Air: An Entertaining, Even Suspenseful Movie About a Shoe

It’s 1984 in Beaverton, OR, and running shoe titan Nike is on the verge of shutting down its basketball shoe division. Sales of Nike’s shoes for hoops are getting crushed by Converse and Adidas. The upcoming NBA draft is the event of the year to lock in new talent. Michael Jordan is considered off-limits; he’ll cost too much money and is already a longtime Adidas devotee. Talent scout Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) is convinced Nike should pursue him after watching tape of Jordan in the 1982 NCAA championship game. He’ll have to woo Jordan’s mother (Viola Davis), work around his agent (Chris Messina), and navigate many legal, business, and financial hurdles. We all know how this story ends. Nevertheless, Air is an engaging behind-the-scenes tale of the journey, surprisingly entertaining and suspenseful considering it’s a movie about the origin of a court shoe.

The stellar cast puts you right there in the thick of the action (yes, there is action in the corporate headquarters). Once again, Matt Damon proves that he’s one of our finest actors embodying a genuine, sympathetic character as Vaccaro. He’s a frumpy workaholic, dressed in beige, beeper attached to belt, while dining regularly at the local convenience store. You’re with him every step of the way. Ben Affleck directs the film (his fifth time at the helm after Gone Baby Gone, The Town, Argo, and Live by Night) and also stars as Nike co-founder, Phil Knight. He’s part yoga, part magnate as he pulls up every day to work in his purple Porsche and then strolls around the office barefoot. (His feet are literally on the desk). After Ozark, Jason Bateman was solidified as one of my favorite actors, and he shines here as a VP with his quick, witty banter. Chris Messina almost steals the show as the cutthroat agent and delivers an all-time foul-mouthed tirade over the phone. Michael Jordan requested that Viola Davis play his mother and she brings it with a calm forcefulness.

1984 it is indeed. Trivial Pursuit, Rubik’s cube, Members Only jackets, and “Where’s the Beef?” all make an appearance. The music is an ’80s time capsule: Cyndi Lauper, The Clash, Squeeze, Violent Femmes, Dire Straights, and Big Country. “All I Need is a Miracle” may reflect Vacarro’s chances of signing Jordan.

Michael Jordan is a hidden figure in the film, only his back or voice are discernible for a few short moments. It was a conscious decision which reinforces the notion that the film is about Air Jordan not Michael Jordan. He is the shoe, and the shoe is him. It’s that kind of reverence that defines the saga of the Air Jordan. Air Jordans became a worldwide status symbol in sneaker culture, streetwear fashion, and hip-hop. Annual sales expectations were $3M; it didn’t take long to hit $162M. If you like basketball, sports business, sneakers, and the 1980s, you’re in for a slice of movie heaven. If not, you’re still in luck. Air is a timeless underdog story about dreams and determination. You can’t go wrong with that.

(If you missed Air in the theater, it is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.)

D² Rating: ◼◼◼◼☐

Trivia: With Air, Affleck and Damon have been in nine movies together. What was their last one?

Answer: 2021’s The Last Duel