Magazine: Hollywood Life Vol XIX No1 Spring 2008

May 30, 2008 by admin
Filed under Featured Article, Movies, magazines

George Clooney

The Hair, The Teeth, The Humor: Clooney’s winning trifecta is on full display here (the dyed coif is slicked to perfection) as Jimmy “Dodge” Connelly, a dapper, charming football hero looking for touchdowns – and love.

Lowdown: The film is set in rural Michigan in 1925, during the messy birth of the NFL. A pesky newswoman (Zellweger) is looking for a story at all costs. The playbook is full of love triangles, etiquette penalties, and one-up-man ship, with some awkward fumbling in very tight pants.

It’s all in the Details: The shape and make of the game ball was agonized over and tested via constant scrimmaging in the offices of the preproduction studios, while the uniforms were meticulously handmade and patterned after the original deal under the masterful tutelage of legendary costume designer Louise Frogley (Bull Durham, Traffic, Good Night, and Good Luck). To get their worn effect, the uniforms were repeatedly washed in 12 washing machines and dryers filled with hundreds of golf balls.

Look Out For: A breakout performance (he actually outshines Clooney at times!) by John Krasinski as Carter Rutherford, a war hero and fair-haired gridiron stud.

OCD: While Historical accuracy is usually pretty lax in the realm of comedy, art director Christa Munro (Erin Brockovich, Good Night, and Good Luck) insists, “We were absolutely dead on with everything, and part of it was because George wanted it that way.” She adds: “So instead of removing the light poles on the football fields at $35,000 a pop, and tearing down the cityscape behind the scoreboard , we just CG’d out the last 75 years.” As for the tight pants? “No Comment.”