Review of All the Right Moves (1983) by Charles H — 14 Jun 2007

The director really ought to have had Nelson dial back all that face-mask yanking during the practice scenes. Heavy-handed moments like that lessen the film's impact. It's certainly fair to complain that the film is predictable.

But there is also some originality, otherwise Cruise's character would have been written as a superstar QB dating the head cheerleader rather than as a defensive back who is a marginal college prospect, and whose girlfriend plays in the school band.

The assorted dead-ends that exist in the poor steel town where the story is set are shown and discussed repeatedly, and accordingly, the sky overhead always appears overcast. What affected me the most are the scenes that demonstrate how football-crazed townspeople will quickly toss aside their athletic heroes once their careers have ended.

I have seen that happen myself. And here's a novel concept: jock desires a football scholarship to pay for his education rather than as a springboard to a pro contract. Not as realistic today, I'm afraid.