Movie, 2009

Movie based on a true story of a campaigning mother who adopts a down and out kid. Kid grows up, mentally and physically, and becomes a professional American footballer. With the rags to riches element, the big budget and the root in true life, the schmaltz gets turned up to a ferocious degree. There are moments where the film tries to do a little more, although the overwhelming sense of the celebration of decency gets a little cloying. For those who enjoy this kind of thing, there’s plenty to admire, though it’s probably true to say there’s not an awful lot in it for those who prefer their stories and themes a little more nuanced, or ‘out there.’ Ultimately, this is a film with a big heart which knows it and runs its momentous course.