Movie: The Game Plan

Emma Wilkinson

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"The Game Plan" is a lighthearted family comedy about bachelor football star Joe Kingman having it all. He is wealthy and carefree, and his team is on the way to capturing a championship. He is a professional quarterback with a big ego. He lives in a multimillion-dollar penthouse that's filled with all his various lifetime awards and trophies. Joe and his Boston team are about to be conference champions, and the thirty-year-old pro is determined this will be his year. One of football's toughest players is tackled by his biggest challenge yet: fatherhood. He is surprised to learn that he has a young daughter from a previous relationship with his ex-wife. 8-year-old Peyton turns up on his doorstep claiming to be his daughter and stating that her mom is gone on a month-long humanitarian mission to Africa and cannot be reached. The annoyed athlete reluctantly lets Peyton stay but he instructs his mover-and-shaker agent, Stella, to fix things. Stella suggests that Joe pretends to be a good dad for the cameras until the girls' mom returns home. So Joe is left scrambling to balance his football career with her ballet lessons and other girly pastimes. Overall, The Game Plan speaks very highly about the value of children and the importance of good parenting. The idea of a big, tough guy getting rolled by a little kid was successfully conveyed. With the added responsibility of caring for Peyton, Joe realizes that his love for his daughter is more important than anything else. The self-centered man works to become a love-centered dad. There are enough grins and heartstrings tugged to keep families connected and happy, and everyone will leave the movie smiling.