Leatherheads

A 2008 sports comedy film about the Duluth Bulldogs, a struggling pro football team in 1925. In order to revive the team, World War I hero Carter "The Bullet" Rutherford (John Krasinski) is recruited to the team, much to the chagrin of team captain Jimmy "Dodge" Connelly (George Clooney).

This appears to be working until a reporter, Lexie (Renee Zellweger), uncovers the truth: Carter's war hero status was a fluke rather than true heroics.

Meanwhile, Dodge's attempts to get football legitimized backfire on him when the newly formed football league starts outlawing improvised tactics and enforcing rules.

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Tropes used in Leatherheads include:

• Big Game: Although the game is finally won by "improvisational tactics" (read: cheating).
• Betty and Veronica: Dodge and Carter to Lexie.
• Hot Scoop: Lexie as played by Renee Zellweger? Hell yes.
• Intrepid Reporter: Lexie
• Love Triangle: Between Dodge, Carter, and Lexie.
• The Roaring Twenties
• Romantic Comedy: A throwback to the Screwball Comedy variety common in the 1930s.
• Trailers Always Lie: All of the TV spots advertising the film were careful to avoid any hint that it might involve American football, instead making it look like a romantic comedy with a very weird title.