Written by: Sarah Haskins & Emily Halpern
Starring: Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, Sally Field, Tom Brady
Rating: [3.5/5]
Finding something that binds friends together can create a bond like no other, even if it comes at a surprise as is the case when seeing football carrying this massive significance for four elderly women. It just makes that experience of them coming together all the sweeter as seen in the wonderfully touching and fun 80 for Brady where we see the beautiful power of friendship and just how far it will take these ladies.
Watching the New England Patriots ever since the start of Tom Brady’s career, Lou (Lily Tomlin),
Trish (Jane Fonda), Maura (Rita Moreno), and Betty (Sally Field) have made it a tradition to gather together to watch the games every Sunday. With a radio competition presenting the opportunity for individuals to attend Super Bowl LI, Lou becomes resolute in trying to find a way to get her and her friends to the big game in Houston.
One can only stomach too much happiness from Patriots fans and propaganda for Tom Brady as this film essentially serves as, but when you have such a charming quartet of leads to follow in this heartwarming but also very funny film, one can easily forgive it. Even with all the love for the Patriots and their utter dominance throughout the years, everything in this feature centers directly on these four friends and not so much about the importance of the winning but how the sport has essentially brought them together in ways many would not expect. The film contains this inherent sweetness to it, which ultimately propels us forward to get to the comedic bits that work because of the talent at-hand.
Four women in their 80s does not typically represent what many think of with NFL fans, but it demonstrates how much this sport has grown and widened the appeal beyond the usual suspects many may think of. This makes the appearance of these women at the NFL Experience leading up to the Super Bowl even funnier, where these men receive the surprise of how much these women know about the game. Their time in Houston then further devolves into various wacky experiences that involve a wing eating contest hosted by Guy Fieri, taking some hallucinogenic drugs at a party, and ensuring they find a way into the game, despite Lou’s assertion they won the tickets from the local radio show. Everyone one of these moments delivered the fun moments this film promised, but everything ultimately stems from the heartfelt message at the very center.
What connected these women to football was watching Tom Brady make his appearance on the field in the most unexpected ways, which helped Lou during her bout with cancer and her chemotherapy treatment. Getting to this game meant so much to her and she was willing to pretty much mortgage as much as she could in order to have this experience for her and her best friends. Having the knowledge of the actual situation with Lou while the others remain in the dark makes her attempts to create this special moment for them that much sweeter, and this bond between these women truly gets right at the heart of this story. Additionally, sports has this ability of myth making where we can see individuals out in the field as human and overcome certain things, which is what makes their connection to Brady so lovely as well.
Bringing together this quartet of ladies pretty much guaranteed no matter what material they received, it would be quite easy to love them as they go on this journey. Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, and Sally Field are each individually delightful in the tiny arcs they experience in the film, but collectively it all just comes together in a way where it becomes easy to ignore the film’s faults. 80 for Brady hits all the right notes at just the right frequency and it will undoubtedly make anyone who watches it smile because it’s an honor to see these four fabulous actors just have fun together. For as much as seeing New England Patriots fans be happy for any reason, if it’s these four, then I can certainly root for them and relive that dreaded 28-3 comeback on the poor Atlanta Falcons.
Films with Josh 
