The Game Plan (film)
Encyclopedia
The Game Plan is a 2007 family
comedy film
directed
by Andy Fickman
and starring The Rock. This is the last film in which Johnson uses his ring name "The Rock." This is also the last Disney film to be distributed by Buena Vista
, due to Disney semi-retiring the name in May 2007, making all other future Disney movies (starting with Enchanted) permanently distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
). The next morning, Kingman gets a surprise when an 8-year-old girl named Peyton Kelly (Madison Pettis
) shows up at his doorstep saying that she is his biological daughter, and that her mother (with whom Kingman got a divorce before she gave birth to Peyton) sent her here to meet him. Kingman's agent, Stella Peck (Kyra Sedgwick
), thinks this will be bad for his image and distracts him with the upcoming playoffs.
At the opening of Kingman's restaurant, he leaves without Peyton, and the next morning is on cover of a tabloid in a magazine article. As a result, Peck decides Kingman needs a new fatherly image. Later, at a press conference, the reporters make Kingman miserable, until Peyton starts speaking and says that he is new to this and is trying the best he can, and that she thinks he is the best father in the world. She then says that he has to repay her, she then has Kingman take her to a ballet academy run by Monique Vasquez (Roselyn Sanchez
). Vasquez has Kingman join their ballet performance to show him that ballet takes just as much athletic ability as football. Kingman and Peyton begin their relationship after Peyton calls his arrogant and selfish behavior to his attention. Kingman takes Peyton and her friends to the mall where he begins to get along with Vasquez.
The Rebels eventually make it to the championship game and Stella tells Kingman that if he wins, he will be offered a $25 million endorsement with Fanny's Burgers, a successful fast food restaurant run by Samuel Blake Jr (Robert Torti
)...but only if he uses their name in the post-game coverage. While at lunch with Kingman and Vasquez, Peyton accidentally tells Kingman that her mother does not know that she is with him, and that she was supposed to go to a ballet school program this month, but she ran away to be with him. He gets upset at her, and she has an allergic reaction to the nuts in the dessert, causing Kingman to rush her to the hospital for treatment. The doctors tell Kingman that she is going to be fine, while his former sister-in-law and Peyton's legal guardian, Karen Kelly (Paige Turco
), arrives. Kingman comes to realize that Sara (Kathryn Fiore
), Kingman's ex-wife and Peyton's mother, had died in a car accident
six months ago. After overhearing Peck explaining that Peyton would be a distraction to Kingman, Karen and Peyton return home, leaving a miserable Kingman behind, following that night, Spike (Kingman's dog) finds Peyton's bag under her bed, inside, Kingman found some photos and a letter from Sara, saying that she hid Peyton away from Kingman because she's afraid that Peyton will only become a distraction for him. As the championship game begins, Kingman's thoughts keep drifting back to Peyton, and he is distracted from performing well. He is injured near the end of the first quarter, causing him to be rushed to the locker room as a result.
However, he is surprised to discover that Peyton has arrived with Karen. Peyton tells him to never give up. Near the end of the fourth quarter, Kingman passes the ball to the running back, Webber (Brian J. White
), who gains positive yardage but fails to get out of bounds so the clock continues to run. Kingman rushes to call a final play and successfully does so. With no time left on the clock, he scrambles for a few yards but as he is being hit he throws a lob pass to Sanders who catches the pass, and the Rebels win their first championship. When being interviewed after the game, Joe announces that he will take his daughter home instead of the pre-planned Fanny's Burgers line...choosing that he would rather stay with Peyton over the $25 million. The film ends with Kingman, Peyton, and Vasquez dancing together in Kingman's apartment to Burning Love
.
Johnson's character taking ballet
lessons in the movie was an indirect nod to Pro Football Hall of Fame
wide receiver
Lynn Swann
, who took ballet lessons during his NFL
career with the Pittsburgh Steelers
. Swann later worked as a reporter for Disney-owned ABC
& ESPN
. Swann left Disney for a career in politics
while The Game Plan was in pre-production.
.
and Disney Blu-ray
on January 22, 2008. Through April 27, 2008, DVD rentals for The Game Plan were able to stay in the Top 50 chart, while earning more than $48 million. Special features include deleted scenes
, bloopers, and audio commentaries
.
