Air was in the theaters a month ago, but I decided to wait until it came to a streaming service we had on our TV. Sure enough, AMAZON Prime Video offered Air this week and I enjoyed every minute of it. When I taught Marketing classes at my former College, I used NIKE examples all the time since most of my students were obsessed with sneakers….especially Air Jordans.
Air focuses on John “Sonny” Vaccaro (Matt Damon) who works in NIKE’s basketball division which is struggling. Vaccaro is a visionary who sees Michael Jordan as the savior of the basketball division…and of NIKE itself. The story is set in 1984 where Adidas and Converse dominates the sneaker market. Phil Knight (Ben Affleck), CEO of NIKE, needs to be convinced that Michael Jordan could be a product Game Changer. Fortunately, Vaccaro gets support from Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman) in Marketing and Howard White (Chris Tucker) in Sales.
In a career risking move, Vaccaro travels to North Carolina–unannounced–to meet with Deloris Jordan (Viola Davis), Michael Jordan’s mother. As Vaccaro makes his pitch to Deloris, he predicts to her what the future meetings with Adidas and Converse will be like. And, he tells her what questions to ask them.
Although the story concerns the competition among the sneaker companies to lure Michael Jordan to their company, the real action centers around Deloris Jordan and her influence on her son (who has no interest in NIKE).
Although we know the end of Air, the suspense is considerable as Vaccaro bets his career (and the jobs of everyone in the NIKE basketball division) on the outcome of these negotiations. Today, NIKE makes $4 billion each year on Air Jordans. Astonishing! GRADE: A
I love 1980s music and Air incudes plenty from that time!
AIR SOUNDTRACK:
Track Listings
| 1 | Money For Nothing – Dire Straits |
| 2 | Blister In the Sun – Violent Femmes |
| 3 | Ain’t Nobody – Rufus & Chaka Khan |
| 4 | Sister Christian – Night Ranger |
| 5 | All I Need Is A Miracle – Mike & The Mechanics |
| 6 | Born in the U.S.A. – Bruce Springsteen |
| 7 | Sirius – The Alan Parsons Project |
| 8 | Rock the Casbah – The Clash |
| 9 | My Adidas – RUN DMC |
| 10 | In a Big Country – Big Country |
| 11 | Tempted – Squeeze |
| 12 | Time After Time – Cyndi Lauper |
| 13 | Can’t Fight This Feeling – REO Speedwagon |
Glad you liked it, as well. I think Patti was feeling a bit jumped-on in comments on her quick review. (Still haven’t dialed it up, but probably will eventually.)
Todd, I liked the cast and the story even though I knew a lot of the details. The Air Jordan contract transformed NIKE.
I was about to say, “Wow—that soundtrack is all over the place! Who would have Springsteen, Rufus, Violent Femmes, Big Country, AND REO Speedwagon in their collection?” Then I took a quick peek at my CD shelves. Lol
Deb, the look and feel of AIR is definitely 1980s…and that goes for the music, too. Quite a variety with something for every listener!
Of those you cited, Deb, only the Speedwagon is absent from mine. (My appreciation for AOR acts pretty much is limited to finding Foreigner the least bad of “faceless” corporate rock bands of the ’70s, and that Kansas’s “Carry On, Wayward Son” was catchy and heartfelt enough for even this atheist to buy the single at the time…their eventual straightforward embrace of being an Xian rock band didn’t surprise me in the least, and it was fun to play the single at 33 1/3 RPM as well as at the proper speed. No such affection for, say, “Dust in the Wind”…)
If I was doomed to two AOR bands as my hellish fate, I suppose the other one among ’70s hitmakers would be Boston.
Todd, I still listen to Boston CDs. But Steve doesn’t like them.
Too many junior-high school bus rides in the mornings with WRKO-AM from Boston blaring Boston the band’s hits and worse music for my taste, as well.
Can an excellent cast and a really off-the-wall soundtrack overcome a complete lack of interest in the subject matter? I’ll try it and see.
Michael, I think AIR will surprise you.
I know this got really good reviews for the most part, but I have zero interest. Still, may watch it some time.
Jeff, AIR presents a story of a guy who believes in an IDEA despite everyone else telling him he’s crazy. I admire Sonny Vaccaro’s persistence and vision!
I had zero interest in the subject also but it was well put together, entertaining, well-acted and had a great sound track. I tend to see any movie that gets well-reviewed and is for adults.
Patti, I was impressed by the cast of AIR. I’d like to get a copy of the script and read some of Sonny Vaccaro’s excellent dialogue.
A $2.00 pair of Keds was good enough for me! I’ll pass on this tribute to overpriced shoes made by third world slaves!
Bob, I wore KEDS back in the day, too! I have never owned a pair of NIKE sneakers. For years I was a New Balance guy, but now I prefer Sketchers Easy-On sneakers with no laces.
Whereas Vans are about as decadent as I’ve ever gotten. My current pair of Vans, black deck shoes, have lasted a decade, though they were allowed to stay in good shape as I wore another pair of slightly chunkier black deck shoes as my primary shoes for most of that decade, and now they’re sufficiently worn that they’re my lawn-mowing and other dirty work shoes…
Todd, Diane gets 30% coupons for Kohls so when I need a new pair of Sketchers, I buy them there. The quality of most sneakers dropped during the Pandemic.
Kay says “THANKS!”
Dan, tell Kay she’s welcome!