AMERICAN UNDERDOG
American Underdog, the new movie from the creators of I Can Only Imagine, shares the football journey of one of the unlikeliest members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Kurt Warner. After all, how many NFL MVPs began their careers … bagging groceries?! While Kurt’s football journey is the stuff of a Hollywood blockbuster, it’s his family life that shines brightest on the big screen.
“My story to me is so much what real life is all about,” Kurt says. “Everybody has their challenges, their struggles, their ‘supermarket moments’ where they've got to work in a grocery store as they're trying to chase their dream.”
Opening in theaters everywhere Christmas Day, American Underdog shares Kurt and Brenda Warner’s story. You could even say the movie is one family’s love story.
“I feel like we have told our story so many times, but for it to be lived out (in the movie) is just a whole different level. I can’t wait to see people respond in moments that I hope will stay with them for the rest of their lives,” Brenda says. “There are moments in this film that will shift things maybe in what you believe or maybe you give a little extra something to keep going. There are a lot of those moments, and who doesn’t need those? We all do, so I’m just thrilled that they get to be lived out again.”
Kurt and Brenda’s courtship plays an important role in American Underdog. They met when Kurt was the quarterback at the University of Northern Iowa and Brenda was a divorced mother of two young children.
“We often joke that I fell in love with the kids before I fell in love with Brenda,” Kurt says. “But I don't believe our marriage would be anywhere close to what it is had we not come into this family thing from day one. Brenda and I have never been together where we didn't have kids. So that was always a part of our relationship.”
Now, through American Underdog, their relationship story will touch hearts and impact lives of moviegoers.
“Our journey is defined by faith and perseverance. Anybody that knows anything about Brenda and myself and our journey together—those would be two words that were on the forefront of who we are,” Kurt says. “And so we want this story to tell that. We want people to see the perseverance. We want people to understand the faith and what really makes the two of us tick.”
“If you would have told me back then that all this would be put together to inspire people, you wonder if you would have done things differently,” Brenda adds. “But now watching this, I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s got all the mistakes, all the problems, the rough times, the highs, the beautiful moments. And that’s life, that’s life wrapped up. I’m thrilled that we get to share our story in this way with the world.”
