The Replacements

Release Date: August 11th, 2000

Cast :

Directors: Howard Deutch

“We can be heroes, if just for one day” – David Bowie, Heroes

A funny thing happened on the way to cinematic predictability.  Something truly wondrous, enjoyable and fun emerged from the clichéd format of sports movies.  That thing is The Replacements, a surprisingly enjoyable, fun, yet wholly unoriginal view into the lives of wanna-be professional football players.This movie taps into the very soul of those who have ever competed for anything.  The Al Bundy’s of the world who reveled in their moment of glory then followed up with a life most ordinary.  Those dreams and visions never died, they’ve just been relegated to spirited retellings over dinners or in bar rooms.  The question of what if, ringing in their ears, and weighing like the proverbial albatross on their very spirit.  The Replacements is the story of men who get that second chance to relive their what if’s, even if it’s just for 4 weeks.

In the lore of Americana, there are many untold tales.  Those underlying side stories of the people behind the major events, who are sometimes more interesting than the event itself. The setting is the NFL strike, late 1980’s.  The spoiled professional players, portrayed as evil and greedy, decide to walk out over money and compensation conflicts.  This leaves the league with the alternatives of either no football at all, or games with replacement players;scabs, as they would become so unceremoniously known.  The movie focuses here is on the Washington Sentinels, who are restocked with “has-been’s” and “never-will-be’s”.  Their leader is Coach McGinty (Hackman) who has been around the gridiron block more than a few times.  He recruits the group of players consisting of every possible scenario of life after glory.  Of course the quarterback, Shane "Footsteps" Falco who is the closest thing to a lead character that the film has. Falco is haunted by visions of not being able to win “the big one" (which everyone seemed to see and noone will let him forget) Joining him are a group of dreamers including: the overweight ex-sumo wrestler, the African-American twins relegated to rap star bodyguards, the ex-con, the psycho military cop, the out-of shape European kicker and the hearing impaired player with best hands on the team.  There is absolutely nothing original about any of these characters. The key to the success is in how the chemistry is built and developed ala Major League, Bad News Bears etc. These are personified in several scenes, including a barroom brawl, and most notably a jailhouse rendition of "I Will Survive." Each person is interesting, each character is given their moments, and each one shines when given the spotlight, but never attempts to steal the movie away from the others.  Coming the closest to standing out is Orlando Jones (make 7-up yours guy) as the spirit and inspiration amidst the expected and necessary strife.  The only misstep occurs when the story feels necessary to wedge the obligatory romantic plot.  It is painful obvious, sugary sweet and detracts from the ultimate vision and purpose of the movie.

The pleasures of this movie are numerous.  The creative end zone dances, the knock towards the cheesy lines of its predecessors (“I should say something classy and inspiring here, but it wouldn’t be our style”), the obligatory bonding scenes (bar-room brawls and a classic jailhouse rendition of “I Will Survive”), the cheerleader tryouts and subsequent, eye-catching routines, and of course the presence and sheer glee and joy that John Madden and Pat Summerall seem to be having.  These all elevate this movie above the regularity and simplicity of all the movies that laid the groundwork for it.

Reeves, who is actually tolerable here, and Hackman fill their slots respectively without standing out or stealing scenes from the rest.  Ifans (of Notting Hill fame) and Jones, head the supporting characters.  Altogether, this is a team effort akin to the movies storyline.  Each knows their place, each fulfills their role, and together, the whole equals and supercedes the sum of its parts.

Ultimately, The Replacements is a near-perfect example of what a summer movie should be.  It is light-hearted and fun, never too serious, but never too insulting. It is something that has been seen many times before, but is still tolerable because of the execution. There are 2 classifications of movies depicting sports.  Those that deal with serious issues, and those that parody existing stereotypes and tendencies. The Replacements succeeds under the guise of its aforementioned predecessors   Everyone enjoys the story of an underdog overcoming, regardless of how many times its been done.  The key here as in all successes is in the intelligence of the script and the level to which the audience can relate to the characters while refraining from falling prey to too many stereotypes.  The Replacements balances all these qualities with a very deft and entertaining touch.  It is a movie that will incite cheers and sympathy, without ever bowing to conventional plot devices to elicit emotion.  In a summer full of wasted potential, The Replacements is truly a movie that can be universally enjoyed and applauded. ($$$ out of $$$$)

Agree? Disagree, Questions? Comments?

Tell Me Here

Also see my reviews at:

Cast information and links courtesy of

Go To Reel Rambling Page