My All-American
Freddie Steinmark, an underdog on the gridiron, faces the toughest challenge of his life after leading his team to a championship season.
Director:
Angelo Pizzo
Cast:
Aaron Eckhart, Finn Wittrock, Robin Tunney, Sarah Bolger
Screenplay:
Angelo Pizzo
Screening Date:
Nov 07, 2015
Studio:
Clarius Entertainment
Running Time:
118 minutes
| Excellent | Very Good | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43.5% | 34.8% | 15.2% | 4.3% | 2.2% |
A real tear-jerker, which one needs every once in a while.
A touching, informative, beautiful movie. Bravo!
A wonderful tribute to Freddie and his spirit. Great, heartfelt story. At first I thought it was going to be a rah rah football movie, but when his leg was bothering him I knew something was going to happen where Freddie wasn't going to realize his football dream. The film shows what these guys go through and all the tackle scenes made me think of the medical consequences. Reminiscent of the spirit and values of "Friday Night Lights".
A terrific film and I don't even like football.
A very good football film, heck, a very good film. From the Skype interview you can clearly see the eloquence that came out in that screenplay.
Acting was good, but the music drives one into a whirlpool of tears, telling the audience what to feel.
Great film.
Still don't understand football, however, the story was very moving.
Great casting and editing. Very authentic. We were due a tear-jerker.
The subject of football is for me not a gateway to thoughtful consideration. The film succeeded. The interview was very informative and the director was generous with details.
Outstanding! Such a compelling story, script, acting, and ultimately, message. The take of this film is quite purely the message: meet the challenge, which I think all viewers of the film will be inspired by.
A moving story even though I hate football. It was a bit over dramatic and manipulative, especially the music. That said Freddie was an interesting character, well-portrayed by Finn Whitrock.
Cliché all the way!
I would never have gone to a football film had it not been part of MEA, especially one called My All-American. But this story about an excellent young man and his incredible bravery moved me tremendously. The only thing I didn't like was the score, which was far too brassy for me. The themes of the movie did not need such heavy-handed signaling.
In the interview the director said 'they don't make films like this anymore', and I wish they did. Authentic, heartfelt, sincere. Imagine a football hero who goes to church everyday!
Such an amazing story of truth being more dramatic than fiction.
I would dispute the director's notion that no other sports film doesn't have the competitive action at the end, what about Million Dollar Baby? That is certainly an example, perhaps the prime example, of the non-sports movie; and while My All-American is a nice film, it is not close to Million Dollar Baby on most levels including, and especially, dramatic, emotional, and sympathetic impact. I'm surprised [John] did not make the comparative acknowledgment, if not to the writer/director, then at least to the audience. I must say, the only element of this film that pays any homage to Million Dollar Baby is Aaron Eckhart's Clint Eastwood-like line-reading. I guess Eckhart admired Million Dollar Baby, too.
If you'd like to know more about the film...
The story of Freddie Steinmark is enshrined on http://www.freddiejoesteinmark.com, maintained by his estate.
Freddie Steinmark: Faith, Family, Football, a biography written by Steinmark's friend, Bower Yousse, is available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Freddie-Steinmark-Faith-Family-Football/dp/1477308210
Here, the Texas State Historical Association discusses Freddie Joe Steinmark: https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fst32
A Q&A session with Angelo Pizzo about My All-American: http://www.indianapolismonthly.com/arts-culture/qa-with-local-filmmaker-...
