Westside Messenger - February 12th, 2023

www.columbusmessenger.com
In Entertainment
Ladies in “80 for Brady” score a touchdown
The Reel Deal
Dedra Cordle
I do not often
experience a conflict
of the heart when it
comes to choosing
which movie to
review for my column,
but making a
decision as to
whether I wanted to give my time and my
dwindling coffers to “80 for Brady” had me
well and truly torn. On one hand, I did
have an interest in this film because it
stars Sally Field, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno,
and Lily Tomlin — four of the most legendary
actors to ever grace the silver
screen. On the other hand, I did not have
an interest in this film because it also stars
Tom Brady — one of the most legendary
NFL quarterbacks who recently retired for
the second time and whose presence looms
over this film as much as his specter will
throughout the sport for now and all of
eternity.
Unlike most football fans whose loyalty
do not lay with the New England Patriots
(or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or whatever
team on the west coast team that may
entice him to come out of retirement later
this spring), I have never been a Bradyhater
but man has he been grating for the
past couple years. First there was the
acceptance of the pandemic-relief funds for
his multi-million dollar health and wellness
business, then there was the drawn
out first retirement that had him basking
in thousands of puff pieces for months and
then taking it all back, then there were the
bratty sideline antics when things were not
going his way for once, and then there was
the non-fungible token scandal, and now I
am just about tired of seeing him and hearing
about him. If you add all that up, and
then throw in the fact that he is a producer
on this film and gets a percentage of the
box office profit, it really makes you not
want to be involved in anything he is
involved in, right?
After much internal debate between this
film and M. Night Shyamalan’s dystopian
adaptation “Knock at the Cabin,” I decided
to stick with a vow I made to support novels,
movies, and television shows that are
women-led, women-centered, and showcase
people of a certain age living active and full
lives. And yes, that even includes women’s
lives that partially revolve around finding
inspiration from a famous athlete named
Tom Brady.
Whether or not you like the man in
question, “80 for Brady” is an infectiously
joyous film. Sure, it has moments that will
make you cringe or even give you a
headache because of how saccharine it can
be, but it is also an engaging and lighthearted
story about four friends who take
comfort in sport and in each other. Thanks
in large part to the chemistry between the
main cast, “80 for Brady” had a charm that
shines through despite being centered
around someone who seems so devoid of it
at times.
Loosely inspired by a true story, “80 for
Brady” follows longtime best friends Betty
(Field), Trish (Fonda), Maura (Moreno) and
Lou (Lily Tomlin) whose love for Tom
Brady and the New England Patriots
knowns no bounds. Despite having lived on
the east coast for most of their lives, the
quartet had little interest in football before
Tom Brady came onto the scene. In fact,
they really didn’t want to watch that fateful
game between the Pats and the New
York Jets but had to because Lou’s television
would not change the channel. When a
young Tom Brady came in for an injured
Drew Bledsoe, the friends were smitten by
his good looks and calm demeanor in the
pocket. Instant fans were made that day,
and watching them play throughout the
years helped Lou through her cancer treatments,
took Maura’s mind off the loss of
her husband, gave Betty a release from her
demanding husband, and allowed Trish to
find a second career writing Rob
Gronkowski erotica. (Seriously.)
Despite their team making several
appearances at the Super Bowl, the friends
have never attended one of the big games
(probably because they cost more than a
down payment on a new home) but decide
to enter a contest through a local radio station
that would send them down to
Houston to see the 2017 matchup with the
cursed Atlanta Falcons. Having little confidence
that their story of finding perseverance
through watching Tom Brady and the
team would win them the ultimate prize,
they try to put it out of their minds and
hearts. But then Lou makes the announcement
that they did snag the ultimate prize
and they would soon be embarking on a
journey toward “the best day of their lives.”
Naturally, things do not always do as
planned, especially in a comedy that features
Fonda and Tomlin together with all
of their chaotic energy.
Written by “Booksmart” scribes Emily
Halpern and Sarah Haskins, the script is a
nod to the fact that there is no age limit
when it comes to having fun. Not only do
the characters have a good time as they get
involved in various shenanigans during
their Super Bowl experience, but it seems
as if the primary and secondary actors are
having a good time too. Watching all of this
together makes the action all the more
engaging to the audience too, despite how
outlandish some of the scenes may get.
Even with the more farcical elements
within this story that is loosely based on
real individuals, everything that happens
in this film is well-intentioned and
designed to garner laughs, which they succeed
in doing so. Despite the overall lighthearted
tone of the film, there are moments
in which the story concentrates of real-life
issues related to cancer, death, and love —
all of which we can relate to. As a credit to
the writers and director Kyle Marvin, all of
the transitions between the silly and the
serious feel natural to the development of
the story and, as a result, makes “80 for
Brady” as enjoyable as it is touching — even
with all of the mentions and cameo appearances
of a certain newly retired quarterback.
Grade: B-
Dedra Cordle is a Messenger staff writer
and columnist.
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February 12, 2023 - WESTSIDE MESSENGER - PAGE 7
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Steadfast Food Pantry opens
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Fried Ocean Perch or Baked Cod with choice of two sides:
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