Family film
A family film is a film genre that is designed to appeal to a variety of age groups and, thus, families.In December 2005, Steven Spielberg's 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial came first in a poll of the 100 Greatest Family Films. The genre today generates billions of dollars per annum.Family...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by Andy Fickman
Andy Fickman
Andy Fickman is a film and stage director and screenwriter. His credits as a theater director include the premiere of the Reefer Madness! musical and the first Los Angeles production of the play Jewtopia....
and starring The Rock. This is the last film in which Johnson uses his ring name "The Rock." This is also the last Disney film to be distributed by Buena Vista
Buena Vista (Walt Disney Company)
Buena Vista is a brand name frequently used for divisions of The Walt Disney Company, whose primary studios and offices are located on Buena Vista Street in Burbank, California. It was originally created by Walt Disney in 1953 after the release of Peter Pan to distribute his film and television...
, due to Disney semi-retiring the name in May 2007, making all other future Disney movies (starting with Enchanted) permanently distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Plot
The last game of the regular football season between the Boston Rebels and the New York Dukes ends in a touchdown by Rebels quarterback Joe Kingman (Dwayne Johnson) after he runs it into the end zone, ignoring an open wide receiver, Sanders (Morris ChestnutMorris Chestnut
Morris L. Chestnut is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles as teenage father Ricky Baker in the 1991 film Boyz n the Hood, groom-to-be Lance Sullivan in the 1999 film The Best Man, as Tracy Reynolds, NBA star in the 2002 film Like Mike, and as the Visitor Ryan in the...
). The next morning, Kingman gets a surprise when an 8-year-old girl named Peyton Kelly (Madison Pettis
Madison Pettis
Madison Michelle Pettis is an American teen actress, best known for playing Sophie Martinez on the Disney Channel sitcom Cory in the House and as Peyton Kelly in the 2007 film The Game Plan.-Life and career:...
) shows up at his doorstep saying that she is his biological daughter, and that her mother (with whom Kingman got a divorce before she gave birth to Peyton) sent her here to meet him. Kingman's agent, Stella Peck (Kyra Sedgwick
Kyra Sedgwick
Kyra Minturn Sedgwick is an American actress.Sedgwick is best known for her starring role as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson on the TNT crime drama The Closer. Sedgwick's role in the series won her a Golden Globe Award in 2007 and an Emmy Award in 2010...
), thinks this will be bad for his image and distracts him with the upcoming playoffs.
At the opening of Kingman's restaurant, he leaves without Peyton, and the next morning is on cover of a tabloid in a magazine article. As a result, Peck decides Kingman needs a new fatherly image. Later, at a press conference, the reporters make Kingman miserable, until Peyton starts speaking and says that he is new to this and is trying the best he can, and that she thinks he is the best father in the world. She then says that he has to repay her, she then has Kingman take her to a ballet academy run by Monique Vasquez (Roselyn Sanchez
Roselyn Sanchez
Roselyn Sánchez is a Puerto Rican singer-songwriter, model, actress, producer and writer of film and television.-Early life:...
). Vasquez has Kingman join their ballet performance to show him that ballet takes just as much athletic ability as football. Kingman and Peyton begin their relationship after Peyton calls his arrogant and selfish behavior to his attention. Kingman takes Peyton and her friends to the mall where he begins to get along with Vasquez.
The Rebels eventually make it to the championship game and Stella tells Kingman that if he wins, he will be offered a $25 million endorsement with Fanny's Burgers, a successful fast food restaurant run by Samuel Blake Jr (Robert Torti
Robert Torti
Robert Felix Torti is an American actor.Torti was born in Van Nuys, California. He married DeLee Lively on June 24, 1999. Together, they have three children.-Filmography:*Quincy M.E....
)...but only if he uses their name in the post-game coverage. While at lunch with Kingman and Vasquez, Peyton accidentally tells Kingman that her mother does not know that she is with him, and that she was supposed to go to a ballet school program this month, but she ran away to be with him. He gets upset at her, and she has an allergic reaction to the nuts in the dessert, causing Kingman to rush her to the hospital for treatment. The doctors tell Kingman that she is going to be fine, while his former sister-in-law and Peyton's legal guardian, Karen Kelly (Paige Turco
Paige Turco
Jean Paige Turco is an American actress. She is known for playing April O'Neil in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III.-Early life:...
