The Leatherheads is considered to pay homage to both the early, nondescript start of professional football and the eccentric comedies dominating the 1930’s and 40’s. George Clooney is “Dodge” Connelly, a wily member of the football team Duluth Bulldogs. When the team goes bankrupt, Connelly tries to convince a war hero who is also the current star on the college football circuit named Carter “The Bullet” Rutherford played by John Krasinski to join the team. When he succeeded, professional football was legitimized by the absolute force of Rutherford’s celebrity. However, what they don’t know is that a reporter named Lexie Litteton (Renee Zellweger) is investigating Rutherford’s war records and what she discovers may foil the whole plan. At times, the eccentric flavor and Zellweger’s acting both feels forced, but those elements do add to the fact that the movie is spirited and fun. Not only did Clooney act on this movie, but he also capably directed the film, adding highlights to the movie’s fringes and making them shine as brightly as the main plot. Leatherheads is also the film where the star potential of Krasinski was noticed and deemed him similarly charming as Jimmy Stewart. Although the movie has plenty of witty comedy, the real comic context of the movie is revealed through offhand gestures and crafty character revelations. Ultimately, the film could be said to be in Preston Sturges neighborhood beside The Lade Eve and The Palm Beach Story; and the famed director’s neighborhood is indeed an impressive place to be in.
–Bret Fetzer