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Playing for Keeps
2012 106 min United States of America PG-13 12+
★4.8
Comedy, Romance
Director: Gabriele Muccino
Trailers
Description
A former sports star who's fallen on hard times starts coaching his son's soccer team in an attempt to get his life together.
Budget:
$35M
US Gross:
$13.1M
Worldwide:
$30.96M
Starring
Gerard Butler
Actor
Jessica Biel
Actor
Dennis Quaid
Actor
Awards
3 nominations total
Key opinion
Playing for Keeps is widely considered a generic and formulaic effort that fails to establish a consistent tone between comedy and melodrama. While the high-profile cast is frequently cited as the film's only redeeming quality, many critics feel these actors are underutilized in shallow, poorly defined roles.
| Screenplay | The film relies on a predictable and clichéd screenplay that lacks narrative originality. | |
| Acting | The star-studded cast provides a pleasant screen presence, even if the characters themselves are thinly written. | |
| Originality | The genre blending is unsuccessful, leaving viewers unsure if they are watching a sports comedy or a family drama. | |
| Direction | Opinions on Gabriele Muccino's direction are divided; some appreciate his familiar touch with emotional melodrama, while others find the execution clumsy and lacking his previous depth. |