***Advanced access to the film was provided, but the opinion expressed herein are my own***
Scene:
An initially terrible little kids sports team.
A new coach.
An unexpected turnaround.
Think you’ve seen this movie with your kids before?
Maybe.
I shared the same skepticism starting Kevin James’ newest film, Home Team. I’m a sucker, though, for kids sports movies – Bad News Bears, Angels in the Outfield, Remember the Titans, Little Giants, and Sandlot – so I dove right in, all the while assuming that I could likely predict the plot.
I was pleasantly surprised with the film’s original take on the oft told storyline.
The movie, available TODAY (January 28th) on Netflix, stars Kevin James as the New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton. The film takes place while Coach Payton is suspended from the NFL for his role in a pay-for-injury scheme coined “Bountygate” (for non-sports fans: a 2009-2010 scandal where Payton was found culpable in a scheme devised by his coaches to pay players for hurting their opponents). Temporarily disgraced and forbidden from the job he’d sacrificed his personal life for, Coach Payton, retreats to a small Texas town to, he thinks, watch his son’s Pop Warner football team.
The team, the Warriors, is awful. In fact, they often have the “scoreboard turned off on them” after trailing in games by more than forty points. The incumbent coach asks that Payton help the team and, alas, their season begins to turnaround under the guidance of the Super Bowl winning head coach.
The Warriors on-field success is not the only comeback during the film. Coach Payton’s relationship with his son begins in disrepair and ends with shared understanding.
I asked star Kevin James about a particular scene from Home Team that caught my kids’ attention:
To watch the full parenting press junket with James, click here.
While the story was not going to throw any major curveballs, I appreciated the film’s portrayal of an actual sports story applied to a relatable kid situation. Kevin James was a natural – playing a sometimes pompous, sometimes warm, at-all-times-intense coach. The sports scenes were solid and filled with comments all families should hear – like “football is about having fun.”
Sure, we’ve seen similar stories before. But, man, it feels like Home Team tells it with a touching, real-life, triumphant-but-not-overly-soft twist that is worth a few hours on the couch with the kids. Just make sure to finish your popcorn before the vomiting scene!:)
Check it out with your family on Netflix January 28th!
Official Trailer: here
Official Movie Link: here
Note: A shout-out to the Netflix team for access to film and interview with James.
