A heartfelt sports doc about football and family
The new Amazon original documentary, Kelce, follows the 2022 season of All Pro veteran center of the Philadelphia Eagles, Jason Kelce. It’s a documentary about the love of football and being able to compartmentalize all that comes with being a professional athlete. The film follows Jason throughout last season and takes you into his life on the field as a captain for the Eagles. And also brings you into his personal life with his family and day-to-day life.
Why was the 2022 NFL season big for Jason Kelce?
By 2022, Jason Kelce had become a legendary figure in the Philadelphia area for his contribution to the community. He also gave a hell of a Super Bowl parade speech to the millions of Eagles fans in 2018 after they won the organization’s first Lombardi trophy. However, Kelce was entering his twelfth season in the league last year, and as an offensive lineman, that makes him an old man in the league.
There are a lot of internal struggles going on with Jason during the season due to his contemplation of retirement. His family is growing, and he is going to be needed more now at home. And as a football player, there is always going to be the fear of what you become after you retire.
Who is Travis Kelce?
Travis Kelce is a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs and Jason’s younger brother. The Chiefs are another dominant team in the NFL, and as the film goes on, it becomes apparent that the two franchises are destined to collide at this year’s Super Bowl.
Despite the two franchises going toe-to-toe in the Super Bowl, Jason and Travis have a great brotherly relationship. The two host a podcast together called New Heights. And even continued hosting it throughout the buildup to their Super Bowl matchup. Travis clearly looks up to his older brother, and the two keep things very loving between one another despite conflicting feelings leading up to the big game.
Who wins the Super Bowl?
As most football fans know by now, the Kansas City Chiefs ended up winning the Super Bowl last season. Defeating the Eagles on a game-winning field goal to win 38-35. Thus making Travis the winner of the “Kelce Bowl”. Most sports fans will know this going into the documentary, but the real emotional moment is seeing Jason embrace his mom after the game, telling him to go celebrate with Travis. And afterwards, in the hotel room, Jason came home to his pregnant wife and two daughters after losing one of the biggest games of his career.
Jason is victorious, though, because he has a loving family at home. And weeks after the Super Bowl loss, Jason’s third daughter is born into the world. It almost feels like there is a bigger plan. Travis gets the Super Bowl, and Jason gets to see his family grow bigger.
Does Jason Kelce retire?
Again, if you’re a football fan, you know the answer. But the build-up to it is beautiful. Jason mentions a song he loves in the middle of the documentary; it’s called The Cape by Guy Clark. It plays over a montage of him walking around Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. And then we hear a radio call from a show host reading Jason’s Twitter post about him deciding he wants to play another season.
Read More: Kelce Movie Review
Again, fabulous documentary and I’m very grateful for it (see my comment to the Kelsey movie review). Here’s the thing, though: Jason describes in detail the significant toll that playing pro football for the past 12 years has taken on his body, and acknowledges the risk of CTE. He even interviews other retired players about this subject. He also makes it clear how much his family means to him, as well as the Philadelphia community he gives back to in a number of ways. And he has proven to himself that there is a successful career in media for him post–football. But in the end, he’s unable to see his way clear to go in the direction of his highest and greatest good – the next stage of personal health and well-being, and success in a variety of ventures. Lifestage transitions are damn hard, especially for successful pro athletes who are the best at what they do. Their sense of identity often gets wrapped up in that. So now I will literally be praying throughout this season that Jason Kelce manages to stay healthy, despite playing football on the o-line another year – instead of retiring at an ideal time. Feels like Shakespearean–level angst to me.