You might expect a Superbowl movie to be about a dad and his son who loves football, but 80 FOR BRADY is something else – a comedy starring some great iconic actresses – Lily Tomlin, Rita Moreno, Sally Field, and Jane Fonda – about four best friends in their 80s and 70s who love football, and particularly Tom Brady, and dream of going to the Super Bowl. Brady, now the oldest pro quarterback ever in the NFL, serves a a producer but the real thrill is that cast of those other seasoned pros.
Inspired by a true story, 80 FOR BRADY was written by Sarah Haskins and Emily Halpern (BOOKSMART) and is directed by Kyle Marvin. The stars play four these long-time best friends who first bonded as fans of Tom Brady, back in his early days. Now, prompted by a radio contest for tickets, they are determined to go to the 2017 Super Bowl to see their hero play for the New England Patriots against the Atlanta Falcons. Lou (Lily Tomlin), a cancer survivor, sparks the idea for this trip of a lifetime, and hatches the plan to win the radio contest for tickets. Math professor Betty (Sally Field) calculates the steep odds against them, but they are all game to try for one last grand adventure. Both Maura (Rita Moreno) and Trish (Jane Fonda) are quickly on-board. Maura is a sharp-witted widow who is still grieving and living at the assisted living facility her late husband needed, even though she clearly does not belong there. Jane Fonda’s Trish is a former local TV spokes-model turned romance writer (whose novels revolve around another NFL player Rob Gronkowski), who has an amazing collection of wigs and a penchant for falling in love too quickly. With plucky determination and some amazing luck, these pals dance around obstacles in their way, tossing off quips and one-liners in their bedazzled jerseys, and charming the heck out of us.
These iconic pros are awfully cute and funny in this light bit of sports comedy. Sometimes these all-star casts don’t work but this one sure does, as they have great chemistry together and the skill to spin familiar stuff into laughs and bits of warm moments.
Actually, this marvelous cast is the best thing about this light sports-themed diversion. They squeeze every bit of entertainment out of this buddy-movie iteration. We’ve seen several movies about aging male friends in this kind of adventure, so it is nice to finally give the women their chance. You don’t need to be a football fan to enjoy this comic treat – a cinematic chips and chicken wings snack.
These seasoned pros are effortless in entertaining us with this thin material, as they dodge their way past problems, win a hot wings contest, dominate a poker game, crash an A-list party and get loopy after accidentally ingesting drugs (a sequence that includes a room full of Guy Fieri copies). Tom Brady appears periodically, like an inspirational figure who gives encouragement to Lou in little fantasy moments anytime she sees his image on a poster or a big screen.
While there is a buddy-movie road trip theme, these gals in their 70s and 80s aren’t dumb – no cross-country trek in a questionable vehicle for them. They fly to their destination. Of course, getting out of town itself presents its problems, includes evading an assisted living carer who doesn’t want to interrupt a nap and too much luggage. The adventures grow, in the pre-game hoopla and the game itself. But the first adventure is getting those Superbowl tickets to begin with.
Nothing very unexpected happens and there are plenty of familiar set pieces and some corny jokes (and a few stereotypical ones) but these skilled pros skate past all that, to milk every drop of comedy out of the material. There are mix-ups and mess-ups, and the friends get separated, which allows the stars to be featured in their own comic adventure before coming back together. Each character has her own issues and each star gets her featured moments in between the ensemble scenes. You may find yourself smiling in spite of it all, putty in the hands of Tomlin, Fields, Morano and Fonda.
Besides Tom Brady, there are other celebrity appearances (including a particularly delightful cameo by Patton Oswalt). Sara Gilbert appears as Tomlin’s daughter, calling her from home about her health, and Bob Balaban plays Betty’s befuddled professor husband who depends on her for everything. Guy Fieri hosts the hot wings eating contest and more, and Billy Porter is half-time choreographer Gugu who recruits the gals for a little dancing. Harry Hamlin has a featured part as a retired NFL pro who takes to Fonda’s Trish.
Sure, 80 FOR BRADY is silly and predictable but it is surprisingly charming, due to its delightful cast. Just watching these icons work is a joy, in a story that also has a little anti-ageist, woman-power flare.
80 FOR BRADY opens Friday, Feb, 3, at Plaza Frontenac and other theaters.
RATING: 1.5 out of 4 stars