), arrives. Kingman comes to realize that Sara (Kathryn Fiore
Kathryn Fiore
Kathryn Fiore is an American comic actress.Fiore was born in New York City, New York. She studied Latin at Columbia University, then left to pursue a career in acting. Fiore began her career in a Broadway production of Picnic in 1994, where she played Millie and Madge Owens, alongside Ashley Judd...
), Kingman's ex-wife and Peyton's mother, had died in a car accident
Car accident
A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...
six months ago. After overhearing Peck explaining that Peyton would be a distraction to Kingman, Karen and Peyton return home, leaving a miserable Kingman behind, following that night, Spike (Kingman's dog) finds Peyton's bag under her bed, inside, Kingman found some photos and a letter from Sara, saying that she hid Peyton away from Kingman because she's afraid that Peyton will only become a distraction for him. As the championship game begins, Kingman's thoughts keep drifting back to Peyton, and he is distracted from performing well. He is injured near the end of the first quarter, causing him to be rushed to the locker room as a result.
However, he is surprised to discover that Peyton has arrived with Karen. Peyton tells him to never give up. Near the end of the fourth quarter, Kingman passes the ball to the running back, Webber (Brian J. White
Brian J. White
Brian Joseph White is an American actor, dancer, football player, lacrosse player, stock broker and youth activist.-Personal life:...
), who gains positive yardage but fails to get out of bounds so the clock continues to run. Kingman rushes to call a final play and successfully does so. With no time left on the clock, he scrambles for a few yards but as he is being hit he throws a lob pass to Sanders who catches the pass, and the Rebels win their first championship. When being interviewed after the game, Joe announces that he will take his daughter home instead of the pre-planned Fanny's Burgers line...choosing that he would rather stay with Peyton over the $25 million. The film ends with Kingman, Peyton, and Vasquez dancing together in Kingman's apartment to Burning Love
Burning Love
"Burning Love" is a song written by Dennis Linde, first recorded by Arthur Alexander, who included it on his self-titled 1971 album, and made famous by Elvis Presley, who took it to #2 in the United States in 1972...
.
Cast
- Dwayne Johnson as Joe Kingman
- Madison PettisMadison PettisMadison Michelle Pettis is an American teen actress, best known for playing Sophie Martinez on the Disney Channel sitcom Cory in the House and as Peyton Kelly in the 2007 film The Game Plan.-Life and career:...
as Peyton Kelly - Roselyn SánchezRoselyn SanchezRoselyn Sánchez is a Puerto Rican singer-songwriter, model, actress, producer and writer of film and television.-Early life:...
as Monique Vasquez - Kyra SedgwickKyra SedgwickKyra Minturn Sedgwick is an American actress.Sedgwick is best known for her starring role as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson on the TNT crime drama The Closer. Sedgwick's role in the series won her a Golden Globe Award in 2007 and an Emmy Award in 2010...
as Stella Peck - Morris ChestnutMorris ChestnutMorris L. Chestnut is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles as teenage father Ricky Baker in the 1991 film Boyz n the Hood, groom-to-be Lance Sullivan in the 1999 film The Best Man, as Tracy Reynolds, NBA star in the 2002 film Like Mike, and as the Visitor Ryan in the...
as Travis Sanders - Paige TurcoPaige TurcoJean Paige Turco is an American actress. She is known for playing April O'Neil in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III.-Early life:...
as Karen Kelly - Hayes MacArthurHayes MacArthurHayes MacArthur is an American stand-up comedian, actor and writer.-Early life:MacArthur was born in Chicago, Illinois. He attended Deerfield Academy and received a B.A. in Government from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. He has studied at the Groundlings Theater Company and Atlantic Theater...
as Kyle Cooper - Brian J. WhiteBrian J. WhiteBrian Joseph White is an American actor, dancer, football player, lacrosse player, stock broker and youth activist.-Personal life:...
as Jamal Webber - Jamal DuffJamal DuffJamal Duff is an American actor and former American football player in the National Football League. He played college football at San Diego State University, then played in the National Football League for the New York Giants and Washington Redskins....
