80 for Brady Analysis | Ingredients of a Successful Seniors Girl Trip

What do you get when you mix The Golden Girls, Sex and the City, and the movie Girls Trip? Yup, that’s right.

You get 80 for Brady.

A movie that shows that unhinged wild adventures don’t have an age limit.

This 80 for Brady analysis is going to break down everything that 80 for Brady did to bring such a fun, unique, and well-composed story to life.

80 for Brady Analysis | What Makes It Work

Based on a true story, four best friends all around the age of 80 go on a wild adventure in pursuit of seeing their idol, Tom Brady, play live in the 2017 Super Bowl.

The Distinct, Real, and Lovable Characters

The first aspect of this film that stands out is how cute the friendship dynamic is between these four different personalities.

It helps that this movie enlisted some of the most well-known names in television to star in this film: The charismatic Maura played by Rita Moreno, the flirty Trish played by Jane Fonda, the nerdy Betty played by Sally Field, and the responsible Lou played by Lily Tomlin.

The film makes sure to flesh out each character, allowing their unique personalities to shine in subtle natural ways, providing backstory on their lives, and not neglecting to give each character tangible growth by the film’s end.

As an audience, we get first-hand insight into a good time with great personalities that we can call our friends for the film’s duration.

It’s imperative that a relationship-based film like this one builds real and relatable characters with friendship dynamics that we can relate to. 80 for Brady does just that.

Because of this, we can easily dive into the fun as if we’re a part of the story ourselves.

The Hilarious Circumstances

Another aspect of this film that makes it work so well is how seamless and effective the comedy is.

From Betty naively believing that the appropriate, modern term for a fanny pack is “strap-on” to supposedly flirty compliments like, “You have a nice head,” Betty’s innocence had me cracking up!

Hilarious situations that you can only encounter with more seasoned citizens like breaking a friend out of a nursing home and packing a suitcase of wigs just in case you need to switch from your “road trip look” “to your seduction look.”

The film finds the natural humor in being elderly and executes those funny moments in an effortlessly comedic way.

The Clear Friendship Theme

“Isn’t that what friendship is? That we face the unknown together hand in hand?”

The centralized theme of friendship is crystal clear throughout the film. There’s laughter and good times but there’s also facing the tough stuff together.

And more than just displaying friendship, this film shows a very underrepresented type of friendship on screen. Of elderly women who’ve probably had many friendships and relationships in the past but have chosen to support each other in their current season.

This display of friendship for women of a more seasoned age is so refreshingly done in a way that was self-aware but still incredibly entertaining.

It took everything that we love about the classic gal pal narrative and showed that whether 30 or 80, girls just wanna have fun.

Criticisms

Once the football game begins, the sparks of the movie begin to dim ever so slightly as the focus shifts away from the ladies’ friendship and onto Tom Brady and the football game.

Obviously, Tom Brady is a catalyst topic in their friendship but his football career was such a backburner narrative that when it took center stage, I was just eager to focus back on the ladies again.

In Conclusion…

80 for Brady is such a pleasantly wonderful film that blends classic gal pal vibes and nostalgic 2000s feels into this heartwarming comedy on friendship defeating all odds.

With a fantastic cast, a fun narrative, and a strong central message, 80 for Brady is a solid touchdown.

Rating 7.5/10

What is your 80 for Brady analysis? Let me know in the comments below!

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Peace, love, and lots of popcorn,

IMO