Back in 1980 we called them “Nikes,” with one syllable – rhyming with “bikes.” We used them almost exclusively in Northern California. (Though I preferred Brooks, an amazing shoe back then, before they sold out to Asia.)
But we were cross country runners. They were decidedly not a basketball shoe.
The movie “Air,” directed by Ben Affleck and staring Matt Damon with Affleck in a fun supporting performance as then Nike owner Phil Knight, the eccentric, bare-footed executive who put Beaverton, Oregon on the map, somehow manages to makes us lean in and feel as if we have a stake in a sports shoe company. It’s quite a feat (feet?)
The hook of the narrative is that this all revolves around company lone wolf Damon trying to get an 18-year old NBA rookie to endorse the product. A guy named Michael Jordan (the film is “based on facts”), who we only ever see from behind or in quick flashes. That’s because this isn’t a Michael Jordan movie.
Nope, this is a David and Goliath film that involves conference-room strategizing and living room meetings with Jordan’s savvy mother, played with tough but fair reserve by the great Viola Davis.
If this sounds like a snoozer, which it might on paper, “Air” is tense and thrilling, while also walking light on its feet though non-stop 1980’s song intros and snarky references to permed hair and MTV-culture of the day.
The truth is, these guys and the Jordan family worked together to change just about everything about the celebrity endorsement machinations. I’ll save the eye-opening factoids that come during the credits for you to discover, but this is a good little film that takes a topic that proves that it’s never about the story – it’s always about the storytelling.
Air | Now Available to Stream Online | 3 ½ out of 4 Stars |
