[yasr_overall_rating]
Freddie Steinmark, an underdog on the gridiron, faces the toughest challenge of his life after leading his team to a championship season.
“My All American” will go down in history as one of the greats. There isn’t enough praise available for this film. The whole film is a recollection of sorts from the point of view of coach Darrell Royal (Aaron Eckhart) who is asked who is his favorite “All American.” After that, the modern setting is taken back into a classic look and we meet Freddie Steinmark who is played by Finn Wittrock. This kid is by no means the biggest or strongest but he is always the heart of any team he plays for.
Football is Freddie’s life which is apparent as he tells Linda, his high school sweetheart, his life’s plan and the endeavors he plans to be involved in, all pertaining to football. He makes it onto the football team at the University of Texas and shines against all odds. Near the end of the film, he is hit hard with the news that he has bone cancer that has affected his left leg which was amputated leaving him unable to play a game that had been a part of his life since he was in elementary school.
I went into this film for Aaron Eckhart but halfway through found myself more fond of Finn Wittrock. The kid just has a way about him that really sells you on his genuineness. I’ve never named a character before an actor but with Finn he just seemed to seamlessly meld with Freddie Steinmark to the point where they appear to be the same person. “My All American” felt more like a shared experience than a movie. It felt like you were there moment for moment with Royal and Steinmark instead of sitting up in the cheap seats. That’s what this movie has going for it, inclusiveness. There are many football movies out there but few set themselves apart from their counterparts like “My All American” does. Few movies are as balanced as this film is. There isn’t too much game play and there isn’t an overage of emotional scenes. It all seems to fit together perfectly, one scene transitioning into the other just as life does.
The main characters aren’t cheap. You don’t have “The Star Player” or “The Hard-Ass Coach,” you have a character set that is diverse and really detailed and deeply rooted instead of stereotypes that plague sports movies. The actors spared no expense in providing finishing details on their characters that made all the difference. If you like sports films, “My All American” will be right up your alley but take some tissues, tough guy, you’ll need ‘em.
In theaters November 13th
