80 for Brady (2023)

80 for Brady (2023)

 5/10

 

Starring          

Lily Tomlin

Jane Fonda

Rita Moreno

Sally Field

Tom Brady

 

Directed by Kyle Marvin

 

Hmm… there’s something about this movie that just feels very slow. The pacing itself is slow, but I have to give it to the ladies—being in their 80s (well, two of them; one is in her 90s, and Sally Field is in her 70s) and still getting the job done is magnificent. Watching them work is inspiring. I’m in my late 30s, and I don’t think my knees would allow me to move as much as these ladies did! This isn’t me being ageist—it’s me appreciating the fact that I’m seeing people create a movie without letting age slow them down.

Appreciating the ladies is one thing, but the movie lacked some much-needed juice to bring everything together.

At times, the movie felt gloomy, but I’ll give it this: I’ve seen worse movies with guns and action where I couldn’t even keep my eyes open to make it to the end. This one, even though it was predictable—especially the part about losing the bag, which was expected—still kept me interested enough to see how it would end.

I think this is Tom Brady’s first featuring role, and the movie is based on some real events. It’s about four women who have a ritual of watching their favorite player, Tom Brady.

Lou, a cancer survivor, decides to be bold and go see the Super Bowl. Luckily for them, a sports radio show they were listening to was giving away four free tickets. The four ladies pulled all their strings to increase their chances of winning.

Lou surprises them with the tickets, claiming they won the contest. With that, the four friends embark on a road trip to see the Super Bowl and experience the town hosting it.

What I appreciated about the movie is that it didn’t fall into the usual trope of the group breaking apart only to reconcile later. Instead, it focused on the ladies experiencing their own individuality while still managing one another in the way close friends do. They didn’t let each other’s quirks get in the way of their bond.

They eventually find their way to watch the Super Bowl in style, and we even get to see them make a difference in the outcome of the game in their own unique way.

Overall, I can’t give this movie more than a 5/10. It was easy to watch but not particularly thrilling or fun—just an average, light movie to catch on any given Sunday.