It does seem weird to me that Angelo Pizzo has dedicated his entire cinematic career to writing stories of collegiate sports. Having previously written the screenplays for Rudy and Hoosiers, Pizzo makes his directorial debut with My All American, a film about, you guessed it, college football. Though I’m a sports fan, I’m not a fan of sports movies. The reason is simple, there’s about two outcomes possible in a sports movie — win or lose, and the former is the typical fallback option. But sports movies are popular because they tap into the faded dreams of the audiences, taking them to a time when they believed that on-the-field glory was within their reach.
My All American is headlined by Harvey Dent Aaron Eckhart, as the coach who believes in the dreams of his players, opposite Finn Wittrock as the player who dared to dream the impossible. Co-staring in the film is Sarah Bolger, Robin Tunney, Michael Reilly Burke, Rett Terrell, and Juston Street. The impossible will come true, yet again, on November 13th, 2015 when My All American hits theaters.
The official synopsis for My All American:
What Freddie Steinmark (Finn Wittrock) wants most in the world is to play football. Deemed too small by the usual athletic standards, his father trains him hard, and 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, but 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 turn the team around. But just when they’re reveling in the success of the season, Freddie suffers an injury that leads him to a shocking diagnosis and the biggest challenge he will ever face. From the writer of HOOSIERS and RUDY, MY ALL AMERICAN tells the true story of a boy who became a hero and what it truly means to have the heart of a champion.
