The Quad

Issue date: 4/7/08 Section: Entertainment

George Clooney fits perfectly in the 1920's world that he created for "Leatherheads." Clooney is a throw back from Hollywood's golden age, a real movie star. Clooney oozes a charisma and charm that few actors these days could ever hope to muster and does it effortlessly. His sophomore directorial effort is a slow paced yet fun tribute to the good old days of football before big egos, big salaries and real helmets.

In "Leatherheads," Clooney plays Dodge Connelly, the general manager and aging star player of the Duluth Bulldogs circa 1925. This was back before the days of flags and instant replays, when football was an anything you can get away with kind of sport. The only rule was be careful who you call old and all disputes were settled with fists flying. Connelly's Bulldogs, like the rest of the teams, are a rag tag group of miners, machinists and high school students and, also like the rest of the teams, they are barely making enough money to get by.

College football is all the rage while the pro teams can barely afford more then one game ball. The biggest star in the college game is Carter Rutherford, who is played excellently by "The Office" star John Krasinski. Rutherford is everything that Connelly isn't: young, athletic and faced with a sea of opportunities.

Rutherford is more then just a huge star in college sports; however, he is also a war hero. The story goes that he forced an entire squad of German soldiers to surrender using only the sound of his voice.

Rutherford is a national hero with countless endorsement deals and a shady publicist named CC Frazier, played by Jonathan Pryce of "Pirates of the Caribbean" fame. While Rutherford's future couldn't be brighter, things couldn't look much worse for the Bulldogs. Connelly learns that his team is bankrupt and that his players must go back to their real jobs.

Desperate to avoid such a fate Connelly hatches a scheme to get Rutherford to take a break from college ball and come join his Bulldogs. Rutherford agrees to go pro for the obscene salary of $5000, while Frazier puts up the cash to get the team out of bankruptcy, all for a percent of the team's overall profits.

Things turn around immediately for the Bulldogs and the rest of the league as Rutherford draws massive crowds wherever he goes. Things couldn't be better until Renee Zellweger enters the picture as Lexie Littleton, a reporter who is investigating Rutherford's background.

Continued...

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