Back in 2015, the acclaimed ESPN documentary series "30 for 30" produced an episode titled "Sole Man." It told the story of how a mid-sized sports shoe company called Nike managed to sign a ground-breaking promotional deal with NBA rookie Michael Jordan for the Air Jordan basketball shoe.
A young intern named Alex Convery worked at the production company producing the documentary and managed to view the raw footage and read the interview transcripts with Sonny Vaccaro, Nike's basketball expert and the man who was instrumental in pursuing Jordan and his family in order to make the deal. The intern learned the entire story of how it went down.
Fast-forward eight years and the intern-turned-screenwriter is now celebrating his first produced screenplay, which became a major motion picture starring Matt Damon and was directed by Ben Affleck. The end result? A movie that fires on all cylinders.
Set in 1984, the film begins with a wonderful montage of '80s culture and tech (Were those early cell phones really THAT big?). We're introduced to Sonny (played by a very paunchy Matt Damon), a man who clearly loves basketball and is doing his best as part of the Nike promotional team to sign NBA players to shoe contracts.
There has always been a likability about Damon in almost all his roles, and this movie is no exception. The audience is rooting for Sonny as he embarks on an uphill battle to win over his colleagues at Nike, as well as Jordan, the rising young player who has made it clear he has no interest in a company that, at the time, was best known for making running shoes.
Affleck has surrounded Damon with an especially strong supporting cast — including himself, playing Phil Knight, the CEO and co-founder of Nike. The healthy ego of that character provides some well-timed comic relief.
Amazon Content Services/Ana Carballosa
Other notable co-stars include Chris Tucker ("Rush Hour" films) as a Nike marketing executive-slash-mentor who is superb at dispensing rapid-fire advice to the struggling Sonny. There's also Jason Bateman as the company's VP of marketing whose off-hand delivery and mannerisms seem very similar to many of Bateman's previous characters but which still works really, really well in this movie.
Also deserving special notice are Matthew Mahar ("Gone Baby Gone"), as the company's creative director who views designing a basketball shoe with an almost religious passion, and, especially, Chris Messina ("The Mindy Project"), as Jordan's high-strung and high-powered agent who simply dominates all of his scenes. One of the movie's most memorable moments comes when the agent lets loose on Sonny with an epic tongue-lashing after the Nike rep goes behind his back to contact Jordan's family. It's simply something to behold.
None of the actors, however, are more outstanding than Viola Davis as Michael Jordan's mom, Deloris. She is the gatekeeper to her son and her quiet strength and crystal-clear direct comments quickly earn Sonny's respect. She does not yell or threaten but makes everyone in the room understand what she expects. Come awards season, Davis should expect some nominations.
As for Michael Jordan himself, we see him primarily through game highlights and news footage that are sprinkled throughout the movie. For the scenes in which he appears as a character, Affleck made a conscious decision to only show the athlete in partial views. We see him in a wide shot getting out of a limousine or from behind as he sits down in a conference room, always with other people around him. We don't see his face. It was a smart move and makes the vintage footage more powerful. By the way, Affleck did meet with Jordan prior to production to get his approval and input. Jordan suggested casting Davis as his mom (Jordan's more easy-going father, James, is well-played by Julius Tennon, her real-life husband.).
Amazon Content Services/Ana Carballosa
Affleck has proven himself a talented director with movies like "Argo" and "The Town." He's delivered again with "Air," combining a well-written script that features exceptionally smart dialogue along with the intense drama of an underdog company tackling bigger, better-known companies to win over an athlete for the ages.
We all know the story will end, but showing the route to the Air Jordan shoe is a well-paced, immensely entertaining journey.
Rated R
4 ½ stars out of 5
Now in theaters