Sports have a way of bringing people together. It is not just about the thrill of the sport, itself, but also about the connection fans have within a community, great or small, in other words. We are mostly all familiar with our own sets of communities, but what happens when or if we step outside of what is familiar and into something new and unusual? You might feel out of place at first, but with time you could find yourself in familiar territory all over again, right? Maybe just keep that in mind, at least.
Since I was nine years old, basketball has been considered my first love, when it comes to sports. I recall myself once saying, about football, in a manner of speaking, it does not matter who is playing if you are a true and dedicated fan. In other words, “football is football.” I would have to believe, with conviction, that I can say precisely the same thing about basketball, as well. Keep THAT in mind, too.
“Champions” is the newest offering from one side of the legendary directing duo, Bobby Farrelly Jr. You know, “Dumb & Dumber,” “Shallow Hal,” etcetera. The Screenplay was provided by Mark Rizzo, based on a Spanish feature, “Campeones, “ which was released only five, short years ago. No stranger to off-the-wall sports movies, Woody Harrelson (“The Man From Toronto”) heads the cast, playing as Marcus, who is a down-and-out assistant coach in Des Moines, Iowa. Moments into the story, he casually angers an apparent one night stand and shoves his boss to the floor before exiting the court. By the time the night is done, he finds himself behind bars and is soon out of a job and on the way to coaching a recreational-level basketball team. Surely, in the mind of a supposed professional, this is what one might consider scraping the bottom of the barrel. However, as most any viewer would expect, this is NOT a journey to the hole in the bottom of a rotting whiskey keg, but actually a journey to the “angel’s share” of the batch, if you will.
As I mentioned in a review pretty recently, it is not predictability that sinks a film. Unlike that movie, though, this one succeeds, despite this. I will admit there was one, little detail which did not go completely as expected and I was actually thankful for that. Beneath Harrelson, in this illustrious cast, are: Kaitlin Olson (“Arizona”) as Alex, the ageless Ernie Hudson (“Ghostbusters: Afterlife”) as Phil Peretti and Cheech Marin (“Shotgun Wedding”). Alex goes from a casual fling to a romantic interest. Phil is the head coach where Marcus is an assistant and Marin is something of an athletic director where Marcus begins and tries to maintain his new journey.
The remainder of the cast, comprised mostly of the team of “Friends” at the recreational center, deserves its own section. If you have enjoyed the work of Bobby Farrelly before, you might remember that he and his brother are known to include actors from all sorts of vantage points and I can think of virtually no one who utilizes the talents of those untapped resources any better; without exaggeration. Here are The Friends: Madison Tevlin as Consentino, Joshua Felder as Darius, Kevin Iannucci as Johnny, Ashton Gunning as Cody, Matthew Von Der Ahe as Craig, Tom Sinclair as Blair, James Day Keith as Benny, Alex Hintz as Arthur, Casey Metcalfe as Marlon and Bradley Edens as Showtime. Viewers will all pick anf choose their favorites of the team, as hard as that is, but for me, it is a toss-up between Consentino and Johnny. Having said that, the most mysterious and intriguing of these is Darius. It will not take you long to find out why. A character arc is helpful when digesting a movie and his is the most valuable, I would say.
I could not help but wonder if the majority of the scenes, especially involving The Friends, were executed with very little in the way of a scripted set of lines. It has become popular to make films with a more “natural” edge by doing so, but sometimes it just flows better for all those involved. I believe that was the case in this project. While I was pleasantly charmed the recreational squad, for the most part, the rest of the characters were equally likable and easy to root for. By the time we reach the end of the story, we ought not feel cheated or like the last two hours were a waste of time. Regardless of the over-abundance of whimsical banter, there was enough focus to keep the movie on track.
At one point, it seemed apparent that the film was poking at itself, perhaps to beat the critic at their own game, and it DID give me pause…is it exploitive or patronizing to portray any of these characters in the way that they were? Honestly, in this day in age, sometimes you just CANNOT win. If you cast specific parts with classically-trained actors, some will say, “you should’ve used real people to play these parts” and if you do that, some will say, “you are exploiting these poor people for your own gain” and what-not. I, for one, was happy to smile and root for The Friends all along the way and I would say that most people will feel better, taking a break from their stressful lives, to watch “Champions.”
Yes, I am recommending this film, though it be sloppy at times. If anything, that is a testimony to just how effective everyone was in their respective roles for the picture. Fair enough? Whatever you do, relax and enjoy it. I think many will overlook this movie as the Academy awards approach. They should not. This might actually be more entertaining than that will be. Who knows?
Director: Bobby Farrelly
Screenwriter: Mark Rizzo
Editor: Julie Garces
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Kaitlin Olson, Ernie Hudson, Cheech Marin, Matt Cook as Sonny, Mike Smith as Attorney McGurk, Scott Van Pelt and Jalen Rose as themselves
Distributor: Focus Features (United States) and Universal Pictures (International)
Release: February 27th, 2023 (AMC Lincoln Square Theatre) and March 10th, 2023 (United States)
