Leatherheads

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Leatherheads

PG-13

Released Apr 4, 2008

1h 54m

Romance

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

53%

Tomatometer

168 Reviews

38%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Dodge Connolly (George Clooney), captain of a 1920s football team, wants to give the sagging sport a boost and capture the country's attention. He recruits Carter Rutherford (John Krasinski) to play for the team. Carter is not only a war hero, but he is also fast, handsome, and guaranteed to pack the stands with fans. Newswoman Lexie Littleton (Renée Zellweger) goes digging for dirt on Carter, while both Dodge and Carter try to score with her off the field.

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Critics Consensus

Despite a good premise and strong cast, this pro football romcom is half screwball and half fumble.

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Deborah Ross

The Spectator

A slovenly, timid, strenuously studied movie that takes forever to get nowhere, uninterestingly.

Aug 23, 2018

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Nell Minow

Movie Mom

Rated: B

Feb 18, 2012

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David Stratton

The Australian

Leatherheads, which opens with the logo that Universal used back in the 1940s instead of the present one, is so successful at reviving the screwball comedy that you're prepared to forgive it some flaws.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 1, 2008

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Leatherheads mixes it up between football and a Howard Hawks-esque screwball comedy romance--Clooney and Zellweger are charming together--but the best scenes are on the gridiron.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jan 8, 2024

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Clooney creates a balance between farce and his commentary on football politics, delivering a pleasant throwback.

Rated: 3/4

Dec 15, 2023

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Attempts to reimagine a '30s diversion in comedy zaniness - but with only partial success.

Rated: 6/10

Nov 28, 2020

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Test T

This film was a mixed experience for me. The story's not half bad, and the cast and their performances are mostly very good, especially the scenes with the two leads. However, american football is not really my thing, and that's what set's the stage for everything else that I quite liked. So I gave it 50%, although this may be a little too generous. In summary, if you like football, it's for you, but if not then perhaps you should give it a miss?

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

11/26/23

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StephenPaul C

LOL, the funniest 01 hour: and 54 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/14/23

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Audience Member

Just alright. Not a fan

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

12/12/22

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Audience Member

Directed by star George Clooney from a script by Duncan Brantley and Rick Reilly, Leatherheads is about the start of American football. Clooney plays Jimmy "Dodge" Connelly, the captain of the Duluth Bulldogs, who is trying to save his team and football as a whole as it struggles to catch on He convinces war hero and college football star Carter "the Bullet" Rutherford (John Krasinski) to the team. He's a combination of the University of Illinois football star Harold "Red" Grange, who signed to a contract with the Chicago Bears the day after his last football game and Alvin York, the controversial Medal of Honor winner whose fame led to Sergeant York, the Gary Cooper movie. The team and the league succeed as a result of this, but when reporter Lexie Littleton (Renée Zellweger) learns the truth, she feels duty bound to report it. The entire world doesn't believe her until Dodge plays a prank — much like Clooney in real life — and gets Carter to speak the truth. This movie speaks to the truth of media heroism, how football became an organized and reputable — well, somewhat — sport and the men that played the game. It's also really well done.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

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robert p

Nowhere near perfect but Leatherheads shows just how football can be won by devious actions!!!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

George Clooney directed a non-lifting football film with a quirky sense of subtle witty humor that surprisingly uniquely stylizes a strategy on the well-casted field despite the subplot buildup for purposeful oppositional forces intriguingly against the play as an unneeded obligation. (B)

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

Full Review

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George Clooney

Director

George Clooney

Dodge Connolly

Renée Zellweger

Lexie Littleton

John Krasinski

Carter Rutherford

Jonathan Pryce

CC Frazier

Stephen Root

Suds

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Leatherheads: Official Clip - Three Suitors

3:12

Leatherheads: Official Clip - The Jumpers

1:47

Leatherheads: Official Clip - You're on Fire

1:32

Leatherheads: Official Clip - Playing Dirty

3:38

Leatherheads: Official Clip - Hit Me In The Face

2:31

Leatherheads: Official Clip - What's Wrong With My Bosoms?

3:31

Leatherheads: Official Clip - Speakeasy Getaway

2:28

Leatherheads: Official Clip - Barroom Brawl

2:36

Leatherheads: Official Clip - Big Gus' First Game

2:35

Leatherheads: Official Clip - Carter's Big Lie

3:30

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Synopsis

Dodge Connolly (George Clooney), captain of a 1920s football team, wants to give the sagging sport a boost and capture the country's attention. He recruits Carter Rutherford (John Krasinski) to play for the team. Carter is not only a war hero, but he is also fast, handsome, and guaranteed to pack the stands with fans. Newswoman Lexie Littleton (Renée Zellweger) goes digging for dirt on Carter, while both Dodge and Carter try to score with her off the field.

Director: George Clooney
Producer: Grant Heslov, Casey Silver
Screenwriter: Duncan Brantley, Rick Reilly
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Casey Silver Productions, Smoke House
Rating: PG-13 (Brief Strong Language)
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 4, 2008, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $31.2M
Runtime: 1h 54m
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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