Leatherheads

views updated

Leatherheads ★★½ 2008 (PG-13)

The 1925 Duluth Bulldogs, led by star player and all-around charmer Dodge Connelly (Clooney), are an upstart professional football team during a time when the pros lack the polish and respect of the college game. In a top-notch marketing move, Connelly adds well-known war hero Carter “The Bullet” Rutherford (Krasinski) to the roster in an effort to turn the tide of popular opinion. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, Rutherford's war-hero credentials may have a few holes in them, which draw the attention of cute and sassy newspaper reporter Lexie Littleton (Zellweger). A kooky romantic triangle ensues as Connelly, the reporter and “The Bullet” ride the train between games and speakeasies through the season. Handsome threesome never quite pulls us in and the script's a clunker, but the chuckles are good and the period details are spot on. 113m/C DVD . US George Clooney, Renee Zell-weger, John Krasinski, Jonathan Pryce, Peter Gerety, Jack Thompson, Stephen (Steve) Root, Wayne Duvall, Keith Loneker; W: Duncan Brantley, Rick Reilly; C: Newton Thomas (Tom) Sigel; M: Randy Newman.