Concussion (2015 film)

Concussion

Bennet Omalu in front of some football helmets

theatrical release poster
Directed by Peter Landesman
Produced by
Written by Peter Landesman
Based on Game Brain
by Jeanne Marie Laskas
Starring
Music by James Newton Howard
Cinematography Salvatore Totino
Edited by William Goldenberg
Production
companies
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release dates
  • November 10, 2015 (2015-11-10) (AFI Fest)
  • December 25, 2015 (2015-12-25) (United States)
Running time
 122 minutes[1]
Country United States
Language English
Budget $35 million[2]
Box office $48.6 million[2]

Concussion is a 2015 American biographical sports drama thriller film directed and written by Peter Landesman, and produced by Ridley Scott, Giannina Scott, David Wolthoff, Larry Shuman, and Elizabeth Cantillon, based on the exposé "Game Brain" by Jeanne Marie Laskas, published in 2009 by GQ magazine.[3]

Set in 2002, the film stars Will Smith as Dr. Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist who fights against the National Football League trying to suppress his research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) brain degeneration suffered by professional football players. It also stars Alec Baldwin, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Albert Brooks.

Columbia Pictures released the film on December 25, 2015. The film received mixed reviews and was considered a commercial disappointment, grossing just $48 million on its $35 million budget.[2]

Plot

In 2002, former Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster is found dead in his pickup truck, after years of self-mutilation and homelessness. Before his death, a fellow football player, Justin Strzelczyk, comes to him, and confides that he is starting to lose his memory, that he is saying odd things to his children, and nearly threw his wife against the wall. A disoriented Webster brushes the worries off, and deliriously tells him that the most important thing "is to finish the game", which is what he said during his Hall of Fame speech.

Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist with the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania cororner's office, handles Webster's autopsy. He wonders how a man, otherwise healthy, and fairly young, could have degenerated so quickly, and makes it a point to figure out why he died of a heart attack at only fifty. Omalu closely examines microscope slides of Webster's brain and discovers that he had severe brain damage. He ultimately determines that Webster died as a result of the long-term effects of repeated blows to the head—a disorder he later calls chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). With the help of former Steelers team doctor Julian Bailes, fellow neurologist Steven T. DeKosky and county coroner Cyril Wecht, Omalu publishes a paper on his findings, which is initially dismissed by the NFL.

Over the next few years, Omalu discovers that three other former NFL players, Strzelczyk (died 2004), Terry Long (died 2005), and Andre Waters (died 2006), had symptoms very similar to Webster's. He finally persuades newly appointed NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to allow him to present his findings before a committee on player safety. However, the NFL does not take him seriously and he is barred from the committee meeting, forcing Bailes, a former NFL employee, to give the presentation in his place. However, the meeting is a set up, where they claim the players' head trauma was due to past injuries, having nothing to do with football. As he leaves the meeting, Dave Duerson angrily confronts Omalu, and tells him to "go back to Africa".

Omalu is subjected to considerable pressure to back down from his efforts, as football is a city wide beloved sport, having gotten people through tough times and helping men go to college. Wecht is subjected to a politically motivated prosecution on corruption charges, and Omalu is forced to leave Pittsburgh soon after, lest he be deported, or sent to prison on petty charges as punishment for tarnishing the NFL. Omalu's wife, Prema, suffers a miscarriage after being stalked. The Omalus are forced to leave their dream home outside Pittsburgh. They move to Lodi, California, where Omalu takes a job with the San Joaquin County coroner's office.

Three years later, Omalu is vindicated when former NFL Players Association executive Dave Duerson commits suicide due to growing cognitive problems – in his suicide note, Duerson admits that Omalu was right. Omalu is allowed to address an NFLPA conference on concussions and CTE. He informs them that he once wished he had never known Mike Webster, but by knowing him, he has the responsibility to inform NFL players of the true risk they are taking in playing. He holds no resentment for the NFL, and tells them to forgive themselves, and be at peace, seeing Mike Webster in the crowd, despondent as he was in the last years of his life. Amid growing scrutiny from Congress, the NFL is forced to take the concussion issue more seriously, and in 2011, NFL players sue the league for not properly informing them of the risk of CTE. Omalu is offered a job as chief medical examiner for the District of Columbia, but turns it down in order to continue working hands-on with autopsies.

