American Underdog

While stocking shelves at an Iowa supermarket, an aspiring NFL quarterback stares at a picture of one of his Hall of Fame idols, Dan Marino, on a Wheaties box. At the time, Kurt Warner wasn’t a teenager looking forward to stardom, but a former college star afraid his best football was behind him.

That pivotal moment early in American Underdog illustrates both the inspiring roots of Warner’s life story and the tendency of this faith-based biopic to eschew subtlety and surprise in favor of crowd-pleasing clichés.

The film opens with Kurt (Zachary Levi) is starring at the University of Northern Iowa in the mid-1990s. When a teammate (Ser’Darius Blain) persuades him to visit a honky-tonk bar, he meets Brenda (Anna Paquin), a strong-willed single mother with two kids.

As their relationship progresses, Kurt’s hopes of playing pro football dwindle when he isn’t selected in the NFL draft, primarily because he played at a smaller school against lesser competition. Struggling to make ends meet, Kurt accepts an offer to play in the quirky arena league.

His success at that level draws interest from the St. Louis Rams, coached by Dick Vermeil (Dennis Quaid), who brings him in for a tryout for the backup role. Neither coach nor player knew how circumstances would intertwine their fate during the magical season that followed.

Directed with heartfelt reverence by the sibling tandem of Andrew and Jon Erwin (I Can Only Imagine), the film’s football sequences, both at the college and professional level, resonate with authenticity, thanks in part to obvious authorization on all sides.

Levi (Shazam) conveys a certain understated charm even if Kurt’s charisma and drive remain muted. Of course, it doesn’t help that the film depicts him practically devoid of flaws, able to win over any coach — or woman, in Brenda’s case — with a little persistence and a smile.

Meanwhile, the glossy screenplay by David Aaron Cohen (Friday Night Lights) — based on Warner’s memoir — provides modest insight yet rarely dwells on any obstacles with meaningful depth, instead settling for a formulaic rags-to-riches trajectory that culminates with a championship ending most moviegoers already will know.

Kurt’s legacy as a fan favorite might be enhanced by this sanitized glimpse into his personal and spiritual life more than his well-chronicled professional success. However, by relying on a familiar narrative playbook, American Underdog fails to reach the goal line.

Rated PG, 112 minutes.