About 80 FOR BRADY

 "It would be a shame to retire when you feel like you still got it."  A line from 80 FOR BRADY.

This fluffy comedy stars four heavyweight female talents now in their senior years -- Oscar winners Rita Moreno, Jane Fonda, Sally Field and the remarkable Oscar nominee Lily Tomlin. Inspired by a true story, it's about four friends determined to go to the Super Bowl and to meet Tom Brady. This is the kind of feature that, back in the day, would have been a made-for-network TV movie. It's the kind of inoffensive feature that makes for a good airplane movie. I happened to see it this weekend -- and I enjoyed it! Some of it's predictable. Personally, I could've done with less scenes that included Guy Fieri of Food Network. However, the four female stars still have it. They know how to make this unchallenging material work. And they look great. Jane Fonda seems to be wearing a 1970s Connie Stevens wig collection, but she's still cool.

I really lit up to see Tony winner Billy Porter have a fun scene with the ladies as a Super Bowl show choreographer. Yes, he gets all four to dance. I've been a fan of Billy's for over 20 years-- going back to his stage work and his scene-stealing role in the 2000 movie, THE BROKEN HEARTS CLUB: A ROMANTIC COMEDY. It's a comedy about a group of gay male friends, members of a weekend baseball team, as they try to find love in West Hollywood. One of the things I love about the movie as that the group of friends is race and age inclusive. I met Billy in 2008 at a SAG-AFTRA job networking event in New York City, attended by many of us who were in need of employment. I stunned to see Billy standing next to me at one booth, also taking pamphlets and other information. With his set of skills and talents, I couldn't believe he was unemployed. But he was. He could not have been more gracious and supportive speaking with me. After that, if I saw him on the street, he'd stop and chat with me. Then things turned around for him. Came a Broadway musical version of the British comedy film, KINKY BOOTS. Billy got a top role in it. And he won a Tony. He is a walking lesson in perseverance. 

Here's a bit of the movie.

Lily Tomlin has a dramatic scene in a locker room with Tom Brady -- and he's very good in it. I had a most enjoyable pastime watching five people I've had the privilege to meet in my career -- Rita Moreno, Jane Fonda, Sally Field, Lily Tomlin and Billy Porter.