It is one of films impressive for the manner to reflect fundamental pieces of every day life. from relation with past to the happiness, to the passion and its role of seed for future to the relation with mother, to the high effort for preserve a status to the simple , pure joy to be part of community. it could be discovered as a film about sport. it could be seen as to easy drama. but its way to use fundamental problems is admirable, against every critic. and the performances are one of good ingredients for that.

I accidentally ran across this film not knowing anything about it. The cast is exceptional. The writing is beautifully crafted. Though it is a film about a former high school football star, this is not a film about football. At its core, it is a wonderful love story about a man and the love of his life. There is some "time travel" in this film that is so effective. The editing is superb, especially towards the end of the film during some of the great intense football scenes. There is so much intense drama that has nothing to do with football. I was really blown away. It reminded me so much of some of my favorite films of all time: Its a Wonderful Life, Best of Times (which also had Kurt Russell), Mr. Destiny, and Back to the Future. A great film I would highly recommend to anyone.

Replace Clarence the angel with football, and you have "Touchback." Except instead of all the good qualities that motivate George Bailey to time and again sacrifice his plans for fame and fortune, you're left with a has-been quarterback who blames everyone but himself for his series of misfortunes since his crippling last high school football game.Consider George Bailey of "It's a Wonderful Life." He can't wait to leave his hick hometown for a successful career in the city. Yet, at every opportunity, he instead selflessly chooses to sacrifice his plans in order to come to the aid of his neighbors and the town itself. Years go by. He never gets to leave Bedford Falls, and slowly grows bitter. When his life hits rock bottom, he opts for suicide. At the last instant, he gains new perspective and finally appreciates how his life turned out, despite his long-gone grandiose plans. As he makes this realization, the entire town turns out to help him in his time of need.Enter Scott Murphy of "Touchback." He can't wait to leave his hick hometown for a successful career as a quarterback. But when he sustains a crippling injury in a high school football game, it derails his far- fetched plans of one day playing for the NFL. Years go by. He never gets to leave Coldwater, and slowly grows bitter. When he finds himself at rock bottom, he opts for suicide. At the last instant, he gains new perspective and finally appreciates how his life turned out, despite his long-gone grandiose plans. As he makes this realization, the entire town turns out to help him in his time of need.The difference is, Scott Murphy's only great dilemma in life is whether to choose a successful football career or a successful marriage. Either decision enriches his personal life, so it's really not much of a sacrifice, and doesn't garner much sympathy from the audience. Sure, he could have more money as a professional football player, but when the alternative is sticking with the future mother of his children, it's really not much of a choice. Furthermore, neither decision is for the benefit of the town or its people. Whatever he chooses, it's motivated by selfishness. Scott Murphy is all about Scott Murphy.Whereas George Bailey's livelihood is repeatedly hindered by his self- sacrifice for the sake of his neighbors, Scott Murphy's own series of poor life choices keep him struggling to support his family. The only plan he ever had in life was to play football. The only act of kindness he ever visits upon his friends is dropping them off unceremoniously at their houses as a designated driver. So, between the two protagonists, George Bailey is hands down the more generous, morally upright individual. Scott Murphy is just a bitter, poor bean farmer who can't stop reliving his final high school game.

This is a nice feel-good movie with a good message, but handled a bit too simplistically. Its broad point is that as we grow into middle age many have regrets, we may tell ourselves if we could just change this thing or that, our lives would be a lot better. But maybe our lives are the best they can be simply by accepting who we are and the choices we have made. Brian Presley is Scott Murphy , Ohio's High School "Mr Football" for 1991. As the movie opens it is 1991 and as the senior quarterback is leading his underdog team from little Coldwater, population 2700, towards the state football championship. The final play with just a few seconds left in the game requires him to sacrifice his own body, to dive into the end zone to score. As the camera pulls back from an overhead shot we see his left leg badly bent back into an impossible position, destined to be crippled for life.Flash forward 20 years, the homecoming game is at hand, Scott is now a farmer, just barely surviving, and walking with a bad limp and a full leg brace. His hopes of playing football at Ohio State were discarded, and frequently the thoughts of 1991 run through his mind, what if he had not been injured. What if he looked out for himself, played college ball, became rich, had been able to move away from his little town, which he refers demeaningly as 'Backwater.'The filmmakers were fortunate to snag Kurt Russell to play the part of Coach Hand. Plus Brit Melanie Lynskey to play Scott's wife, Macy . (Interestingly in the BD extras she speaks with her 'American' accent.) Christine Lahti is good in a smaller but essential role as Scott's mother, Thelma .This is a good small film with a true message, life is best lived as a series of moments all strung together without regret and second-guessing about choices we made. It has some elements of 'Peggy Sue Got Married' in it, it uses a device to allow Scott a glimpse at what life might have been if he had made different choices.SPOILERS: In present time Scott is about to forfeit on his loan, and lose the farm. He needs to get his soy bean crop in after an early frost. But the last bean harvester available breaks down, his 200 acres of beans surely lost, he drives to a remote location, plugs the exhaust of his old pickup truck, and sits inside with the motor running. But he awakes back in 1991, he has a chance to experience that fateful week all over. At first he decides he will sit out the game, to avoid injury, save himself for his college career. But Coach Hand gives him a talk about life and giving it your all. Scott plays and as the game is ending we are brought right back to where the movie began. Scott had the chance to call a different play, to save himself, but he again made the winning score and damaged his leg. But when he awoke to find himself alive in present time, the truck had run out of fuel, he found the town deserted, everyone was harvesting his beans by hand, to save his farm. So, was it just a dream?