Touchback

Rudy, The Blind Side, Any Given Sunday, We Are Marshall, and Remember the Titans are some of my favorite football movies. I just watched Touchback starring Kurt Russell, Brian Presley, and Melanie Lynskey and I'm ready to add another to that list. Touchback is a great family movie with an inspirational ending - think 17 Again meets It's a Wonderful Life.



The movie deals with a former high-school football star who, on the last play of the State Championship, makes a courageous play that lands him in the endzone but also leaves him with a devastating injury. He brought pride to his small, blue-collar town but eliminated any chance of a future in football. 15 years later he finds himself at the end of life's rope. Touchback reminds us that we often question fate and ask, "Why?" when we're faced with life's setbacks.



The tagline of the movie poses the question "Would you give up everything you love for a shot at everything you've wanted?" If any of us could go back in time to change the outcome of a pivotable moment and forever alter our lives, would we do it? The choices we make put us on different paths, and it's an interesting dilemma to face when we think about what life would be like if we had gone down a different path. We have all faced hardships and adversity in our lives, but good often comes with the bad. Could you really give up the good to get rid of the bad? The grass isn't always greener on the other side.



This feel-good movie was somewhat predictable and the core concept isn't necessarily new, but the characters and their portrayals were certainly heartfelt. Touchback teaches us that hope and inspiration can be more than mere words and that we should learn to appreciate what we have. Most football fans should be able to relate to this movie. If you get the chance, I recommend checking it out.

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