First Trailer To Upcoming Release "Concussion" Puts NFL In Negative Light
The trailer for the upcoming film "CONCUSSION" was released this morning, and it "holds little back," according to Abid Rahman of the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The film, which is produced by Columbia Pictures and slated for release on Dec. 25, stars WILL SMITH as DR. BENNET OMALU, who discovered after "studying the brains of ex-pros" that they were suffering from CTE. The film is directed by PETER LANDESMAN (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 8/31). BLEACHER REPORT's Tyler Conway writes the movie "promises to bring the NFL's concussion controversy to the mainstream." Based on the trailer, the film "will be perhaps the most widely available criticism of the NFL on record" (BLEACHERREPORT.com, 8/31). In DC, Cindy Boren writes it is a "gut punch," and "isn’t likely to be well received at the league’s Park Avenue headquarters" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 8/31). NESN.com's Mike Cole writes the NFL's "next public relations nightmare might be coming on the big screen" (NESN.com, 8/31). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Michael Calia writes the trailer is "probably the last thing the NFL wants to see a week and a half before the 2015 regular season kicks off." The league in the trailer looks "a lot more aggressive in defending their stance" about head injuries. The film footage brings to mind the '99 film "THE INSIDER," which "told the story of whistleblower JEFFREY WIGAND and his battle with Big Tobacco" (WSJ.com, 8/31). THE VERGE's James Vincent asks if the movie can "do for football what 'AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH' did for climate change?'" (THEVERGE.com, 8/31).
TWITTER REAX: The Hockey News' Adam Proteau: "Will Smith's upcoming movie on concussions will make many NFL and NHL executives sweat like hell." CSN New England's Trenni Kusnierek: "I'd like to think this might have a greater impact than all the docs/long form reporting, but..." CJCL-AM's Greg Brady: "I'm sure NO dramatic liberties were taken to make the NFL look like they're run by Ed Harris, Wilford Brimley, & Hal Holbrook in 'The Firm.'"
TALKING TO THE DIRECTOR: Landesman recently sat for a Q&A with THE MMQB's Peter King, who asked him whether people "should love football." Landesman, who played collegiately at Brown, said, "To me, this is a story about making adult choices. Once you have the information -- and the information has been obscured for a long time, it’s been buried and covered up by people who don’t want to damage the sport -- the information is now out there, and I hope this movie brings together the information in a way that the general public can metabolize and now make their own decisions. So now that you know that concussions can kill you and playing the sport can kill you, it’s on every parent and it’s on every college player, it’s on every high school player and professional player on whether you are going to let your child play." King asked, "Are you sure you're not making this movie to drive people away from football?" Landesman: "I was very focused on this story. I don’t feel responsible or connected to the consequences. Storytellers can’t be. Otherwise you get hamstrung by your own conscience. You just have to tell the truth with the most integrity that you can" (MMQB.SI.com, 8/31).
