This week Don Shanahan of Every Movie Has a Lesson / Cinephile Hissy Fit joins us to discuss American Underdog. Directed by the Erwin brothers, American Underdog chronicles the inspirational rise of Kurt Warner (Zachary Levi) as he bags groceries, bides his time, slings the football in the Arena league (AFL), and scraps his way back to the NFL. Backed by his equally resilient wife, Brenda (Anna Paquin), and her family, Kurt proves to everyone that persevering against all odds can pay off.
It is not difficult to deduce that this film fits our podcast's overarching theme to perfection from the synopsis and movie title alone. Yet, we can be a finicky bunch, and sometimes are the most critical toward film's that hit closest to home. On this episode, we discuss the sweet spot for making biopics when the iron is hot, the odd and unfair dismissiveness toward secularized Christian cinema, and the real possibility that Kurt Warner would have never become a Super Bowl winter and league MVP if he hadn't polished his skills in the ultra-kinetic AFL.
Hear us debate the merits, demerits, and sort our varied opinions on this lovably subtle faith-based underdog story today! Ruff, ruff!
