfully, our professional sports are far less barbaric today — though the physical dangers of large-muscled men pummeling each other head first may still seem primitive to some.
Sports culture, especially related to football, is undeniably tied to American culture as a whole. The most watched program in American television history was this past season’s 2014 Super Bowl, which peaked at almost 121 million viewers.
In addition to the demonstrated entertainment value of the sport itself, football movies also have a tried and true formula: plenty of game and practice coverage, platonic male friendship, inspiration and, most importantly, perseverance against adversity.
“My All American” is a perfect example of this mold, which can be taken in by viewers in different ways. On the one hand, it’s a great football movie. On the other, it’s highly unoriginal.
From Angelo Pizzo, the writer of “Rudy,” this story is told in flashback by Darrell Royal (Aaron Eckhart), retired coach of The University of Texas at Austin Longhorns. When asked which of the all-American players he’d coached stands out most, he names Freddie Steinmark (Finn Wittrock), a safety from the 1969 national championship-winning team, but not an all-American player. Not an all-American, Royal clarifies, but “my all-American.”
The clichés only begin here, as the story travels to Freddie’s high school career. His parents, both blue-collar hard workers, grill him relentlessly on improving his athletic performance. They force food down his throat and insist on hours of extra workouts after mandatory team practice.
Upon learning that Freddie’s father used to be an athlete before a career-ending injury, a new, hulking teammate remarks, “He’s one of those fathers living his failed dreams through you.” Freddie works hard to defend his father, but the truth of the statement is obvious. The boys bond, and the new teammate, Bobby Mitchell (Rett Terrell) becomes Freddie’s best friend.
Their friendship is tested at first because of Bobby’s size. He’s a natural football player, but Freddie is smaller at only 185 pounds, so he makes up for it in effort. Freddie tries harder than anyone on the team, and it doesn’t stop at football.
He’s a 4.0 student, devoutly Catholic and deeply in love with his girlfriend who, along with Bobby, follows him to UT Austin after Royal takes a chance on him and offers a scholarship.
Practice is even more grueling at UT Austin, but Freddie takes it in stride. He ends up one of the team’s starring players, to the chagrin of the now-average Bobby. This would-be antagonism never amounts to anything.
Indeed, none of the minor conflicts — the overbearing father, jealous friend and neglected girlfriend — are actual conflicts at all. The film has no human antagonist, perhaps reflecting Freddie’s wholesome, almost naively optimistic worldview.
Physicality is heavily emphasized throughout the movie with an almost disturbing use of sound effects for the practice sessions and games. Every tackle is accompanied by an excruciating crunch, the physical effect of which is shown late in the film in the form of heavy bruising on a tackled teammate.
Despite this, the movie’s focus is really on heart. “My All American” refers not only to Freddie’s amazing efforts on the field, but also to the wholesomely American qualities he exemplifies. Even during the turbulent ‘60s, Freddie remains as clean-cut as a person could be.
Wittrock is commendable in his role, though the earnest-to-a-fault nature of the character sometimes makes him come across a little goofy. Eckhart is far more a supporting player than his billing suggests, offering a solid frame to what is essentially Wittrock’s chance to shine. Sarah Bolger as Freddie’s girlfriend Linda is given a similarly small amount of screen time to work with, but manages to shape a character the audience can relate to more than the almost unreasonably perfect Freddie. Her scenes are cliche of any romantic plotline, but this actually brings the 1960s period piece into a modern light — this is a timeless tale.
That aspect of “My All American” clashes with certain era-specific subplots. In one scene, trouble in Vietnam is dealt with in an on-the-nose prayer scene. It’s unoffensive, but panders to the moral purity of the film. Generally, the references to the story’s socially and politically turbulent 1960s setting distance the audience from the story. It’s not a movie about the ’60s, it’s a movie about the value of good morals and football.
