Out of the Blue: A Film About Life and Football (2007) Reviews

• A Fun Documentary to Watch

  WesinID-12007-09-05

  Did you see the Fiesta Bowl on January 1, 2007? If you saw this game then you know how this DVD ends. Now is your chance to see the motivations behind the players, coaches, and local fans that led to this victory which continues to be on the minds of fans everywhere. David Hoffman put this tribute to the Boise State Bronco's undefeated season together in what must have been a whirlwind of 5 months. In my opinion they should have taken at least another 3 months to be able to fit more content. If you are not a college football fan, then you probably won't think too much of this DVD which contains very little actual football content (but enough to make you cheer). Just about every memorable play from every game of Boise State's 2006 season is spliced into this DVD. But these only serve as reminders of what Boise State accomplished on the football field. The real impact is in what the players and coaches were able to accomplish in their lives. The message behind "Out of the Blue" is not just about winning football games on a national stage. This DVD hits on the tragedies and triumphs in some of the key players lives. However, as many local fans have commented, it just seems to be missing so many great personalities that stood out during this season(apparently they didn't transfer well onto film). For non-fans of Boise State, or just interested parties, I believe you will see a bit of what the Boise State football program is about. It touches on their humble beginnings and quickly jumps to the past 3 seasons. Again, there are just so many personalities involved in that time it seems a shame to skip over them. Boise State may not have the history, legends, or championships that Big 12, Big 10, Pac-10, SEC, or ACC schools have, but what it has accomplished in a short amount of time has impressed fans new and old everywhere. If after viewing this DVD you find you want to know more about how Boise State got going and where the players and coaches come from, I strongly recommend getting a copy of the book, "Blue Magic" by Brian Murphy and Chad Cripe, sports writers for the Idaho Statesman. I also recommend obtaining a copy of the "Pefection" DVD which offers highlights and commentary to every game of BSU's 2006 season as well as great bonus material, such as the motivational video shown to the players prior to their Fiesta Bowl appearance. Also available is the Fiesta Bowl DVD so you can see the complete game minus commercials. (Many of those who tried to TiVo this discovered that they missed the overtime period completely.) The plan for the producers of this DVD is to sell the story to a major motion picture company and see if any will produce a feature length film in the vein of "Remember the Titans" or "We Are Marshall". We'll see if the spirit and impact of Boise State's undefeated season is enough to rate it's own feature film before that time.

• Great, upbeat football documentary

  mcgriswald2009-11-11

  Most football films these days present the sport in negative terms, the cheating, the steroid use, the treatment of athletes like a commodity, etc. Finally comes a documentary that explores the positive side to the sport and how it helps athletes grow as human beings. Out of the Blue is a well made and entertaining documentary of the Boise State University Broncos football team leading up to its upset win over Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl ( a game I missed, thanks to my wife's comment that "We've watched enough football for one day--lets watch a rerun of Law and Order"--she knows she owes me FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!) Made up of game footage and interviews with (surprisingly well-spoken and courteous) players, coaches, media and fans, it explores Boise's improbable position as an up and coming football power in a part of the country most people believe is the middle of nowhere. The film is remarkably fair, and even an Oklahoma fan wouldn't find anything objectionable other than the outcome of the game. In fact, the players admit their apprehension when the Sooners take the field--"They were huge!" "This is what bigtime college football looks like", etc. Perhaps the only cringe (and its a major cringe) inducing moment is when one fan who is watching the game at home gets injured in a horrible freak accident, that left the ER doctors speechless. Highly recommended for the College Football fan.