Cast

Production

Development

Ridley Scott's idea of an NFL concussion film was inspired by Dr. Bennett Omalu's study about former NFL stars Junior Seau and Dave Duerson, both of whom committed suicide after suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Scott was set to direct after his film Exodus: Gods and Kings, while he and Facio were looking for an A-list writer.[4] In November and December 2013, two more NFL concussion films were in development, first Game Time Decision with writer/director and former NFL wide receiver Matthew A. Cherry and actor Isaiah Washington,[5] and another film League of Denial with producers Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald.[6] Landesman had based his script on the 2009 GQ article Game Brain by Jeanne Marie Laskas.[7] Smith and Marsan previously appeared together in the 2008 superhero film Hancock.

Filming

Principal photography started on October 27, 2014, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and filmed there through mid-January. One of the film's key scenes was shot in Altius Restaurant in the Mt. Washington section of Pittsburgh. Other area scenes were shot at a church in Pittsburgh's Hill District, the Braddock Carnegie Library,[8] and in downtown Pittsburgh.[9]

Music

James Newton Howard composed the score for the film. Klayton (frontman of Celldweller) provided synth programming for the score.[10] R&B singer Leon Bridges provided a new song, called "So Long".[11]

Release

The first trailer was released on YouTube on August 31, 2015 by Sony Pictures Entertainment.[12] Sony released the film on December 25, 2015.[13] Marketing included advertisements for the film airing during NFL games.[14]

Home media

Concussion was released on Digital HD on March 15, 2016, before being released two weeks later on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD on March 29, 2016.[15]

Reception

Box office

Concussion grossed $34.5 million in North America and $14.1 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $48.6 million, against a budget of $35 million.[2]

In the United States and Canada, the film opened on December 25, 2015 alongside Daddy's Home, Joy, Point Break and the nationwide expansion of The Big Short. In its opening weekend, the film was projected to gross $8–10 million from 2,841 theaters.[16] It eventually grossed $10.5 million, finishing 7th at the box office.[17] Due to Smith's star status and the $35 million production budget, the film was considered a box office disappointment.[18][19]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 61%, based on 175 reviews, with an average rating of 6.1/10. The site's consensus reads, "Concussion lands a solid, well-acted hit on its impressively timely subject matter, even if its traditional sports drama structure is a little too safe to deserve a full-on dance in the end zone."[20] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 55 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[21] On CinemaScore, audiences gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[17]

Will Smith's performance was praised for being "sensitive [and] understated" by The Denver Post.[22]

Accolades

Awards
Award Category Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Result
African-American Film Critics Association Best Actor Will Smith Won
Hollywood Film Awards Actor of the Year Will Smith Won
Palm Springs International Film Festival Creative Impact in Acting Award Will Smith Won
Directors to Watch Peter Landesman Won
All Def Movie Awards Lifetime Achievement Award Will Smith Won
Best Picture Nominated
Black Reel Awards Outstanding Actor, Motion Picture Will Smith Nominated
Outstanding Motion Picture Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Motion Picture Gugu Mbatha-Raw Nominated
Outstanding Ensembles Nominated
Denver Film Critics Society Best Actor Will Smith Nominated
Georgia Film Critics Association Best Original Song "So Long", written by Leon Bridges, Josh Block, Austin Jenkins and Chris Vivion; and performed by Leon Bridges Nominated
Golden Globe Awards Best Actor – Drama Will Smith Nominated
Indiana Film Journalists Association Award[23] Best Actor Will Smith Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Alec Baldwin Nominated
Albert Brooks Nominated
NAACP Image Awards[24] Outstanding Motion Picture Nominated
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Will Smith Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Gugu Mbatha-Raw Nominated
Satellite Awards Best Actor Will Smith Nominated
MTV Movie Awards Best Male Performance Will Smith Nominated
True Story Nominated

Controversy

Family members of Dave Duerson, a former NFL player who suffered from CTE, claimed the film portrayed Duerson in a bad light. In one scene, Duerson's character called Omalu's character a "quack" in addition to telling him "to go back to Africa" and "get away from our game."[25] In another scene, Duerson is shown mocking former NFL player Andre Waters when he filed an application for benefits in connection with head injuries he sustained while playing in the NFL. Duerson's family members called these scenes false. In response, Landesman, the film's director, stated that the film was "emotionally and spiritually accurate all the way through".[25]

