comment #1

Jeremy Smith says ...

This is unexpected. It was a hit with audiences at an early September test screening. I'd also heard Clooney was gearing up for a serious Oscar push on its behalf.

comment #2

ZacharyTF says ...

I'm going to guess that execs didn't like what they saw and demanded reshoots/extra shooting.

Either that or they felt that the movie would get lost in the holiday shuffle and push it to spring to get it wider exposure.

comment #3

Joel says ...

Guess you can delete Renee from that possible Oscar nom list.

comment #4

Jack Price says ...

That's the first picture I've seen from this film.

Clooney gets a tremendous amount of respect, especially as an actor/director, so I don't feel like the studio would take the film out of his hands ever. That's almost as plausible as Warner Bros. hiring another director to do reshoots on a Clint Eastwood film. Aint ever gonna happen.

I'll stay hopeful that whatever's going to get picked up will help make the film better than it already is. Unless it's a Zodiac-esque situation where it's forcing the film to become shorter, but I don't think the budget for this one came anywhere close to what's average for a studio picture.

comment #5

drbob says ...

Holy shit. Is John Krasinski really that much taller than George Clooney.

comment #6

ZacharyTF says ...

"Holy shit. Is John Krasinski really that much taller than George Clooney."

Yes. He's 6'3" and is the shortest of him and his two brothers who are 6'6" and 6'10".

George is 5'10".

comment #7

D.Z. says ...

5 10?! That means he's about my height! He looked much taller.

comment #8

Larry says ...

The movie sounded like fun. I was looking forward to it more than most end-of-year films. Too bad it seems to be in trouble.

comment #9

MiraJeffAICN says ...

That's too bad. I thought Zellweger would be a Dark Horse Oscar candidate, or at least a surefire Golden Globe nom. Plus I wanted to see Krasinski in his first lead role, since License to Gouge My Eyes Out doesn't count.

comment #10

Rob says ...

I generally think that people overreact to release date changes. Plenty of excellent films have been bumped back for one reason or another, and I can't really imagine Clooney dropping the ball, so to speak, on this one.

But Zellweger could sure use a hit, and as for Krasinski (who's really talented and cute as a button), well, it has to be better than License to Wed.

comment #11

nemo says ...

I'm sure Clooney is in great shape, but isn't he a bit old to be playing a football player?

comment #12

alynch says ...

Football players played at much older ages back then. Clooney's character is probably only like 40 in the movie, so it's pretty believable.

comment #13

Ian Sinclair says ...

I think Clooney must have seen that picture and realized how silly everyone looks in that costume; you American chaps do wear the most amusing sports outfits.

comment #14

BurmaShave says ...

Clooney must have really started believing in MICHAEL CLAYTON and its own Oscar chances.

comment #15

RoyBatty says ...

Ian, you do realize its a period piece set in the 1920's? At least its just our sports uniforms. Care to defend some of the more outlandish outfits your military was strutting around in public in back then?

And does anyone other than cliched English characters written by Americans actually use the term "chaps" anymore?

comment #16

Silverscreenvideos says ...

George Clooney is now 46.

George Blanda was 48 when he retired and played quarterback until age 43. Morten Andersen is still active in the NFL at age 47.

comment #17

T. S. Idiot says ...

Has a football movie ever been released in the spring?

comment #18

malibugigolo says ...

Ian,

Not as preposterous as Ian Poulters outfit per his usual tasteless standards that is on display at the Dunhill Links Championchip.

comment #19

nemo says ...

"George Blanda was 48 when he retired and played quarterback until age 43. Morten Andersen is still active in the NFL at age 47."

Really? I knew it not unusual for baseball and basketball players to keep playing professionally into their forties. But football is so physically punishing I assumed you were pretty well used up by the age of 40.

As a friend of mine who follows sports a lot more than I do once said: There's a reason you can play baseball almost every day, but you only play football once a week. With football you need at least a week to recover.

When I first got out of college I used to work with a guy who was the same age as Carl Yastrzemski. He used to say, "As long as Yastrzemski keeps playing baseball, I'm not middle-aged yet."

comment #20

malibugigolo says ...

Satchel Paige pitched into his 50's.

comment #21

nemo says ...

"Satchel Paige pitched into his 50's."

That's especially impressive since he was a pitcher. Those guys tend to burn out their pitching arms early.

"Morten Andersen is still active in the NFL at age 47."

Good god, he's hardly any younger than I am. I can't imagine working a job that entails getting knocked flat by big guys half my age.

comment #22

Ogami Itto says ...

"And does anyone other than cliched English characters written by Americans actually use the term "chaps" anymore?"

Yeah -- message board posters pretending to be English.

Now I'm afraid I simply must retire to my bedroom for some rest, or I shan't have the vigor for this afternoon's cricket match. 'Twas jolly good conversing with you whilst I drank my Earl Gray tea.

comment #23

christian says ...

Oh good show indeed! Pip pip and all that bother.

comment #24

Ian Sinclair says ...

"Chap" is very much still in use in England. However, it has never been used by working class people, where the word "mate" is used instead. "Vigour" has a u in Britain. Nobody uses "'twas" "conversing" "whilst" "pip pip" or "all that bother" in conversation.

comment #25

Aris P says ...

Which genius thought of casting Krasinski in this film, and why? Who decided he can act? Making pouty, cutesy faces on the Office is about the extent of his range.

comment #26

Terry McCarty says ...

Aris P asked:
Who decided [John Krasinski] could act?

People probably thought the same thing about Tom Hanks in 1980.

comment #27

drturing says ...

Krasinski is the new Zach Braff.

comment #28

Sean says ...

"People probably thought the same thing about Tom Hanks in 1980."

Yeah, but they also said it about Martin Short, Joe Piscopo, and plenty of people who proved they were right.

comment #29

JapAdapters says ...

Morten Anderson's age and the fact that he "plays football" is misleading. He's a field goal kicker, so his body doesn't have any wear and tear on it. There will never be a position player in the NFL who plays full-time into his 40's, because the game is so brutal.

Blanda played in a different era, which may as well have been a million years ago. Those guys were grizzled ass men, but they were men, not mutants like you see in today's NFL. The biggest guy he ever played with would probably be the smallest on any current NFL roster. Also, steroids weren't invented yet.