My All-American

Filmmaker Angelo Pizzo's utterly schmaltzy and crudely manipulative fact-based inspirational sports drama set in the Texas plains tells the story of Freddie Steinmark (Finn Wittrock), who was dismissed as too small to play college football by most coaches but became a star safety for the UT Longhorns under the celebrated Darrell Royal (Aaron Eckhart) before being diagnosed with a cancerous bone tumor that necessitated the amputation of his left leg in the middle of a triumphant 1969-70 season. Steinmark's appearance on crutches (only 20 days after surgery) at the 1970 Cotton Bowl, in which his team faced off against Notre Dame, is the stuff of pigskin legend, and Pizzo milks it for all it's worth. Wittrock portrays Steinmark as a flawless paragon—obedient to his parents, devoted to his faith, committed to his high-school sweetheart, and loyal to his friends as well as being the sparkplug of his team. The film also serves up a laudatory portrait of Royal (who not only took a chance on Steinmark but fashioned an innovative strategy to turn his mediocre squad into a championship contender). Ultimately, My All-American is as much hagiography as biography. Optional, at best. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include “The Spirit of Freddie Steinmark” on the real-life subject (3 min.), a behind-the-scenes featurette (3 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a small extras package for a lackluster drama.] (F. Swietek)