Long before its Christmas Day release, the fact-based film “Concussion” was generating speculation and even potential controversy. Would the movie—about the NFL’s handling of football’s head-injury crisis--pull punches in how it addressed the topic? And if it didn’t, could it alter perceptions of the country’s dominant sports pastime?
On Tuesday at AFI Fest, “Concussion” made an early statement on those questions when it screened for the public for the first time. And while the jury is out on how the film, which stars Will Smith and is backed by Sony Pictures, will echo in a nation obsessed with all things pigskin, the answer to the first question was resolute: it does not hold back.
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That position was encapsulated by its director, the journalist-turned-filmmaker Peter Landesman, who in an interview with The Times after the screening said of the NFL, “Not to sound dramatic, but they have death on their hands.”
“Concussion” explores the 21st-century discovery of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, a disease now believed to afflict scores of former NFL players, including the late San Diego Charger star Junior Seau. The condition results from repeated blows to the head and can include a range of debilitating cognitive and emotional symptoms. One of its most insidious features is that it cannot be detected by traditional scans and in fact is only fully diagnosed after death.
Shedding a light on all this is Bennet Omalu (Smith), a Nigerian-born forensic pathologist in Pittsburgh who, in 2002, notices a strange set of medical circumstances while performing an autopsy on former Steelers offensive lineman Mike Webster, who had committed suicide. That soon sets Omalu off on a research path that unearths more of such cases, discovered after their sufferer also takes his own life.
Needless to say, the doctor quickly runs afoul of the NFL, which seeks, as Omalu’s boss and research partner Cyril Wecht (Albert Brooks) says, to “bury us.” Discrediting Omalu’s research is the least of the league’s measures, according to the movie, which implies that the league played a role in the FBI investigating Wecht and even tormented Omalu’s family.
As a viewer, you may find yourself waiting for the film to give the NFL a pass or a small moment of redemption. It never comes. Instead, NFL executives are shown as shadowy figures who stop at nothing to protect their interests. There are repeated comparisons between the league and Big Tobacco, the film equating the industries in how they allegedly knowingly suppressed evidence about the deadliness of their product.
The NFL has thus far made no comment on the movie. But its position has long been that it has taken the necessary steps to address these health concerns via such action as a so-called concussion protocol that requires players to pass a long series of tests before retaking the field after a sharp blow to the head.
The issue of the NFL’s relationship to “Concussion” came to the fore several months ago with reports that the movie had been changed to placate the league. If such changes were considered, they did not appear to make their way into the finished film. “I’m thinking if this is ‘caved,’ jeez, I’d like to think of what the other film” would be, Brooks said at the screening.
Landesman said he did not meet with the NFL -- he canceled a scheduled sit-down with a top executive at the last moment because he felt it would help the NFL more than it would him -- and Sony has maintained that it has been unbowed by the possibility of any league reprisal. The studio, which greenlit the movie after many of its competitors passed, is one of the few corporate-owned Hollywood entities not to have a business relationship with the NFL.
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Actor Christian Bale takes pictures and signs autographs with fans lining Hollywood Boulevard before walking the red carpet for the premiere of “The Big Short” on the closing night of AFI.
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Actors Lily Rabe, left, and Hamish Linklater giggle on the red carpet for the premiere of “The Big Short.”
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Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale and other cast members leave the theater after director Adam McKay introduced the premiere of “The Big Short” on closing night of the AFI festival.
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Actor Steve Carell joins Melissa Leo on the red carpet for the premiere of “The Big Short” on closing night of the AFI Fest.
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Actress Karen Gillan does her thing on the red carpet for the premiere of “The Big Short” on the closing night of the festival.
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Actor Ryan Gosling is captured on the red carpet for the premiere of “The Big Short” on the closing night of the festival.
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From left, actors Ryan Gosling, Marisa Tomei and Steve Carell get chatty on the red carpet for the premiere of “The Big Short” on the closing night of the AFI festival.
