The Replacements

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

There are several football movies that come to mind on this long-awaited day.  Among them, On Any Sunday, North Dallas Forty, Leatherheads, The Blindside, Jerry Maguire, Varsity Blues, The Best of Times, The Longest Yard (and the remake), and The Little Giants. I could say The Last Boy Scout was a football movie- but that might be a stretch. Wayans was a QB, and he did throw a killer pass, but we'll stop here.

My favorite football movie to watch around this time is, "The Replacements." It has all the elements of the super bowl show- it just goes beyond the borders of network TV. Even the TV commentators in this film- veteran team, Pat Summerall and John Madden- get to call scab games beyond their TV contractual limits.

As you know by now, I love a good story. To me, the best addition to a good story is colorful characters- not CGI enhancements. "The Replacements" has more than its share of colorful characters. Each one is steeped in richness. They all come together to make a great comedy. I never tire of watching it. I reach for it every year around super bowl time, and laugh again and again.

The basic story line is the NFL players go on strike, so NFL management brings in replacement players.  How about that? For once, the title is actually descriptive and accurate. Wow, what a concept. Keanu Reeves plays the replacement Quarterback. Gene Hackman plays the coach who recruited him. Jack Warden (the "old man" character for every movie since about 1962) plays the team owner.

Every replacement player has a story. The idea that they could even become a team in time for the playoffs seems ludicrous, but I always enjoy seeing how they attempt it.

They even bring in replacement cheer leaders (what is football without them?). The cheer captain becomes the love interest for Keanu (shock).  The others are just as colorful as the players- and certainly more attractive. Not an accident, I am thinking. Besides the obvious, they actually add to the comedic strategies of scab football.

I am not mocking Susan when I say this movie really is about relationships.  In fact, there are too many relationships to count. I focus on different ones each time I watch it. "The Replacements" is not a deep movie- it never claimed to be one- but there really are some truths to ruminate.

The truths are for you to accumulate and walk away with, but you may miss most of them the first time though. Still, I would say this movie is a success even if you miss the truths-- you'll miss them because you are laughing. Laughing is always a good thing, in and of itself.  Anything more is cake in my book.

If you don't like Keanu Reeves, you may want to miss this movie. The cast is awesome, but the whole story revolves around him. If you can, however, I suggest that there is enough to enjoy that you will like this movie, whatever your take on Keanu.

I hope your team wins the super bowl, and I hope you like "The Replacements."

Warm regards,
Fred T Wyrick