Life > April 10, 2008

By Amy Smerdzinski | Staff writer

Football is one of the great American sports. But it wasn’t always so great. Set in the 1920s, Jimmy “Dodge” Connelly (George Clooney), a self-confident football player, decides to turn the empty stands into packed stadiums.

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To do this, he approaches the All-American Carter Rutherford (John Krasinski), to join the league.

Rutherford — a student at Princeton, a war hero who was able to single-handedly force multiple German soldiers to surrender in WWI and a dashingly handsome man — does exactly what is expected.

He not only catches the attention of the entire nation but also the eye of a devious newswoman named Lexie Littleton (Renee Zellweger).

While Rutherford thinks Littleton is assigned to write a highlight story about him, her real task is getting to the truth of Rutherford’s war story after an anonymous source came to their newspaper saying the story is a hoax.

Throughout the interviews between Littleton and Rutherford, the young star falls for the attractive reporter.

But he is not the only one — the arrogant Dodge Connelly falls for her as well.

Tied into this love triangle was the historical explanation of how football came to be such a powerful entertainment industry.

Within the movie, professional football is made up of coal miners and farmers who were able to use comical trick plays and unusual tactics to score. Considered a joke, professional football is no match to the college game.

However, with help from Rutherford, professional football comes into its own, bringing thousands of fans and its own commissioner in order to legitimize the game. This additional dimension to the plot adds an interesting aspect that football fans will likely appreciate.

The script, written by Sports Illustrated writers Duncan Brantley and Rick Reilly (the 11-time winner of Sports Writer of the Year), is filled with lots of witty one-liners, but that’s about it. Despite being experts in sports writing, their screenplay falls flat.

The plot is simple, straightforward and slow. I kept expecting something more, something different, which just did not happen.

Zellweger did a marvelous job portraying an unusual role for a woman during that time period. Additionally, it was nice to see Zellweger’s career woman stand up against the male jounralists.

Krasinski is charming as the war hero and football star and boasts athleticism to back up his acting chops.

In just his third film as director, Clooney did have some successes with this movie. Clooney was able to really accomplish the feel of the “old screw-ball” movies of the 1920s.

He appears to have a feel for period pieces as all three of his films (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Good Night, and Good Luck and now Leatherheads).

Much of the film also harkens back to older sports films that illustrates Clooney’s knowledge of movie history.

The setting and the language fit into the time period he was aiming for.

The film as a whole was done well, but fails to meet the standards that college students hold when we expect to see a comedy.

The cast of Leatherheads, filled with many talented actors, fell short.

The plotline was slow and unexciting and the film itself was long and tough to sit through despite an intriguing story line.

Though it is nice to have a comedy that differs from the usual slapstick humor, I think this film would cater better to your grandfather or someone who would enjoy an old-time film that utilizes the humor from the vibrant ’20s.

The wittiness and setting from Leatherheads is a much better fit for viewers who would understand the dry jokes of the time, not for a college student looking to see an exciting or funny film.

A football or sports fan may enjoy the movie, but if you don’t qualify in either category, save your money.