as Clarence Monroe - Lauren StormLauren StormLauren Marlene Storm is an American actress. She appeared on several television shows, before being cast as Taylor Hagan on the Discovery Kids series Flight 29 Down.-Early life:...
as Cindy the Nanny - Gordon ClappGordon ClappGordon Clapp is an American actor, best known for portraying the role of Det. Greg Medavoy for all 12 seasons on the television series NYPD Blue, winning an Emmy Award in 1998.-Early and personal life:...
as Coach Mark Maddox - Kate NautaKate NautaKate or Katie Nauta is an American fashion model, actress and singer. She uses the name 'Katie' in her modeling work, and the name 'Kate' in her film work.-Early life:...
as Tatyana - Robert TortiRobert TortiRobert Felix Torti is an American actor.Torti was born in Van Nuys, California. He married DeLee Lively on June 24, 1999. Together, they have three children.-Filmography:*Quincy M.E....
as Samuel Blake, Jr. - Rob WilliamsRob WilliamsRob Williams is a British comics writer, working mainly for 2000 AD.-Career:Williams started out as a freelance journalist and creator of corporate videos. He decided to try comics writing resulting in Cla$$war, published by Com.x and illustrated by several artists, including Trevor Hairsine and...
as McIlrevy - Justin Sulham as Campbell
- Kamrul islam as ryder the football coach
- Marv AlbertMarv AlbertMarv Albert is an American television and radio sportscaster. Honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he is commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball." From 1967–2004, he was also known as "the voice of the New York Knicks."Including Super Bowl XLII, Marv has called...
and Boomer EsiasonBoomer EsiasonNorman Julius "Boomer" Esiason is a former American football quarterback and current network color commentator. He played for the National Football League's Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals before working as an analyst for ABC and HBO...
portray themselves, offering commentary in every game. Steve LevySteve LevySteve Levy is a journalist for ESPN.-Early life and career:Levy was a 1987 graduate of the State University of New York at Oswego. He also attended John F. Kennedy High School...
also portrays himself as part of one game's postgame coverage for SportsCenterSportsCenterSportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
.
Production
The Game Plan was filmed in the Boston, Massachusetts area. The movie was also filmed in three stadiums across the country. The Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. Mile Hi stadium in Denver, and the Sun Devil Stadium in Arizona.Johnson's character taking ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
lessons in the movie was an indirect nod to Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Lynn Swann
Lynn Swann
-Collegiate:Swann attended the University of Southern California, where he was an All-American on the Trojans football team. He played under legendary coach John McKay, including the 1972 undefeated and national championship season. McKay said of Swann, "He has speed, soft hands, and grace." He...
, who took ballet lessons during his NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
career with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. Swann later worked as a reporter for Disney-owned ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
& ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. Swann left Disney for a career in politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
while The Game Plan was in pre-production.
Release
Produced at an estimated cost of US$22 million, the film grossed $90,636,983 in the U.S market and $56,625,444 in foreign ticket sales and brought it to a grand total of $147,262,427. It opened at #1 at the box office grossing $220,950,971 in its first weekend in 3,103 theaters and averaging $7,396 per venue. It closed on February 18, 2008 with a final domestic gross of $90,636,983, and an additional $470,129,669 in other territories bringing the worldwide total gross to $137,766,652. This as well as the $45.79 million the film earned on DVD in its stay on the Top 50 chart, clearly makes this film a profitable venture for Disney.Reception
The film was generally not well received by critics. As of 22 April 2011, the film holds just a 28% 'Rotten' rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
.
Home media
The Game Plan was released on Disney DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Disney Blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
on January 22, 2008. Through April 27, 2008, DVD rentals for The Game Plan were able to stay in the Top 50 chart, while earning more than $48 million. Special features include deleted scenes
Deleted Scenes
A deleted scene is a scene removed from or replaced by another scene in the final version of a film or television series.It may also refer to:* "Deleted Scenes", an episode of the Adult Swim animated television series, Aqua Teen Hunger Force...
, bloopers, and audio commentaries
Audio commentary
On disc-based video formats, an audio commentary is an additional audio track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with video...
.