Nonureva
Really Surprised!
Actuakers
One of my all time favorites.
Robert Joyner
The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
cmeride79
I appeared in American Anthem as an extra; recruited for a part in the cast appearing as "Mitch's Dad's" bike shop 'gang'. The major portion of the movie, filmed in Flagstaff, AZ, was much more 'laid back' than the whole "town rallies around the gymnast" scenes, filmed in Phoenix. Shooting and relocations for scene changes seemed to flow smoothly enough; I don't remember but a day or two of repetitious "take 12" scenarios...and I did follow the shooting of the movie beyond just the parts in which "the gang" and I were involved. It was a pleasure working with pleasant, seasoned Tiny Wells. In the end, however, I was disappointed at the culminated result, and wasn't surprised that American Anthem didn't do better at the box office. Frankly, I would love have loved to have seen a lot of what ended up on the cutting room floor. One completely absent scene that I remember, shot in Phoenix, lit a parade of "Mitch's Dad" and his 'constituents', arriving at the gym on the day of the big meet. There were high, long and rack-shots of a shining, side-by-side parade of growling Harleys, rolling down echoing streets. The head-turning entourage pulled into the gymnasium parking lot as a great black dragon would glide on it's wings from the precipice of it's cave...and the crowds looked on...spine-tingling, classic stuff, and good, albeit absent, material.
BeccaSanders
I have to give it a 10. I had a life size poster of Mitch Gaylord on the back of my door from 85-92! There was no crush that could match my crush on Mitch. I would have seen any movie that he was in, gymnastics or not. Shoot, he was the reason I watched the Olympics back then. American Anthem is a great movie. It had good characters and you were really pulling for them. Granted, I was a kid when I saw it... but as far as 80s movies go... this one belongs in the ranks of Dirty Dancing, The Breakfast Club, and Sixteen Candles. I borrowed the video from a friend and remember keeping it for years. She came and got it a few days before I left for college!! I haven't seen since, but I'd buy the DVD if there were one!
preppy-3
An ex-gymnast (Mitch Gaylord) with severe family problems, meets another up and coming gymnast (Janet Jones), falls in love and (of course) becomes a gymnast again and goes for the gold...or something like that. I was so bored it's hard to remember.Boring, utterly predictable story with lousy dialogue. Also Gaylord and Jones are absolutely horrible actors...both are beautiful with great bodies but that's it. This isn't really a movie...it plays like a series of (bad) rock videos string together with a flimsy plot. There's almost nonstop music throughout the movie. No characters, no motivations, no nothing...just music.A few things save this from total disaster--Some of the music is good and compliments the visuals nicely; the movie looks good (in a rock video sort of way); there are plenty of nice shots showing Gaylord in nothing but black shorts and the gymnastics are truly incredible. That's about it.Also this is the first movie to make it from theaters to video stores in three months! It bombed so badly the studio rushed it out to video quickly to get rid of it.
Susie-7
This was a bad movie. The acting was mediocre, the plot was mediocre, and the characters were mediocre. However, the gymnastics were excellent and saved this movie from being a total waste. 4/10 for style, and being mediocre instead of dreadfully awful.
