The Rocket

Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: Focus

"Leatherheads" is a fast-talking, well-acted comedy. It pays homage to the films of years gone by and is a joy to see.

Sports movies have become so completely clichéd that when I hear of a new movie coming out in that genre, I generally know what's going to happen. I don't dislike sports flicks-I've just been growing increasingly tired of the same old story.

This is why "Leatherheads" is such a breath of fresh air. It isn't that it has none of the clichés of a sports film, but it arrives at those clichés in a completely different manner. It takes its time and values dialogue more than spectacle. The fact that it ends with "the big game" isn't original, but the fact that the "big game" is not the point of the movie, is.

The movie is directed by George Clooney, so it has great potential. Clooney directed two of my favorite movies: the underappreciated "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" and the brilliant "Good Night and Good Luck." "Leatherheads" isn't as great as those films, but it's still extremely well done and entertaining.

In 1925, professional football was struggling to stand on its own legs. Baseball was the popular professional sport and college football was routinely drawing large crowds. Pro football wasn't seen as a viable option for college players, and it wasn't really taken seriously. This is the backdrop for "Leatherheads," which is named for the helmets that the players wore during that time-basically leather hats with straps.

Clooney plays Dodge Connelly, an aging star for the Duluth Bulldogs. He devises a plan to save professional football by getting the best player in college football to play in the pros, thus drawing large crowds. The college player in question here is Carter Rutherford, played by John Krasinski.

Krasinski is a talented cast member of TV's "The Office." But since I haven't seen him in many other roles, I didn't know what to expect. "The Office" must provide good training, though, because he fares exceptionally well. In fact, the scene where he is drunk in the hotel lobby and verbally sparring with Clooney and Renée Zellweger is probably my favorite movie moment from this year.

Along with Krasinski, both Clooney and Zellweger give enjoyable comedic performances that really make this movie work. Zellweger plays Lexi Littleton, a journalist who is trying to write a story about Rutherford in order to prove that his "hero" status is incorrect. She develops a relationship with both Connelly and Rutherford and is conflicted on whether or not to publish the story. Zellweger brings the sassiness of her character in the movie "Chicago" and combines it with the sweet sincerity of her character in "Cinderella Man."

One of the reasons for the entertaining nature of this movie is its snappy dialogue. The three main cast members exchange entertaining dialogue all throughout and handle it wonderfully to boot. There is a wonderful scene-in which Clooney and Zellweger have an argument in Zellweger's room on the train- that is so blissfully amusing, it will instantly brings a smile to your face. We don't get dialogue like this in many movies today, and it makes us wish that comedies like "Leatherheads" were a more common occurrence.

"Leatherheads" is one of those movies where you can just tell that the cast was having a wonderful time filming it. That sense of fun and happiness must be contagious, because I left the theater feeling happy as well.

RENTAL PICK
"The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep" is one of my favorite movies from 2006 and just hit DVD this week. When I first heard of this movie, I wasn't very excited. It appears to be a movie about a giant sea monster, a special effects extravaganza, and as it's rated PG, also appears to be a children's movie. This couldn't be further from the truth. Essentially, "The Water Horse" is about a boy trying to cope with his father's disappearance. It is heartwarming and draws us into the story. Don't judge this movie by its poster!

Brian McCumsey is a junior history majorand a regular contributor to The Rocket.

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