DN:FILM Fathers of Football

Does the world need another testament to the power of Middle American high school football, the passionate dedication of its small town fans; the throwaway shots of rural esoterica; the naive and fervent dreams that football can rescue its talented children from difficult circumstances; and the steady supply of bearded old charmers talking about what the great sport means to them and what it does for their particular hamlet?

Well, I’ll tell you, if the document we’re talking about is FATHERS OF FOOTBALL, the case can be made. For a number of reasons, Bradley Beesley’s doc, focusing on Wagoner, OK, Bulldogs coach Dale Condict, manages to be a standout despite its apparent familiarity. For one thing, even if you’re a cynic who thinks it’s high time that Midwestern Christian yokels got over their affection for the gridiron culture, this doc’s for you; you might come away with a nagging suspicion that the ample evidence supporting your position may be pointing at least slightly elsewhere, but you’ll have the evidence nonetheless. But if you’re a fan of terrific sports stories, where true-believer saviors do their thing in the twinned names of athletic accomplishment and human connection, with a backdrop of impossible-to-believe twists of fate on and off the field, well, this doc’s for you too. And if you’re just a student of extremely well made, beautifully shot, my-goodness-did-they-get-lucky-to-get-that-development doc filmmaking, well, guess what: This one’s for you, too.

Beesley has one ace up his sleeve that he plays early and often; and the whole arc of the story works out well too. The net result testifies to Oklahoma high-school football in a particular moment where small towns aren’t what they used to be, where football isn’t even what it used to be; but where dreams and faith still resonate in a way that’s poignant and affecting.