Paper Lion

Just watched this movie on TCM. My husband highly recommended that I watch this movie to get a fill for what the players go through for training camp. He thought I'd love the movie since I just adore Alan Alda & he was right! I loved the whole movie & especially how well Alda portrayed George Plimpton. Perfect Casting! Lauren Hutton was also a delight in her movie debut. Highly recommend that women who have husband who are football junkies to watch this movie.

PS: My husband is a big KC Chiefs fan & said that this movie would have been a lot funnier if Plimpton had tried out for the Chiefs, because he says Hank Stram was the funniest coach in football at the time & would have made a great addition to the movie.

To echo what another commentator said, this was real football. No cell phone celebrations in the end zone, no agents who held their players out of camp,no players moving to five different teams in five seasons (like Seinfeld says "Your rooting for the laundry"}, only real football by real football players. The big money, free agency and showboating have ruined the sport.These guys played together for 6 or 7 seasons and knew each other well. It shows in every scene. There was real veteran leadership, and real veteran depth on these ball clubs.

The action, on camera anyway, must be the 1967 season, because thats the year Roger Brown was traded to the Rams to complete the final version of the "Fearsome Foursome". This is mentioned in the film. The Lions did not have a good season that year. Their once proud defense, of which Coach Joe Schmitt was a key element at MLB, was unraveling and their offense (especially at QB) was never that efficient to begin with. Another important footnote is that Lem Barney, seen singing his alma mater in the film, was defensive rookie of the year in 1967. Mel Farr, the rookie running back seen in several scenes, was the offensive rookie of the year.That is the only time this has ever happened in NFL history. Despite this infusion of new talent,the Lions only finished third in the Central Division, with a record of 5-7-2. Ironically, it was Vince Lombardi's Packers (Lombardi initially rejects Plimpton's offer to cover the team in the film)who would win the division, their third straight NFL title and the Super Bowl.

Alda is OK as Plimpton, but an approximation of the real George Plimpton would have been much funnier. Plimpton had that upper crust Havard accent, which the players liked to mock. ""Forrrty Fouurrr"!! Somebody talking like that among a bunch of football players would have been a scream. I think the non-professional football actors did a wonderful job in this one.Karras showed real acting ability, and John Gordy and Pat Studstill came off like pros. Even Mike Lucci was very effective as the "villian" of the training camp. Joe Schmitt played himself without the self consciousness of most non professional actors. In all, this movie was not only very amusing, but a real look at the guts of pro football during its golden age.

Paper Lion is a really good movie. Alan Alda was perfect for the role of Sports Illustrated reporter George Plimpton, and Lauren Hutton gave a strong debut performance as Plimpton's secretary. This is a classic underdog movie with Plimpton on assignment trying to make the Detroit Lion's football team. You can't help but put yourself in George's shoes. What makes this movie great is that Alda and Hutton are the only real actors, so it's as if you were a fly on the wall watching the team prepare for the season. I don't want to give anything away, so you will have to see it for yourself. But believe me it is well worth your time and will leave you smiling.

A fairly good adaptation of George Plimpton's book. A young Alan Alda did pretty well playing Plimpton. But as another commenter pointed out, it was most interesting to see pro football in the days when the coaches were the bosses, the players did what they were told, and no thuggishness or criminality was tolerated. Football was tough, and masculine, and that was okay. No strutting, no trash talk. Ah, those were the days.

My Dad directed this movie. I was 7 at the time. I remember all the location shoots in Central Park and Lauren Hutton chasing me around a garbage can. My dad and my dog are in the movie. My dad is the guy in the leather Jacket in the bar scene who tries to pick a fight with Alan Alda and my dog was the German Shepherd in the comedy scene with Alex Carras. A lot of memories in this movie. My Dad was an old school director and WWII vet. A tough Brooklyn New Yorker and hardcore football fan. I was a Detroit Lions fan after the movie. I remember the team gave me a Lions T-shirt that I wore for ten years! My dad only made 2-3 movies and then worked the rest of his career as a free lance TV director. Making this movie was a big deal to him and our family. The other movies he made, The Big Bounce and another with Zero mostel, were not as successful. I am glad so many folks enjoyed it.