If you’re gonna make a sports movie and you’re worried about your material, just do what Unstoppable does. Keep it simple, make it an underdog tale, and fill the background with great actors to sell your story as best they can. And any tale that has kids happy to meet a hero of some kind? Sounds like the kind of movie anyone can get behind.
The movie opens with Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome) at the top of the mountain: he’s just overcome the odds as a one legged wrestler, and won the national wrestling championships in Philly with the loving support of his mom Judy (Jennifer Lopez) and coach Bobby Williams (Michael Pena). And Drexel offers him a full ride scholarship to college! But Anthony isn’t happy: all the big schools passed on him especially his dream school Iowa. Plus, his deadbeat sorta dad Rich (Bobby Canavale) is domineering the household, manipulating his mom and his 7 or so siblings. Not wanting to abandon his family, Anthony forgoes his full ride to attempt to walk on at Arizona State under coach Shawn Charles (Don Cheadle), who previously advised him to go to Drexel.
The most interesting part of Unstoppable is its starting point. The 1980s version of this movie would be the high school story, with Anthony overcoming the odds and becoming national champion. But this sports film starts after he’s reached his sporting goal, realizing he has to aim even higher. With his work ethic never in doubt, this one shows how that ethic is not enough to get to your goals: the emotional hurdles are just as important as the physical ones. Also, the path isn’t all sunshine and rainbows after you win a little. The movie is at its best in the weeds of Anthony’s struggles, as he overcomes one setback to find himself confronted with another obstacle he has to figure out. Unstoppable is what the kid has to be, navigating though this emotional (though horrendously cliched) minefield with a good enough support system to keep him pushing to reach that final plateau: be the best in the nation at 125 lbs, better than Iowa’s wrestlers.
And props to the filmmakers for overqualifying the cast. Jharrel Jerome has starred in big emotional epics before. Here he does the opposite of his character, physically working to match Jerome’s emotional acting prowess. And when he needs a scene partner? Oh just choose between Jennifer Lopez, Michael Pena, Don Cheadle, Bobby Canavale, or Mykelti Williamson. The cast really does their best in the underwritten, stereotypical sports arcs they are given. Special props to Bobby Canavale who manages even for a minute to make his walking garbage plot device even remotely likable or interesting. But they’re all there for Jerome, who proves with Unstoppable that he has the juice to be a great leading man when given the opportunity.
Like a great sports movie does, you’ll be rooting for great things to happen to Anthony Robles. And you know the movie is working like I did when I inadvertently went “aww” a few times with the Robles family updates. So turn off your cynical brain, open your heart, and let the determination of Anthony Robles slowly win you over. Or watch JLo openly dress down college kids in the stands not rooting for her son. Whatever works for you y’all.