Yesterday we reviewed ’80 For Brady’, and in a bit of a surprise, our reviewer liked it for what it was.
That said, the reality is that this movie is targeted to an older demographic, and given most of us here at AA are not quite in that demographic, we decided to send some older folks to the theater to see what they thought of the movie. A quick summary of our guest panel of reviewers below.
Norm – A 49ers fan who has a tremendous amount of respect for Tom Brady.
Sandy – A 49ers fan with no stated opinion on Brady.
Babs – A Steelers fan who once she found out about Spygate and Deflategate “KNEW IT ALL ALONG THEY WERE CHEATERS” and “hates Tom Brady and the Patsy’s.”
Maresy – A diehard Steelers fan living in Florida who is most definitely not a fan of the Patriots or Tom Brady. “The Pats are the bane of my existence. Is hate too harsh?”
Allison – A casual 49ers and NFL fan who thought “He was a bit of a jerk for the way he’s prioritized football over his family.”
Without further adieu, did ‘80 For Brady‘ inspire this audience or was it a deflating experience…
Theater conditions
Most of our attendees said the theater was less than half full and mostly all filled with older moviegoers with the audience tilted towards being almost exclusively female. However Maresy did share, “I did see Patriot fans with jerseys on strutting their stuff too.”
Two of our attendees admitted to sneaking in a soda or water. And then there was Babs who “brought a 6 oz plastic bottle of Rose.”
Would you say ‘80 for Brady’ is a good movie?
Varying opinions right off the bat….
“Yes, I enjoyed it very much. I thought the four lead actresses were excellent, and I was pleasantly surprised by Tom Brady. I thought the storyline was sweet and the comedy very cute.” – Allison
“It is an interesting and entertaining movie. It is a “for fun” movie, not a “serious theme” movie. – Norm
“The movie has a lot of fluff which doesn’t always go down well with reviewers and intelligentsia. The movie was entertaining but not a must see” – Sandy
Our two Steelers fans did not share in these opinions.
“NO! I never wanted to have to watch any part of that Super Bowl again ever!!” – Babs
“This was up there with one of the most stupid movies ever. Nothing you could tell the director or producer (Hello, Tom Brady) could make this better. I didn’t laugh one time and the lady on one side of me giggled once.“- Maresy
How would you describe the movie in terms of what happens?
With very few spoilers, Allison did well explaining what to expect here.
“It’s a feel-good story of friendship and taking (gentle) risks. The four friends have bonded over years of watching Tom Brady and the Patriots’ string of Super Bowl wins. They encounter a number of bumps in the road as they pursue their dream of watching him play in person at the 2017 Super Bowl. Because all the ladies are getting up there in age, they’ve reached the point in life where they no longer care what other people think, so the movie highlights all of them trying new things, with usually comedic results. Their creative problem solving and popularity with crowds make a point of breaking stereotypes about senior citizens, showing them as funny, lively, innovative, flexible, and adventurous. The movie is driven by the reciprocal inspiration between Tom and Lou (Lily Tomlin), culminating in an epic Patriots comeback to win the game.”
What could have been better about ‘80 for Brady’?
We had quite a difference of opinion on this question…
“I can’t think of anything, I liked it a lot.” – Allison
“More live content with Brady.” – Sandy
And then once again, our Steelers fans did not share these sentiments….
“Nothing you could tell the director or producer could make this better. The very worst part of the movie was the very beginning, the middle and beyond was just all fluff and predictability.“- Maresy
“Leave out the all the bits with Tom Brady popping up every few minutes giving words of wisdom.” – Babs
Who would you say this movie is for?
Allison, Sandy and Norm all concluded the movie was for older folks looking for something low stakes, cute, or funny. Once again, Babs and Maresy had a different take.
“Delusional New England Patriot Fans. Women, the older the better and not from Pittsburgh!”– Babs
“I’m sure the continent of New England (why is that?) will go with their martinis and high heel shoes to see it but the rest of the country… no way. Boring as hell. I know for a fact that Pittsburgh will be ‘Hell no’ and Atlanta will be ‘no thanks, rearranging my sock drawer that day’ :). I can’t even tell my Florida friend it was ‘cute.’ – Maresy
What was your favorite part of ‘80 for Brady’?
Sandy enjoyed the football highlights while both Norm and Allison enjoyed the protagonists posing as backup dancers for the halftime show to gain entry past security.
Maresy and Babs latched onto the irony of the ending.
“The end was the best when Brady was sunning with the ladies on a beach and talking about possible retirement (let’s not hold our breath).”– Maresy
“The irony of seeing Tom Brady sitting on a beach saying “why retire if you still got it” on the very day he retired for good was priceless!!!” – Babs
Multiple former and current NFL players appear in this movie. Did any of them standout as good actors or have a future in acting?
While Allison and surprisingly Babs gave this group, and particularly Brady, some high marks for their performances, this was not a consensus opinion.
“No, they should all keep their day jobs.”– Sandy
“None that stands out.” – Norm
“Not one NFL player in this movie, Brady, Edelman, Amendola, or Gronk should even try to break into movies.” – Maresy
Were there any parts of the movie you found to be ridiculous or stupid?
Sandy, Allison, and Norm all admitted that yes, the movie had some ridiculous plots and moments that were a little beyond believable, but that they were generally okay with them. Our Steelers fans once again threw a flag on this. [spoiler alert]
“Lou decides she had enough so her and the girls go to the coaching box ( yeah… they get in) and she picks up the offensive coaches microphone and talks to Brady through his helmet. He goes on to win the game…. all because of Lou.” – Maresy
“The whole thing really but if I have to pick one, 4 old ladies are going to get into the coaches box and get a message to Tom Brady during a Super Bowl through his football helmet headset.”– Babs
There are some very big names in 80 For Brady? Did any actor/actress really shine in this movie? Would you have advised them to be in this movie?
This was a bit of a mixed bag.
“I thought Lily Tomlin was special.” – Sandy
“No outstanding performance by the 4 old ladies. I would NOT recommend them to be in this movie.” – Norm
“I thought all four lead actresses were excellent, with both funny and touching moments. I think doing this movie will turn out to be a good decision on all of their parts.”– Allison
“They all shined, looked amazing and will make every woman want look as good as them at 80 plus! That’s the great thing about getting old. Do whatever the f— you want to. They looked like they were having fun. So go for it!”– Babs
“I don’t know why those four ladies agreed to this debacle unless they were making big bucks.” – Maresy
Would you recommend this movie to anyone?
“I think they should have contacted local senior communities that have healthy independent residents. This is a group that is likely to be experiencing some of the problems the 4 amigas had.” – Sandy
“This movie is for the ‘bucket list’ old audience. Not for a general audience.”- Norm
“No, only my best friend knows I saw it. Other people that know me would think I was 80 and Crazy!!” – Babs
“I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is a fan of these actresses or wants to support the idea that aging women in Hollywood (and life) can still be engaging, entertaining, and bring in audiences. The idea that older women still have plenty of flair, talent, sex appeal, and energy was further illustrated in the opening musical number featuring Dolly Parton, Cyndi Lauper, Belinda Carlisle, and Gloria Estefan, all women of a certain age themselves. Knowing that many of these women are in their 70s and 80s was inspiring, and it was so nice to see a sub-group of society so often treated as invisible celebrated and admired instead.”– Allison
There you have it. 80 For Brady is a movie for seniors that seemed to go over well…. unless you’re a Steelers fan.
