Those who were born before 1990 know that Michael Jordan was the king of the sports world. And when you think of Jordan, Nike is one of the first things that comes to mind. While it’s easy to make a movie about Jordan’s life, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon decided to go another route and talk about a decision Jordan made that impacted his life and the sports apparel world forever. Air is a movie that tells the story of Jordan signing with Nike, a shoe company that was on the verge of shutting down its basketball department. That sounds strange now because of what Nike is today, but Affleck, Damon and the rest of the team at Amazon Studios, Artists Equity, Skydance Sports and Mandalay Pictures tell a compelling story of how Jordan and Nike were almost never meant to be.
Damon, who is a producer on the film with Affleck, stars as Sonny Vaccaro, the man responsible for signing Jordan to Nike. Air shows Vaccaro being a basketball guru who saw Jordan as more than an average player. Damon captured his passion perfectly and brought his own sense of humor to the role. One scene that stands out is Sonny on the phone with Jordan’s agent David Falk (Chris Messina) after Sonny visits Jordan’s parents. It’s the funniest scene in the film, which is saying something considering Air has its share of humor.
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A lot of that humor came from two guys — Jason Bateman and Chris Tucker, who played Rob Strasser and Howard White, respectively. Both are Nike executives and Sonny’s bosses. Bateman brings his sarcastic style of comedy to the role of Rob, while Tucker, who’s appearing in his first movie since 2016, is the man you’ve seen in the Rush Hour and Friday films but on a more professional level.
Viola Davis plays Jordan’s mother Deloris. Affleck mentioned that when he talked to Jordan, he said that the six-time NBA Champion wanted Davis to play his mother. In the film, Deloris is the one who is acting as Jordan’s manager, leading her to be strong and not back down from those who are going after her son. Davis nailed the portrayal, but it’s not a surprise considering she is one of the best actors of our generation.
Affleck plays Phil Knight who is the co-founder of Nike. While Affleck had some funny moments as Knight, his strength in the film was directing. Not showing Jordan’s face was a bold move by Affleck, but it didn’t take away from the overall experience of the movie. Affleck is an avid sports fan, and it shows in Air because of how detailed everything is.
Air hits on something that isn’t talked about as much as it should. Jordan came very close to signing with Converse or Adidas, and Nike was essentially not on his radar. But with a strong pitch and getting some of the profit from sales, Jordan joined Nike which has helped him become a billionaire today. We know how the story ends, but Air keeps moviegoers compelled from start to finish because of the story and cast. Affleck and Damon won Oscars for their work on Good Will Hunting in 1998. It would not be a surprise to see them win Academy Awards again for Air.
