Underdogs

In small town America, high-school football is everything. For the players, it provides notoriety and a possible ticket to a bigger world. For the community, it's a source of pride. Filmed in Canton, Ohio, UNDERDOGS focuses on the Knights, a lousy team who've become an easy target for jokes. Just when they begin to give up hope, a new coach arrives, helping the lovable losers see their true potential. At the same time, quarterback Bobby Burkett falls in love with a cheerleader from a rival team, the Vikings. This enrages Vikings' star, John Hanford, a bratty rich kid who has his eye on the same girl. Meanwhile, Bobby's father is waging his own war with Hanford's dad, whose crooked corporation is suing him over an invention he patented. UNDERDOGS ventures deeper than most films in the sports genre. Using football as a backdrop, director Doug Dearth has crafted a heartwarming film. Its message of believing in yourself, no matter the odds, will inspire the underdog in all of us. – E.F.