‘80 for Brady’ review: Four living legends take the ultimate girls trip to the gridiron in this heartfelt retirement comedy
Drinking tea, standing on a ladder, and purposefully knocking a bowl of chips over may seem like unnecessary tasks to complete at the start of a football game. Well, not for die-hard fans. Endless superstitions take hold, and suddenly, perfectly logical people believe that if they wear a particular jersey or sit in a specific chair, everything happening on the field will work out in their team’s favor. That’s how the inspirational, lighthearted buddy comedy 80 for Brady begins. Directed by Kyle Marvin, with a script penned by Sarah Haskins and Emily Halpern (Booksmart), the film follows four friends, played by living legends Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Sally Field, and Rita Moreno, who show that it’s never too late to follow your dreams and get into a little mischief along the way.
This inseparable foursome has gathered together for years to watch their beloved New England Patriots, specifically Tom Brady, play. Like The Golden Girls and Sex and the City, this story about the strong friendship between four women shows that while the central characters couldn’t be closer, they also have their own distinctive (and somewhat archetypal) personalities with personal hurdles to overcome. Lou (Tomlin) is the group’s quarterback and the host of every football Sunday. She’s the reason they all connected over the Patriots years ago when she was going through chemotherapy. For Lou, Brady’s resilience and ability to overcome obstacles as a rookie quarterback felt symbolic of her fight against cancer, making her connection to him and the team even stronger. Trish (Fonda) is a fun and flirtatious former commercial model and the writer of popular erotica inspired by her admiration of Rob Gronkowski. There were, dare I say, not enough jokes about his position on the field as a tight end. Trish may be glamorous with a handful of wig reveals, but falling too hard, too quickly for the wrong guy, is her Achilles Heel. Tomlin and Fonda’s real-life, decades-long friendship is palpable onscreen. They light up every scene together, just as they first did in 9 to 5. Betty (Field) is a type-A retired mathematics professor from MIT with a loving yet needy husband (Bob Balaban) desperate for her approval. She’s the responsible one in the group who brings her love of data analysis to every game. Field tackles what could have easily felt like a one-note character in the hands of another actress. Every member of this quartet is fabulous, but Moreno steals the show with her charm and charisma as Maura. Maura recently lost her husband and is coping (and avoiding) by living in a retirement resort. Even though she’s having trouble adjusting to life without her husband, Moreno imbues Maura with feistiness and wit that comes out in some of the best comedic scenes in the film. While some of these characters could have been more dynamic individually, this team of actresses elevates the script at every turn.
When the Patriots advance to Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons, Lou galvanizes everyone to enter a contest to win tickets to the game. Later, Lou magically reveals that she won, and they’re all going to the Super Bowl for their once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Once they arrive in Houston, the group’s episodic hijinks become particularly bizarre and outrageous. On a trip to the tourist trap, The NFL Experience, Lou embarrasses a young Falcons fan in a football throwing contest, Maura introduces us to her penchant for gambling, and Trish meets Dan, a fictional former Patriots Quarterback (Harry Hamlin), who is instantly smitten with her. Most importantly, Betty enters a Hot Ones-inspired wing-eating contest sponsored by the Mayor of Flavortown, Guy Fieri. These scenes are as absurd as they sound, but they are also thoroughly enjoyable because of the talented icons in this ensemble taking part. I won’t spoil what happens when they attend Dan’s star-studded party later that evening, except to say that high-dosage edibles and Sally Field saying, “Eyes Wide Shut sex rooms,” are involved. The slapstick comedic elements of the movie are strong, but they could’ve been the primary focus of the narrative. With beloved actresses like these four at the helm, the somewhat cliche sentimental beats in the script aren’t needed to establish the film’s heart.
For football fans, Super Bowl LI is somewhat infamous, and knowing the game’s outcome only makes the trip between these four friends even more special. Two-time Academy Award-winning director of photography John Toll (Legends of the Fall, Braveheart) makes it feel like the viewer is at the Super Bowl by realistically incorporating footage from the game instead of recreations. While the film shows make-or-break plays by Edelman, Gronkowski, Amendola, and others, it doesn’t always feel like a traditional sports movie. The action on the field is gripping but far less important than the excitement between these four friends during the game. You don’t need to be a football fan to enjoy this lighthearted comedy.
While your mileage may vary on the ability to idolize or even look fondly upon Tom Brady (it certainly does for me), his inclusions in the film are hilarious, verging on the uncanny valley. He appears as a talking, winking bobblehead, speaks to Lou from the Jumbotron to inspire her, and only says, “what a day” after winning one of the greatest games in NFL history. His cameo is guaranteed to make audiences laugh, regardless of their football allegiances. Brady served as an executive producer on the film, so it’s easy to see this as a self-referential vanity project about his own “will he/won’t he” retirement. But for Falcons fans looking for someone to blame six years later for this excruciating loss, look no further than sweet, determined Lou, who, in a hilarious bit of revisionist history, gives Brady the pep talk he needs to turn the tide.
80 for Brady may not be a groundbreaking piece of sports entertainment in the way that Patriots fans think of Super Bowl LVI, but it’s impossible not to enjoy. Tomlin, Fonda, Field, and Moreno prove why, even in a fun, carefree comedy, they are heroes for many onscreen in the same way that Brady was for their characters. Tom Brady has worked with many talented players throughout his extensive NFL career, but these four women undoubtedly make up the most extraordinary roster he’s ever been a part of.
Grade: B-
Paramount Pictures will release 80 for Brady only in theaters on February 3, 2023.
Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures
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