Slate science writer Daniel Engber, who has been skeptical of the link between CTE and the deaths of players found to have had it,[26] called the film inaccurate in other ways, for example suggesting that Wecht's arrest on corruption charges was motivated by Omalu's paper, when in fact it was published three months afterwards. "[The film] feeds into a pervasive myth at the center of the national discussion over football and head injuries," he charges.[27] In particular, he cites a 2012 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health study[28] indicating that football players, on average compared to the population as a whole, live longer and generally healthier lives, though the study also indicates, as Engber points out, that former football players are also more likely to suffer, and die, from neurodegenerative disease.[27]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "CONCUSSION (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. November 2, 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Concussion (2015)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  3. ↑ Laskas, Jeanne Marie (September 14, 2009). "Bennet Omalu, Concussions, and the NFL: How One Doctor Changed Football Forever". GQ. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  4. ↑ Fleming Jr, Mike (November 7, 2013). "Ridley Scott To Direct Film About Deadly Effects Of Concussions In Football Players". deadline.com. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  5. ↑ Fleming Jr, Mike (November 13, 2013). "Isaiah Washington, Matthew Cherry Huddle On Football Concussion Pic". deadline.com. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  6. ↑ Fleming Jr, Mike (December 9, 2013). "A Collision Of Football Concussion Projects: Parkes/MacDonald Options NFL Head Injury Expose 'League Of Denial' For Pic". deadline.com. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  7. ↑ Fleming Jr, Mike (June 3, 2014). "Will Smith Eyeing Gridiron Concussion Pic At Sony With Peter Landesman Directing". deadline.com. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  8. ↑ "The Will Smith crew filmed at Braddock Carnegie Library this week".
  9. ↑ Vancheri, Barbara (October 31, 2014). "Will Smith football movie shooting in Pittsburgh". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  10. ↑ "Celldweller Official Facebook". Retrieved August 31, 2015.
  11. ↑ "'Concussion': Leon Bridges Writes Song for Will Smith Drama". Variety. October 19, 2015.
  12. ↑ Pictures, Sony (August 31, 2015). "Concussion - Official Trailer (2015) - Will Smith". variety.com. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
  13. ↑ McNary, Dave (January 27, 2015). "Will Smith's 'Concussion' Drama Set for Christmas Release". variety.com. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  14. ↑ Chase, Chris (November 26, 2015). "The NFL-shaming 'Concussion' aired a commercial during Thanksgiving game". usatoday.com. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Concussion DVD release date". DVDs Release Dates. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
  16. ↑ Anthony D'Alessandro (December 21, 2015). "'Force Awakens' Will Own Christmas Weekend As Five Wide Releases Join The Fray – Box Office Preview". Deadline.com. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  17. 1 2 "'Daddy', 'Joy' & 'Hateful Eight' Reap Fortune As 'Star Wars' Halo Effect Impacts B.O…Can 'Force Awakens' Hit $1 Billion In U.S.?". deadline.com.
  18. ↑ Obenson, Tambay (2016-01-11). "'Concussion' adds to Will Smith's recent list of box office disappointments. What's going on?". Indiewire. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
  19. ↑ Mendez, Eduardo (2015-12-26). "Concussion Movie Update: Low box office numbers prove people aren't really concerned about CTE". Sports World News. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
  20. ↑ "Concussion (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Concussion (2015)". Metacritic. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  22. ↑ ""Concussion" movie review". Denver Post. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  23. ↑ "Home - Indiana Film Journalists Association".
  24. ↑ "NAACP Image Awards - Inside the Show".
  25. 1 2 Belson, Ken (2015-12-16). "Dave Duerson's Family Says 'Concussion' Film Smears Him". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
  26. ↑ Engber, Daniel (May 9, 2012). "The Concussion Panic". Slate. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  27. 1 2 Engber, Daniel. "Concussion Lies". slate.com. The Slate Group. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  28. ↑ Baron, Sherry L.; Hein, Misty J.; Lehman, Everett; Gersic, Christine M. (March 15, 2012). "Body Mass Index, Playing Position, Race, and the Cardiovascular Mortality of Retired Professional Football Players". The American Journal of Cardiology. 109 (6): 889–896. doi:10.1016/j.amjcard.2011.10.050. Retrieved 26 December 2015.

External links

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