This may have smacked of the Ozzie and Harriet days but, what's wrong with that? About time for a return to decency! Sure, we all know that all kinds of language is used in a football camp, and we certainly know what sex scenes are all about since we are inundated with them in almost every film. What a nice break from filth this was! It proves that you can tell a story without going into the gutter. I'm surprised that it was even able to be made! Using language and sex would not in any way have enhanced this story, but it would have kept young viewers away. And during the last half hour you could have heard a pin drop as everyone in the audience was riveted. I will go out of my way to see and recommend other Angelo Pizzo films.

An elderly Coach Royal (Aaron Eckhart) is being interviewed about his playing days. He starts recounting one of his player named Freddie Steinmark (Finn Wittrock). Steinmark isn't an All-American player but he has an All-American heart. He is a hard-working, religious, and pious kid. He's the first to arrive and the last to leave. Linda Wheeler (Sarah Bolger) is his high school sweetheart. He plays for Royal's University of Texas Longhorns.Nothing really dramatic happens in the first two thirds of the movie. There are some cute stuff like his puppy love with Sarah Bolger. Wittrock isn't that charismatic and the character is very square. It's a very straight biopic. The writer should realize the meat of the story is the eventual expected medical issue. Honestly, I don't know anything about the true story. Since nothing happens for most of the movie, I assumed that some big tragedy happens in the climax. That's what happens in most of these movies and in this one, it's not that climatic.Even the twist is problematic. Essentially, Steinmark is too stubborn to go to a doctor. It's playing-thru-the-pain ethos on steroids. Even his refusing to use a wheelchair is problematic. He's willing to pop his stitches and ignore his doctor. There are ways to make this a compelling journey. It would make more emotional sense if people start pitying him. This could have been a great movie about the battle for his life. Instead, we're spending hours on the predictable football games.

Although he only lived for 22 years on planet earth Freddie Joe Steinmark touched a whole lot of lives and still does today in the great state of Texas. He's their version of the Gipper for those University of Texas Longhorns.The film is done in flashback with Freddie's Knute Rockne, UT's coach Darrell Royal played here by Aaron Eckhart. Freddie Joe Steinmark did not make All American, but in Royal's mind he's his once and forever My All American.Finn Wittrock plays Freddie with a minimum of sentimentality who led that Texas team to its first national championship in a generation and then it's discovered he has one bad almost always terminal version of bone cancer. Both Wittrock and Eckhart are supported by an impeccably cast group of supporting players.To this day in Texas the Longhorns win for Freddie the way Knute Rockne had them win one for George Gipp. The film is also a winner.

The is based upon a true storyUniversity of Texas Coach Darrell Royal (Aaron Eckhart) tells the story of one of the best football players he ever had: Freddie Steinmark (Finn Wittrock). A reporter asks Coach Royal of all the All Americans he coached which one had the greatest impact on him. Coach Royal replies, " Freddie. Freddie Steinmark." The reporter states that Freddie Steinmark was never an All American. To which Coach Royal replies, "No, but he was MY ALL American."The first 3-quarters of this movie will remind you when you were in High School or early years of college as we follow Freddie Steinmark in his football days. It is delightful, funny, faith-based and honest. When Freddie meets Linda (Sarah Bolger) - the love of his life - in HS, we are off to the races.We see that Freddie Steinmark is truly an exceptional football player, who played Safety later on for Coach Royal. This movie shows us more football practices than we see from other football movies, and those action scenes are somewhat brutal too. (it's only a movie, Bob) When we see the actual games the hitting doesn't let up and we think about checking into the ER just to be safe. (still a movie)Aaron Eckhart probably plays the best role of his life as Coach Royal. Kudos. Newcomer Finn Wittrock as Freddie is a breath of fresh air and you wished you knew Freddie and further you wished everyone else was like him. He is the perfect friend as well as a better than exceptional football player. The last quarter of this movie is sad - extremely so - and you may need that Kleenex box. Everything caught me by surprise as I had never heard of Freddie Steinmark. Football movies come and go and we rarely or barely remember what they were about (except maybe for WE ARE MARSHALL) but this movie is much different as I don't think I will ever forget Freddie Steinmark or Coach Royal, who saw things in Freddie no one else saw. I am glad this movie was made so we know what an exceptional Human Being Freddie Steinmark was. Go to Wikipedia to learn more about Freddie Steinmark and Coach Darrell Royal. (9/10)Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: No.