James Owen| Columbia Daily Tribune
If a documentarian is lucky, they can stumble onto a project that starts out routine but, thanks to providence, leads to something sublime if the camera is set up at the right place at the right time.
“Kelce,” premiering on Amazon Prime this week, is such a documentary. The story started as a fan devotional to Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Jason Kelce as he faced the struggles and excitement of the 2022-23 season.
No way anyone involved with the production knew that not only would the Eagles make their way to the Super Bowl, but Jason would have to battle his much more charismatic brother, Travis, in the Big Game. That the otherwise ho-hum doc leads to some genuine emotion and insight is quite the miracle.
Let’s get something out of the way first: I don’t like sports. I don’t understand the rules, have no interest in learning the minutiae of players’ records, and generally find it boring watching adults play the games of children. As a middle-aged guy, this is alienating from my friends and can make me lonely. But I would take social isolation over watching sports most days of the week.
Having said that, I often feel compelled by the stories and characters that emerge from the world of sports. Some of my favorite films are stories about athletes and the larger consequences of playing for big rewards along with facing big risks. If you cut out all the timeouts and referee challenges, things can be quite thrilling.
The current roster of the Kansas City Chiefs captures my imagination in a way few ever have. I will confess an affinity for the city. But I wouldn’t dare watch a football team from KC when they have a bad season. Given my limited knowledge, even I can see Patrick Mahomes is a singular talent with an almost-psychic ability to connect with his fellow players.
But Travis Kelce? Dude seems like a star to me — and not just at football. He’s funny, charismatic, handsome. He’s also kind of trashy in a Midwestern sort of way, which makes him seem down-to-earth. There’s a reason Lorne Michaels offered him hosting duties on "Saturday Night Live" after the Super Bowl and not the team’s QB.
Seems likely Travis Kelce could be a movie star in the vein of Burt Reynolds and John David Washington after his career on the gridiron is over. Given his clear media training, he could be even better than any athlete-turned-actor I’ve mentioned.
So when I got a screener for “Kelce,” I was excited. I thought there could even be a local angle. But the film should really be called “(Jason) Kelce.” Travis’ older brother is less interesting and it’s not just my Missouri bias: Jason is a family guy with two daughters and a third on the way as the Eagles take on a memorable season. He is 35; old in the NFL. He’s in constant pain and always working to keep his body in shape to face titans on the field.
An older guy with two kids whose body seemingly is conspiring against him? Hey, I feel that. Even if it’s not all that cinematic, it is relatable.
The lingering question at the beginning of “(Jason) Kelce” is whether this will be his last season. The travails of facing a life post-sports isn’t all that unique. But then something interesting happens. His team has a great season. His brother’s team has a great season. They end up in the championship game. If you paid any attention to the media, none of that will be new.
What will be new is watching the brothers grapple with the unbelievable position in which they find themselves. We see them working on Jason’s cattle farm in Missouri —what? —where Travis teases him about being the “best farmer from Philadelphia.”
Watching the brothers recount their shared careers from childhood is genuinely interesting, as it morphs not only into a battle for the top prize in their sport, but also into broadcasting. They host a podcast together and it becomes immensely popular as the season continues. If my imagined career for Travis as a movie star doesn’t pan out, he could be one heck of a broadcaster.
Jason and Travis love each other; that’s clear. But the best moments of “(Jason) Kelce,” other than when they are making fun of themselves, is the little emotional insights we see. Jason watching the Chiefs clinch the AFC Championship. Realizing what’s about to happen, he takes off the Chiefs hoodie he’s wearing and goes shirtless right in the middle of a bar. Telling that he didn’t plan for that outcome, yeah? Real personal tension on the biggest stages.
Even though we all know the outcome, we get slight glimpses into the human element through the pomp and circ*mstance. If you’re an Eagles fan, it’s a must-watch. If you’re a football fan, I’m sure you will like it just fine. (Although, if you are a Chiefs fan, I am sure you will have a kick watching the film treat the holding call at the end of the Super Bowl like it’s one of the great travesties of modern times. I know I got an unintended laugh out of that.)
If you’re just someone interested in watching ordinary people with extraordinary abilities thrust into unbelievable situations, this documentary gets there about two-thirds too late.
James Owen is the Tribune’s film columnist. In real life,he is a lawyer and executive director of energy policy group Renew Missouri. A graduate of Drury University and the University of Kansas, he created Filmsnobs.com, where he co-hosts a podcast. He enjoyed an extended stint as an on-air film critic for KY3, the NBC affiliate in Springfield, and now regularly guests on Columbia radio station KFRU.