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Actor Finn Wittrock is captured on the red carpet for the premiere of “The Big Short” on the closing night of the festival.
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Will Smith poses with fans near the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, where he’d arrived Tuesday for the AFI Fest premiere of his film “Concussion.”
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Will Smith, with producer Giannina Facio and her partner, writer/producer/director Ridley Scott, have a laugh before the premiere of “Concussion” at AFI FEST 2015.
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Actor Will Smith poses for photos and signs autographs for fans lined up along Hollywood Boulevard on Tuesday.
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Dr. Julian Bailes, former team physician for the Pittsburgh Steelers, greets former NFL lineman Leonard Marshall, right, before the premiere of “Concussion.”
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Actor Will Smith, right, with director Peter Landesman on the red carpet.
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Musician Leon Bridges, left, and actor Will Smith before the premiere of “Concussion.”
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Actress Sara Lindsey on the red carpet for the premiere of “Concussion” at AFI Fest on Tuesday.
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Actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw in Hollywood for the premiere of “Concussion.”
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Actors Mike O’Malley, left, and Will Smith on the red carpet for their film “Concussion.”
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Actors Mike O’Malley, from left, David Morse, Sara Lindsey, Will Smith, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Albert Brooks pose before the premiere of their film “Concussion.”
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Sports broadcaster Bob Costas, second from left, greets actor Will Smith, right, on the red carpet.
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Actresses Gugu Mbatha-Raw, left and Sara Lindsey attend the Sony after-party following the premiere of “Concussion” at AFI Fest 2015.
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Actor Will Smith and Dr. Bennet Omalu, whom Smith portrays in “Concussion,” attend the Sony after-party at the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel.
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Producer and director Ridley Scott borrows a camera to take a group photo at the “Concussion” after-party.
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Actor Ewan McGregor speaks to reporters before the film “Last Days in the Desert” at AFI Fest 2015 on Wednesday.
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Actor Ewan McGregor, left, and director Rodrigo Garcia pose for photos before showing their film “Last Days in the Desert” on Wednesday at AFI Fest.
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The cast and four of the Chilean miners whose stories are told in the “The 33” pose on the red carpet before the film’s premiere at AFI Fest.
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Mario Gomez, from left, Luis Urzua, Edison”’Elvis” Peña and Juan Carlos Aguilar at the Hollywood premiere of “The 33,” the film that tells their story of being trapped in a Chilean mine.
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Actress Juliette Binoche before the premiere of “The 33” at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
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Actor Jacob Vargas, right, poses with Edison “Elvis” Peña, the Chilean miner he portrayed in “The 33.”
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A model of the rescue capsule used to save the Chilean miners is displayed at the premiere of “The 33.”
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Actor Antonio Banderas, who stars in “The 33,” and Nicole Kimpel on the red carpet at AFI Fest in Hollywood.
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Juliette Binoche and Antonio Banderas before the premiere of “The 33.”
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“The 33” actresses Kate Del Castillo, from left, Cote de Pablo and Juliette Binoche on the red carpet.
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Author and former Los Angeles Times reporter Hector Tobar on the red carpet for “The 33.” The film was adapted from Tobar’s book “Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free.”
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Oscar De La Hoya poses for photos before the premiere of “The 33” at AFI Fest.
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Sylvester Stallone and his wife, Jennifer Flavin, at “The 33” oremiere.
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Sylvester Stallone, right, gets a hug from Chilean miner Luis Urzua as actor Lou Diamond Phillips watches.
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Actress Cote de Pablo, center, poses with Chilean miners Luis Urzua, from left, Juan Carlos Aguilar, Mario Gomez and Edison “Elvis” Peña and producer Mike Medavoy before the premiere of “The 33.”
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The cast of the film “Mustang” and director Deniz Gamze Ergüven, far right, arrive to be photographed at AFI Fest.
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Sony Pictures Classics’s copresidents and cofounders, Michael Barker, left and Tom Bernard, pose with Hungarian director László Nemes, center, before the showing of his film “Son of Saul” on Monday.
