I did not really care to see this film on DVD let alone at the movie theater. I would say I am not sure why I am not interested but that’s really not true. I know why I had no interest in this movie and that’s because that no matter how good the movie is two things that I will come away with is that this film will highlight that the NFL is evil and nothing it can say will not change how much I love the NFL. But I still wanted to watch this film because of my love of the NFL has been so long I wanted to see what this movie had to say. It’s really a good film and it should have been nominated for an Academy Award for movie, best actor, supporting actor even, maybe screenplay, but it wasn’t and while I don’t know why I’ll take an educated guess later.
Dr. Bennett Omalu, played by Will Smith (I, Robot,) is a Nigerian born Doctor of pathology and neurosciences who was working at the City of Pittsburgh morgue as a forensic pathologist as well as being a student working on a MBA. Because of his school work he is in charge of the department on the weekends and is given the responsibility of finding the cause of death of Mike Webster, played by David Morse (The Hurt Locker,) who was an offensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers during their Championship days of the 1970’s. Dr. Omalu is trying to figure out why a healthy 51 year old former NFL player appeared to go insane even though there were no signs of it in the CAT scan and initial autopsy. As he digs deeper into Webster’s brain he discovers the damage that happens to the professional football player after repeated trauma to the head. As he starts to bring attention to the issue he faces the full force of a multi-billion dollar organization that is trying to keep what it knew quiet.
I continue to be amazed that the one time Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an amazing actor. In this movie he was completely believable as a Nigerian immigrant doctor. Not only with the right sounding accent but with the mannerism of a man who is constantly doubted for what he says and where he comes from. He should have been nominated for the Best Actor award but he is beginning to get to be like Tom Hanks for me, whenever he shows up on screen there will be an amazing performance. I take him for granted as an actor and I shouldn’t. He was clearly the star of this film.
There were other performances that were also very good. Dr. Cyril Wecht, played by Albert Brooks (Looking For Comedy in the Muslim World,) was very good as the Chief pathologist of the city of Pittsburgh. Although he had a small roll, watching Morse as Webster was painful but not in his acting but in his portrayal of Webster. The other actor of note that was enjoyable to watch was Alec Baldwin (The Hunt For Red October,) who portrayed the former Pittsburgh Steelers team doctor, Dr. Julian Bailes.
The story was very compelling for me for obvious reasons. I loved how this screenplay was based on an article in a magazine. It was somewhat unnerving seeing all of these gladiators coming up fragile as they were going crazy. Webster wasn’t the only player the movie touched on which is the same as the research. But this film also showed what happened to Dr. Omalu as he was trying to bring the information forward. While he was never discredited he was forced to leave Pittsburgh in order to live a normal life. It wasn’t until the suicide of Dave Duerson, played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Thor: The Dark World,) who was a former player and NFL executive officer and denier of the doctors work, who in his suicide note asked for his brain to be examined . It was his death that marked the change of events that brought the concussion problem front and center. This story does a good job of explaining the events and again, all from an article. One part of the story that was a little annoying was the relationship development between the doctor and his future wife Prema Mutison, played admirably by Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Jupiter Ascending.) The only reason why I didn’t like it is because it took me away from the story about the research. Mind you it was important to set up what would happen to the family when he took on the NFL, but still it was mostly fast forwarded by me.
Oh, and I don’t think Will Smith didn’t get nominated for an Academy Award because he is African American. He didn’t get nominated because he is in a movie that talks about a sport that most of Hollywood detests. So they could care less about the sport and that’s why, in my opinion.
I played organized football for 7 years in some capacity. I played from the 8th grade and all the way through high school and two years of college, although I never made it out of two-a-days in college. I was 2nd team all-city for my high school when I played Center my Junior year and Offensive Tackle my Senior year. My senior year I was the long snapper on the punt team and after I snapped the ball I ran down the field, very slowly may I add, but none the less, I was in position to make the tackle. As I put my arms around the ball carrier, a fellow teammate came from the other side and we hit the ball carrier but slammed into each other helmet to helmet. I know this because I watched the film of the game the following Monday. I was knocked unconscious on the play. It was a Thursday night game and I don’t remember waking up on the field, or being taken to the locker room, or my math test the next day. I vaguely remember going out with my girlfriend that weekend. Every time I get an eye examination with a new eye doctor they ask me if I have had some kind of head injury. When I tell them I played football they give me a knowing shake of the head. I’m guessing that in those 7 years I had one serious concussion but a few smaller ones.
If you asked me if I would go through it again I would tell you that not only would I go through it again I would work harder so I would have had a better college career and hopefully just made a practice squad in the NFL. Many of the past and present NFL players would say the same thing.
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