My All-American (2015)

Freddie Steinmark, an underdog on the gridiron, faces the toughest challenge of his life after leading his team to a championship season.

Director:

Angelo Pizzo

Writers:

Angelo Pizzo, Jim Dent (book)

Stars:

Aaron Eckhart, Finn Wittrock, Robin Tunney

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Aaron Eckhart	...	Coach Royal
Finn Wittrock	...	Freddie Steinmark
Rett Terrell	...	Bobby Mitchell
Michael Reilly Burke	...	Fred Steinmark
Robin Tunney	...	Gloria Steinmark
Sarah Bolger	...	Linda Wheeler
Juston Street	...	James Street
Donny Boaz	...	Bill Bradley
Jordan Shipley	...	Cotton Speyrer (as Jordan Spears Shipley)
Alex MacNicoll	...	Mike Campbell
Richard Kohnke	...	Tom Campbell
Eddie Davenport	...	Randy Peschel
Austin Willis	...	Steve Worster
Luke Poehlmann	...	Bob McKay
Brent Anderson	...	Coach Campbell

Storyline

What Freddie Steinmark (Finn Wittrock) wants most in the world is to play football. Although he is deemed too small by the usual athletic standards, his father trains him hard. Freddie brings a fight to the game that ultimately gets him noticed--by none other than legendary University of Texas coach Darrell Royal (Aaron Eckhart). Awarded a scholarship and a chance to play for the Longhorns, Freddie sets off to Austin with his loving high school sweetheart, Linda (Sarah Bolger), determined to make the team. Alongside his old teammate Bobby Mitchell (Rett Terrell) and new pal James Street (Juston Street), Freddie is put through the paces of a grueling practice schedule. The boys' camaraderie off the field translates into solid playing on it, and they rise up the depth charts, giving the Longhorns a real chance to improve upon their mediocre record. But just when they're reveling in the success of the season, Freddie suffers an injury that leads to a shocking diagnosis and the biggest ...

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Plot Keywords:

coach | high school sweethearts | football movie | football team | american football | 

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Taglines:

Hope never quits.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic elements, language and brief partial nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 November 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

My All American

Filming Locations:

UT Intramural Fields, 4612 Avenue D, Austin, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,365,000, 15 November 2015, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$2,246,000, 29 November 2015

Company Credits

Production Co:

Anthem Productions,Paul Schiff Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Based on the book "Courage Beyond the Game: The Freddie Steinmark Story" by Jim Dent.

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Goofs

During the Texas-Arkansas "Game of the Century", the stadium has lights. Arkansas did not install lighting at Razorback Stadium until 1990, plus the Razorback's first night game wasn't until 1997.

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Soundtracks

Full Cadence Run
Written by Willis Rapp
Performed by The University of Texas Longhorn Band
Courtesy of The University of Texas at Austin

User Reviews

Hook 'em

Greetings again from the darkness. I'm a University of Texas alumnus and have vivid childhood memories of Freddie Steinmark the player, followed by Freddie Steinmark the tragedy, and finally Freddie Steinmark the inspiration. His legacy remains an active part of the Longhorns football program today via the stadium scoreboard dedication and the locker room tribute that is part of every game day in Austin. This is the directorial debut of Angelo Pizzo, who is known for writing two other inspirational sports movies: Hoosiers and Rudy.

It's difficult not to cringe when the film opens in 2010 with a reporter interviewing legendary and elderly former coach Darrell Royal, who is dementia-stricken and forgetful … until he starts speaking of Freddie. The cringe-inducing part isn't Coach Royal's dementia (of which we fans were all aware), but rather the amateurish make-up applied to Aaron Eckhart in an attempt to age him into the 85 year old icon. Fortunately this segment is brief, and we are soon enough picking up a high school aged Freddie as he practices and works out ferociously with his dad in hopes of fulfilling his dream of playing football at Notre Dame.

Finn Wittrock ("American Horror Story") plays Freddie, and captures the intensity, ambition and goodness of the young man who would galvanize the Longhorns program and end up making quite an impression on those Notre Dame coaches, but for much more than his play on the field. Burned into my memory (and that of anyone who witnessed it) is the shot of Freddie on crutches at the 1970 Cotton Bowl.

Director Pizzo offers some breath-taking aerial shots of Austin and Memorial Stadium (digitally altered to reflect the late 1960's), and some impressive sequences of football practices and games. Football fans will have fun spotting former players making appearances including Case McCoy (as Razorback Bill Montgomery), Hays McEachern, Danny Lester, and Luke Poehlmann. You will also note Juston Street plays his father James (mimicking the game face), and Jordan Shipley plays my all-time favorite Longhorn receiver, Cotton Speyrer. Nostalgia flows as the game announcers call some of the greatest college players of the era: Ted Koy, Steve Worster, Jim Bertelsen, Steve Owens, and Chuck Dicus.

"The Game of the Century" is the centerpiece game of the movie, and we actually get a clip of President Richard Nixon arriving to the Texas-Arkansas game of 1969. It turned out to be Freddie's final football game, but more aptly, a continuation of his influence. However, this is just as much the story of Freddie the individual as it is Freddie the football player. His determination, zest for life and incredible courage are the message here … not tackles and interceptions. Even his relationship with his high school and college sweetheart Linda (Sarah Bolger) seems the stuff of which dreams are made.

In addition to this film, there have been three books written about Steinmark: in 1971 Freddie worked with Blackie Sherrod on an autobiography called "I Play to Win"; in 2011, Jim Dent wrote "Courage Beyond the Game"; and just this year, the University of Texas published a new biography entitled "Freddie Steinmark: Faith, Family, Football" by Bower Yousse (a former friend and teammate). It should also be noted that Steinmark's battle against cancer inspired Congress to pass the National Cancer Act of 1971, beginning the war on cancer and spurring a jump in cancer research that continues to this day.

It's a football movie, but also a tearjerker. It's a profile of an over-achiever, but also the story of a young man who inspired a team, a university and a nation. Every time you think the story is a bit corny, or that Freddie is too good to be true, just remind yourself that despite the cynicism permeating society today, Freddie Steinmark was flesh and blood, with a heart and soul and mentality that refused to surrender.