New to VOD this week:
FATHERS OF FOOTBALL
Director:
Bradley Beesley
Premiere:
Austin 2018
Select Festivals:
deadCenter, SF IndieFest
About:
A portrait of an Oklahoma high school football coach as he tries to take his team back to the championships.
As in many towns across America, football is something close to a religion in Wagoner OK. The local high school team, the Bulldogs, have held the state’s longest winning streak, and many credit coach Dale Condict for this achievement. Serving as mentor and father figure to the young men on the team, Condict helps his charges succeed on the field, recognizing that football may be their best chance to further their education. The film follows the coach and his players as they set out to win their third consecutive state championship, but the year is fraught with setbacks, most notably the health of Condict’s own son, a member of the team, who faces testicular cancer. While director Bradley Beesley clearly has affection for his subjects and the community as a whole, this generally well-made film treads ground very familiar from countless other small town football docs without really distinguishing itself in any major ways.