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Hungarian director László Nemes, left, and his lead actor Geza Ršhrig before the showing of their film, “Son of Saul,” at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.
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Director Michael Moore arrives Nov. 7 for the showing of his new film, “Where to Invade Next,” at AFI Fest 2015 at Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.
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Director Michael Moore walks the red carpet before showing his new film, “Where to Invade Next,” on Nov. 7 at Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.
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Actress Sally Kirkland poses on the red carpet before the showing of director Michael Moore’s “Where to Invade Next” on Nov. 7.
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Actor Richard Chamberlain poses for photographers on the red carpet before a showing of Michael Moore’s “Where to Invade Next” on Nov. 7.
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Actor Sam Waterston walks the red carpet before the showing of director Michael Moore’s “Where to Invade Next” on Nov. 7 in Hollywood.
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Director Michael Moore introduces “Where to Invade Next” at AFI Fest 2015.
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Producer Carl Dean, left, director Michael Moore and producer Tia Lessin introduce their new film, “Where to Invade Next,” at AFI Fest 2015 in Hollywood on Nov. 7.
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Movie fans line up along North McCadden Place in Hollywood for a showing of Michael Moore’s “Where to Invade Next” at AFI Fest 2015.
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Gr’mur Hakonarson, director of the Icelandic film “Rams,” is photographed before heading into the theatre to introduce his film at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres on the second night of AFI Fest 2015. There are 127 films from 45 countries showing in this year’s festival.
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Grimur Hakonarson, director of the Icelandic film “Rams,” does a brief interview with AFI Fest staff before introducing his film at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres on the second night of the AFI Fest 2015 in Hollywood.
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Rafaella Biscayn, left, Sarah Bigle and Andrew Godoski have fun in a photobooth at an AFI alumni party at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on the second night of the AFI Fest 2015.
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Director Nicholas Hytner, left, and actor Alex Jennings arrive to introduce “The Lady in the Van.”
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Movie fans wait -- some seemingly a little longer than others -- for director Nicholas Hytner and actor Alex Jennings to arrive and introduce their film, “The Lady in the Van.”
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Director Nicholas Hytner, left, and actor Alex Jennings introduce “The Lady in the Van.”
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The room was full for an AFI alumni party at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on the second night of AFI Fest 2015 in Hollywood.
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Attendees of the AFI alumni reception at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel mix and mingle.
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A couple of attendees of the filmmaker AFI alumni reception share a moment away from the crowd.
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A person checks her phone outside the penthouse suite of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel during a filmmaker welcome party that also previewed virtual-reality technologies.
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The scene outside the penthouse suite of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel during a filmmaker welcome party.
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Volunteer Cecilia Martin watches virtual-reality content, including content created by Google, during a filmmaker welcome party in the penthouse suite of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
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People watch virtual-reality content during a filmmaker welcome party.
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People watch virtual-reality content produced by Vrse.Works.
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HOLLYWOOD, CA--NOVEMBER 05, 2015--Actress, writer, producer and director Angelina Jolie Pitt and her husband, actor Brad Pitt, pose on the red carpet for the opening night premiere of their new film, “By The Sea,” at AFI FEST 2015, presented by Audi, at TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, in Hollywood, CA, November 05, 2015. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Actors Melvil Poupaud and Melanie Laurent, left, pose alongside actress-writer-producer and director Angelina Jolie Pitt and her husband, actor Brad Pitt, on the red carpet for the premiere of “By the Sea” in Hollywood.
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Angelina Jolie Pitt and Brad Pitt walk the red carpet.
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Angelina Jolie Pitt answers questions.
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Festival director Jacqueline Lyanga poses on the red carpet before the premiere of “By the Sea.”
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Angelina Jolie Pitt and Brad Pitt draw a crowd, as usual.
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Actress Melanie Laurent of “By the Sea.”
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Melanie Laurent, left, and Angelina Jolie Pitt talk backstage at the premiere of “By the Sea.”
