I enjoyed this movie for a number of reasons.
Lauren Hutton is stunning.
Alan Alda will always be Hawkeye Pierce to me but I do enjoy seeing him in different roles.
The players. For authenticities sake they used a lot of actual NFL players in the film, and they did not embarrass themselves (especially compared to how much Alda's George Plimpton does on the football field). Most notably Alex Karras who would go on to a respectable post-playing acting career.
Did I mention Lauren Hutton? Hubba hubba.
Nostalgia. It was fun to look back on football in the late 60s. It was just emerging as America's number sport, slowing taking over from baseball as America's true pastime. There are similarities to today's game but vast differences as well. And the fact that the Cardinals' tight end was Jackie Smith gave me quite a chuckle. Any older Cowboy fan should understand why. Plus seeing the goal post in the end zone (which comes in to play at the end) was interesting.
Speaking of the end, I loved it. Rudy is one of my all-time favorite sports films and as time wound down on the exhibition game with the Cardinals I was expecting a Rudy type finale. Paper Lion provided the exact opposite. And it was a hilarious ending.
Lauren Hutton is stunning.
Alan Alda will always be Hawkeye Pierce to me but I do enjoy seeing him in different roles.
The players. For authenticities sake they used a lot of actual NFL players in the film, and they did not embarrass themselves (especially compared to how much Alda's George Plimpton does on the football field). Most notably Alex Karras who would go on to a respectable post-playing acting career.
Did I mention Lauren Hutton? Hubba hubba.
Nostalgia. It was fun to look back on football in the late 60s. It was just emerging as America's number sport, slowing taking over from baseball as America's true pastime. There are similarities to today's game but vast differences as well. And the fact that the Cardinals' tight end was Jackie Smith gave me quite a chuckle. Any older Cowboy fan should understand why. Plus seeing the goal post in the end zone (which comes in to play at the end) was interesting.
Speaking of the end, I loved it. Rudy is one of my all-time favorite sports films and as time wound down on the exhibition game with the Cardinals I was expecting a Rudy type finale. Paper Lion provided the exact opposite. And it was a hilarious ending.