Rated R. At the AMC Boston Common, Coolidge Corner and suburban theaters.
Some might argue that the invention of the Air Jordan was not among the most important historical developments of the 20th century. But others would disagree, and with over $5 billion in sales for the Jordan Brand, of which Michel Jordan has had an at-the-time unprecedented, but well-deserved percentage, a case can be made. Reuniting the Academy Award-winning, “Good Will Hunting” buddies of Cambridge Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, “Air” was a “black list” screenplay written by Alex Convery. The film directed by Affleck (“Argo,” “The Town”) features Damon as driven, innovative Nike agent “Sonny” Vaccaro and director Affleck in a weird hairpiece as the eccentric, purple Porsche-driving Nike founder Phil Knight. Jordan is not portrayed in the film, although we do meet the parents, especially his mother and chief negotiator Deloris Jordan (Viola Davis).
Also important to the story line are skeptical Nike executive Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman), offbeat Nike shoe designer Peter Moore (Matthew Maher), Nike field representative Howard H. White (a marvelous Chris Tucker) and Michael Jordan’s hot-headed agent David Falk (Chris Messina).
It’s 1984. Dire Straits is blaring “Money for Nothing,” and Vaccaro is playing the tables at Vegas and making a wild array of legal bets on sports. The big names in sports shoes are the Malden-founded Converse, the German company Adidas, which had ties to the Nazis, and the Beaverton, Oregon-based Nike. Adidas has the market cornered in basketball players in part because, as White points out to Vaccaro, “Black people don’t jog.”
Vaccaro makes signing young Chicago Bulls guard Jordan the most important goal of his life. He believes fervently that Jordan is a one-in-million player. The other person who also believes that is Deloris. Inspired by a commercial for a tennis racket with the great Arthur Ashe, Vaccaro pitches an idea to Knight. The idea is a shoe, not only with Jordan’s name on it, but a shoe so connected to the player that buyers will believe they have bought “being Jordan.” Damon is both funny and endearing as the ordinary man on an extraordinary mission, and his scenes with Affleck sparkle. Against the express demands of Jordan’s agent, Sonny visits Jordan’s parents in North Carolina, where he is granted a sit down with “boss” Deloris. In one of his best moments, Damon describes exactly how the Jordan family meetings with Converse and Adidas are going to go. With his surprisingly dainty, bare feet perched on his desk, Affleck’s Knight is the very model of a borderline crackpot CEO (Hello, Elon).
As 1980s rock and rap play in the background, people rush to banks of pay phones. White is the only Black executive at the meetings, and with his energy and remarkable, clarinet-like voice, Tucker makes us wonder why we don’t see (and hear) more of him. Sonny repeatedly watches a blurry VHS tape of 18-year-old Jordan making the game-winning jump shot at the 1982 NCAA Championship game. Only Deloris has the vision to figure out what will clinch the deal. Marlon Wayans is fine as 1984 Olympics basketball coach George Raveling (Jordan was a guard on that gold medal-winning team). The drama of a sports contract negotiation might not seem sufficiently stirring for some. But “Air” is a compelling true story with drama to spare. You don’t have to be a basketball fan to love this film.
(“Air” contains profanity)