This past weekend, my cousin and I jumped on the couch and browsed through Prime Video to see what had been recently released. Being big fans of the Dallas Cowboys, we love watching football, so when I saw the Kelce documentary pop up on the screen it immediately sparked my interest. All over the internet, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift have been the subject of every sports news headline, so I was looking forward to learning more about his older brother and getting an insight on how their family dynamic is as big-time football players.
Professional football player for the Philadelphia Eagles, Jason Kelce’s documentary gives fans a more personal view on his life and his journey to the Super Bowl LVII in the 2022-2023 season. The documentary was released on Sept. 12 on Amazon Prime Video. At the Super Bowl LVII, Jason faced his brother Travis Kelce, a football player on the Kansas City Chiefs. This became the first time that brothers have played against each other in a national championship. The documentary focuses on Jason’s life journey and how football has affected his life.
I really liked the start of the documentary because it started off with Jason sitting down reading a book to his daughters. I knew a little of Jason before watching the film because he is notoriously one of the best centers in the NFL, and because of the hit podcast that Jason and Travis have together called New Heights. From watching a little bit of the podcast, I could kind of see what I thought was their family dynamic and the type of people that they are. I noticed that their family was really important to them and they all seemed to really care about each other, so seeing him reading to his daughters in the beginning really made me like him more. The documentary continues by shifting back and forth between talking about his life with his wife and daughters to his relationship with his brother and their bringing up.
The documentary included not only his journey with football but his struggle to decide if he was going to retire or not, which I found very interesting. I never knew the mental struggle that professional athletes have to go through when they are deciding whether or not to quit playing their sport. As an athlete, I can begin to understand his conflict, and I found myself somewhat relating to his problem of deciding whether or not his love of the sport outweighs his future health and the toll that it could have on his family.
The film also showcases the influence that Jason has on the city of Philadelphia. The documentary highlights his love of Philly and the fact that he not only plays football because of his love of the game but also to make the Eagles fans proud. I remember watching FOX Sports around the time of the 2023 Super Bowl, and it was covered with the Kelce name. The headlines had varied from announcing the Super Bowl, to dubbing the bowl the “Kelce Bowl” and expressing concern for Jason’s wife, Kylie Kelce, who was 38 weeks pregnant when she attended the Super Bowl.The documentary then pans back to Jason’s decision of whether to retire after the Eagles’ loss at the Super Bowl. It shows his indecisiveness and again his struggle to decide to play in the 2023-2024 season. The documentary ends with his final decision being to continue playing for another season. He does not talk about whether he will play after this current season, but ends the film by speaking about his love of the sport and being an athlete.
I really enjoyed watching the documentary and I found myself glued to the screen the whole time. I had heard so much about him just from the internet, but being able to actually see how he lives his life and his family interactions made all of the hype surrounding his family feel more genuine. I am looking forward to watching him play this season and will root for him, unless they’re playing the Cowboys, of course. I recommend this documentary to anyone who loves football and anyone that is an athlete. If anyone is interested in learning more about the Kelces, this movie would be perfect for you.
Production Quality: 8.5/10
Wholesomeness: 10/10
Overall: 9/10