2008 Woodie Awards
Leatherheads (movie review)
Sean Flack
Issue date: 4/17/08 Section: A&E
Once upon a time, before the days of glitz, glamor and scandal, professional football was a sport that had hardly any rules and hardly any players. This group of under appreciated athletes were called Leatherheads, which just so happens to be the title of George Clooney's third film as a director.
"Leatherheads" takes place in 1925 when college football is just brimming with popularity and professional football is at a stand-still and currently losing money.
Setting aside, "Leatherheads" focuses on three people. Dodge Connelly, played by George Clooney, is the main player for the Duluth Bulldogs. Connelly is a smooth operator, witty and suave. After loosing their sponsorship and facing the eventual fall of professional football, Connelly convinces college football star Carter Rutherford to join the team.
Rutherford, played by John Krasinski, is the epitome of America's golden child. Already a World War I hero for single-handedly forcing multiple German soldiers to surrender, Rutherford has amazing skills on the football field and looks that make girls melt. Thinking that some of Rutherford's accomplishments are too good to be true, a reporter for the Tribune, Lexie Littleton, played by Renee Zellweger, aims to find out if this new perfect sensation is the real deal or just a bunch of hot air.
Naturally, both Connelly and Rutherford start to fall for Lexie Littleton, which turns the two into off-field rivals. As the game of professional football starts changing and more rules start being put into place, Connelly fights to keep the game fun for him and his guys while also fighting for the love of Littleton.
Although entertaining, the movie as a whole is a little slow. The story takes a while to get going and once it does, it doesn't really go anywhere. But if you were to pick the movie apart and look at its separate moments, then that is where "Leatherheads" really succeeds. The chemistry between Clooney and Zellweger is absolutely static and all of the actors involved just seem to be having fun with their roles. While not necessarily a bad movie, "Leatherheads" is more of a field goal than a touchdown.
"Leatherheads" takes place in 1925 when college football is just brimming with popularity and professional football is at a stand-still and currently losing money.
Setting aside, "Leatherheads" focuses on three people. Dodge Connelly, played by George Clooney, is the main player for the Duluth Bulldogs. Connelly is a smooth operator, witty and suave. After loosing their sponsorship and facing the eventual fall of professional football, Connelly convinces college football star Carter Rutherford to join the team.
Rutherford, played by John Krasinski, is the epitome of America's golden child. Already a World War I hero for single-handedly forcing multiple German soldiers to surrender, Rutherford has amazing skills on the football field and looks that make girls melt. Thinking that some of Rutherford's accomplishments are too good to be true, a reporter for the Tribune, Lexie Littleton, played by Renee Zellweger, aims to find out if this new perfect sensation is the real deal or just a bunch of hot air.
Naturally, both Connelly and Rutherford start to fall for Lexie Littleton, which turns the two into off-field rivals. As the game of professional football starts changing and more rules start being put into place, Connelly fights to keep the game fun for him and his guys while also fighting for the love of Littleton.
Although entertaining, the movie as a whole is a little slow. The story takes a while to get going and once it does, it doesn't really go anywhere. But if you were to pick the movie apart and look at its separate moments, then that is where "Leatherheads" really succeeds. The chemistry between Clooney and Zellweger is absolutely static and all of the actors involved just seem to be having fun with their roles. While not necessarily a bad movie, "Leatherheads" is more of a field goal than a touchdown.
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