Diksha Sundriyal
Starring Lily Tomlin, Rita Morena, Sally Field, and Jane Fonda, ‘80 for Brady’ is a sports comedy that follows four best friends on the trip of a lifetime. The protagonists are Lou, Trish, Maura, and Betty, who win four tickets to the 2017 Super Bowl, where they have the chance to watch Tom Brady play for the Patriots. The women have been Brady fans for a very long time and feel a personal connection with him, which is what makes their trip so special. However, the journey offers many surprises along the way, one of whom is Dan O’Callahan (Harry Hamlin). Interestingly, the character has a different origin story than the four main characters. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Fictional Dan O’Callahan Gives More Depth to Trish’s Story
’80 for Brady’ is inspired by the true story of a group of women who called themselves ‘Over 80 for Brady.’ The core four of the movie are based on real women, but when it comes to the overall storyline, a lot of the film remains fictional, which includes the character of Dan O’Callahan. He comes into the picture while the women are exploring the events of the NFL Experience. He comes up to Trish after she’s done with an impromptu book reading. He reveals that he is a former NFL player and Super Bowl winner with two rings for two different teams. Sparks fly between them, and later that night, they are found making out in a broom closet at a party.
One of the things that gives ’80 for Brady’ a more realistic touch is the presence of many real-life personalities in the movie, including Tom Brady himself. However, Dan remains entirely fictional, though the teams he references are real. In real life, the 80-year-old women never went to the Super Bowl, which means none of them had a chance encounter resembling Trish and Dan’s. The purpose of adding Dan’s character to the movie was to highlight the character traits of Trish. Fresh out of a breakup, she is still tending to her broken heart when she comes across Dan, who seems to be straight out of her fantasy.
It should be noted that she has authored an erotic romance novel about a football player, and Dan seems to check all the boxes for the character. Dan’s character also serves as an important plot device as he doesn’t just help Trish get over her last relationship and move on, but he also helps the women watch the game live when they fail to get the tickets. His intervention at the right time gives the ladies a chance to fulfill the true purpose of their journey. Not only do they get to watch the game live, but they also help Tom Brady win it. In the end, Dan and Trish seem to have parted ways, but he leaves an impact on her life.
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