A Truly Disturbing Movie

I've been a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers since 1975. Mike Webster was a beast in his playing days, and even at the end of his career was a great mentor to Tim Grunhard in Kansas City. This movie made me sick to my stomach. Seeing the portrayal of Webster by David Morse is harrowing. I knew how his life ended and I was appalled that no one from the Steelers' organization reached out to him. I don't know for sure that they didn't, but he was living in a truck.

Will Smith does a credible job of portraying the distinguished Dr. Omalu who discovered a causal link between concussions in the NFL and traumatic brain injuries (CTE). He has kind of become a one-note actor. He's either deadly serious or overly comical. He does not do nuance very well. In Concussion, the doctor's naïve view of America gets him trouble when he makes the assumption the NFL will thank him for pointing out the dangers of concussions. Instead they come after him and its implied the NFL even used the FBI to put pressure on Omalu and his boss. Albert Brooks plays Dr. Cyril Wecht. Wecht supports his employee, but he becomes the target of the FBI. Alec Baldwin is Dr. Julian Bailes, the former Steelers team neurologist who feels he is betraying the Steelers by talking with Omalu. Many real-life people are portrayed in the movie (Dave Duerson, Andre Waters, Justin Strzelzyk, etc) and it is implied their lives are ruined by CTE.

A special Razzy should go to Luke Wilson for his portrayal of Roger Goodell. He doesn't even remotely look like Goodell and doesn't have much to do. With such an underdeveloped role, they could have used Conan O'Brien.

I'm sure they took some liberties with the facts to enhance the entertainment value, but its a fact that the NFL tried to deny for years any link between the sport, concussions, and later life medical conditions. Even in their million dollar settlement, they included language that prevent them having to admit what they knew and when they knew it. The movie is intense and, as I said, seeing some of my boyhood heroes look so mortal was hard to take. Still kudos to the director for keeping the tension ratcheted up and the plot moving.


My memory foam pillow says it can't remember my face. I can tell its lying.