Movie Review: Legendary Ladies Bring Winning Touch To 80 For Brady
Tom Brady may have seven Super Bowl rings, but that's nothing compared to the last team he faced, the most accomplished group of legends ever assembled. Just look at the statistics. the first Jane Fonda - two Oscars, seven Golden Globes and two Tony Awards. Then Lily Tomlin and Sally Field with six Emmys, two Tonys and Grammys, two Oscars, two Emmys and two Globes. Rounding out the team is EGOT herself, Rita Moreno. List them: Oscar, Grammy, Tony, two Emmys and a Golden Globe - good luck! For Brady, this 80s Frightful Four is the story of a group of octogenarian football fans and their crazy weekend during the Super Bowl.
Based on trailers and Brady commercials from the 80s, this raunchy football comedy starring famous actresses in New England Patriots jerseys and Jane Fonda's impossibly hideous blonde wig looked terrible. It's a relief that there were "bad trailers" for Brady in the 80s, and that the resulting movie was funnier and more charming than expected.
Writing duo Emily Halpern and Sarah Haskins (The Bookie, Trophy Wife) make their feature film debut with actor-producer Kyle Marvin (The Climb, We Crashed). Based on a unique group of real Tom Brady fans, Brady's 80s is set at the intersection of the Book Club and Fever Pitch.
At the heart of the film is Tomlin's character Louie, their biggest fan, who plays up his superstitions and encourages the group to enter a free ticket contest. He has Trish (Fonda), Maysfauer's easily and often falling in love ex-daughter Maura (Moreno), recently widowed and grieving, and Betty (Field), a savvy math professor at MIT who loves to remind him of everything he knows. . does? Not in the 80s, but in the 70s. When the girls get their tickets, they travel to Houston to see the 2017 Super Bowl in person.
The Oscar-winning John Toll's cinematography is passable at best and not particularly visually remarkable, aside from Fonda's wig-wearing wardrobe. It ends with an appearance by Dolly Parton, who worked on the film's soundtrack, mixing her real ones from 9 to 5.
The comedy isn't exactly groundbreaking, and the plot twists are almost painfully predictable, but the picture holds together thanks to this legendary cast and the script's light-hearted, understated humor. Marvin skillfully cast comedians and celebrities to keep the quartet fresh and fun, while Alex Moffat and Rob Corddry are the Patriots commentary duo, constantly cracking jokes in Boston accents. Stay with us, non-footballers.
Of course, there are a few cameos from the former Patriots themselves, including Brady making his way through a less than impressive performance in the third act. At the very least, it stars famous faces, and as a movie producer, it's a project that fits the Hollywood career of LeBron James, who has produced and starred in projects like Space Jam and Space Jam. Restoring a house party. Of course, 2022's Tom Brady is not 2017's Tom Brady, and as such, it can be difficult to make a film without reflecting how football fans see it today.
But the film's real MVP is Sally Field, who feels as natural as possible and has the funniest moments. Tomlin struggles with pathos, Fonda with romantic drama, and freed from her crazy, needy teacher husband (Bob Balaban), Betty Field enters a wing-eating contest, loves food and flirts for the first time. . It's his liberating journey to do the impossible for Brady in the 80s: come in from behind (terrible pro) and score.
"80 for Brady"
2.5 stars (out of 4)
Rating: PG-13 (for short and coarse language, drug content and suggestive references)
Duration: 1h38
Watched: Friday at the Movies