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An iPhone shows director Angelina Jolie Pitt speaking on the red carpet.
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Brad Pitt greets Donna Langley, chairman of Universal Pictures, on the red carpet for the premiere of “By the Sea.”
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Brad Pitt greets fans at the AFI Fest.
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Fans hope to get autographs from Angelina Jolie Pitt and Brad Pitt.
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Angelina Jolie Pitt greets fans.
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Jacqueline Lyanga, AFI Fest director, introduces Angelina Jolie Pitt, right.
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Angelina Jolie Pitt waits alongside Brad Pitt, before introducing her film, “By the Sea,” at AFI Fest.
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Angelina Jolie Pitt walks up to introduce “By the Sea.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) The CTE publicity is just one front on which the league has fought. The NFL has endured a series of p.r. nightmares, the latest of which are revelations of photos of graphic bruises on Nicole Holder, allegedly caused by her ex-boyfriend, Dallas Cowboys star Greg Hardy.
But the bad press does not seem to be dissuading fans. NFL ratings continue their robust performance; “Sunday Night Football,” the game’s crown-jewel telecast, is averaging a whopping 23.6 million viewers halfway through the season, a 10% jump over last year. The sport’s popularity reamins high even in non-NFL markets; it was not lost on viewers that “Concussion” was debuting even as news broke of Robert Iger becoming involved in a bid to lure one or more NFL teams to the LA area.
Indeed, the game seems not only immune to off-field drama but may even be helped by it; ratings for Sunday’s matchup, which featured Hardy’s Cowboys, was up about 25% over last year’s game on the same weekend between the Ravens and Steelers despite those teams sporting a far better collective record at the time the contest took place.
How many of those fans (they of course also include the millions who play fantasy football) will see a movie or be amenable to its message of unethical complicity remains to be seen; among other factors, much of the information in it has been known for years.
Key to Sony’s marketing efforts is Smith, a star with the popularity to deliver its message in a wider way. The actor has been candid, if not quite as direct as Landesman, in expressing criticism of the NFL.
“For me it was really conflicting,” he told the audience after the AFI screening, noting his son’s status as a former high-school football player in Los Angeles. Smith said he thought about not getting involved due to his love of the game but ultimately felt compelled to make the movie as an educational tool of sorts.
“I watched my son play football for four years and I didn’t know. I didn’t know,” he repeated. “That became our quest: to deliver the truth. People have to know.”
Landesman said he’s not actively trying to change perceptions, and is skeptical he could anyway, at least in the immediate term.
“Most fans will see this movie and understand there’s a real problem, an insoluble problem, but also like the blood lust and will go back to watching.” He said he does believe that in the years to come the issue of head injuries will chip away at interest fans have in watching -- and parents have in children playing -- the game of football.
“Slowly and through generations, I think football will become like the military--it will become a different demographic playing it,” he said.
The director waved aside the concern that the NFL has, or even could, do anything to address the issues. “If you’re playing at a certain level,” he said, “the violence is baked into the sport.”
Asked what the NFL might have addressed the issue short of radically revamping the sport, Landesman said, “I don’t know what they could have done. But they could have at least told the truth.”
Omalu, meanwhile, also remains steadfast that the sport has not changed, and in many ways can’t be fundamentally changed to protect against head injuries. “Concussions do not cause brain damage. They’re an outcome,” he said in an interview. “The initiating factor is the blow,” he added, which is inherent to the sport.
As he walked around a premiere afterparty lauded by well-wishers, Omalu did say he believe a studio film could carry the message in a way his research and raw numbers couldn’t.
“I don’t think people are going to watch football differently,” he said. “But the movie is a reawakening. It’s a way to stimulate what they already know.”
@ZeitchikLAT
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AFI Fest: Angelina Jolie Pitt’s ‘By the Sea’ a ‘little bitty art film’ that may be too leisurely for some
AFI Fest: Will ‘Concussion’ bring Will Smith his third Oscar nomination?
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