Evidently women love football just as much as men do; at least that is true of the four female characters who lead 80 for Brady, which is inspired by a true story.  This film boasts a whole lot of girl power; it is written by two women and stars three female Oscar winners (and more than one other female nominee).  It tells a nice story of lifelong friendship and the sacrifice which that sometimes entails.  So why then is this movie so flimsy?

Kyle Marvin’s film introduces vintage friends Lou (Lily Tomlin), Trish (Jane Fonda), Maura (Rita Moreno) and Betty (Sally Field), who love Tom Brady and the New England Patriots more than just about anything else (it’s 2017, and the Pats are headed to Houston to play the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI).  All sorts of misadventures and some romantic entanglements ensue as the ladies make their way to the game, and eventually they make a direct impact upon the result.

I appreciate the ladies’ friendship and some of the comedy that occurs in Houston.  But I was taken aback by how they get mixed into the game itself, and I am surprised, even shocked, that Tom Brady would agree to participate in a story that messes with the legend that the Patriots created with their epic comeback.  I suppose this part of the story is meant to be inspiring but it made me cringe.  Had these antics occurred in real life, I think those ladies would have been jailed before the game even ended.  And I could have done without the drug use, which doesn’t add anything worthwhile to the story.

On a pure entertainment level the film is not bad.  Its stars are charming, appealing and funny.  They’re not afraid to put themselves out there, whether in ridiculous circumstances or dancing with abandon, for the sake of comedy.  I just wish they had been dealt a stronger script and had more to do, and that the film didn’t worship a guy who only announced his NFL retirement about a week before this movie was released.  It seems too soon for this kind of movie.  ☆ ☆ 1/2.  21 February 2023.