It’s more than a bit ironic; a movie in which the nucleus is the arguably the most gifted and prominent athlete in the history of sports – isn’t a sports movie at all.
Take it one step more. ‘Air’, a film that somehow further cements the legacy of Michael Jordan and just how important of a presence he was, not only on the court but in the business sector as well, doesn’t even have Michael Jordan IN it. Save for some archival footage, this thing’s pretty much MJ free.
How do you do it? In Ben Affleck’s case…..you do it well.
Back in the director’s chair to remind us that he’s as proficient behind the camera as he is in front of it (and here, he gets to do both), Affleck captains a winner with ‘Air’. Much like ‘Moneyball’ did back in 2011, ‘Air’ uncovers more spellbinding action in the boardroom than it ever would’ve within the game. And the fact that it’s a gem of an 80’s timepiece only assists the flight.
The year is 1984 and Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon), a talent scout working for Nike, is trying desperately to salvage the athletic apparel’s basketball department. It’s a hard truth to swallow these days, but forty years ago, Nike was widely viewed solely as a running brand, while the cool kids like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were wearing Converse or Adidas. With nothing to lose, Vaccaro decides to throw a hail Mary (wrong sport, I know) and blow the entire budget to recruit and design a shoe brand around one player, incoming (and, at that point, unproven) rookie Michael Jordan.
It’s far from a slam dunk (there, now I got it). In addition to the doubts of Nike’s head of marketing, Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman), as well as initial resistance from Nike CEO Phil Knight (Affleck), Jordan has zero interest in signing with Nike. Enter Jordan’s mother, Delories (Viola Davis), who is probably the only individual who sees what Sonny sees; that Jordan is ultimately going to rule the sport, and he deserves to not just be a part of some company’s marketing campaign – he should be the face of the place. And well, if the shoe fits…
‘Air’ would be a good companion piece to ‘The Last Dance’, the Netflix documentary that examined the Chicago Bulls’ championship run, primarily focusing on Jordan. That project was wall-to-wall Jordan, he was everywhere, and what he accomplished on the court. On the other hand, ‘Air’ explores the flex that, even unseen by the audience, Jordan held over an entire industry. There’s probably a lot here that you never knew, which makes ‘Air’ quite a fascinating history lesson. And, not wanting to spill all the beans, it’s a lot more important of a chapter in sports lore than you likely ever thought it could be. This isn’t just a story about a basketball player inspiring a shoe line. What happened back in 1984 changed the game. And its still-relevant impact gives ‘Air’ all the lift it needs.
