AIR parents guide (2023) - Lovebugs and Postcards

I was able to screen AIR in order to write this AIR Parents Guide. All opinions are my own.

The movie AIR is a story about Sonny Vaccaro (played by Matt Damon) and the journey he takes the Nike team on to sign Michael Jordan with them. You get to see Ben Affleck as Nike founder and CEO, Phil Knight; Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser, Nike’s VP of Marketing; Chris Tucker as Howard White, Sonny’s colleague and advisor; Chris Messina as David Falk, Jordan’s agent; Marlon Wayans as George Raveling, one of Jordan’s coaches at the 1984 Olympics; and Viola Davis as Michael’s mother, Deloris Jordan.

They were all cast perfectly for their roles. Matt Damon does an incredible job (as always) as Sonny. He shows the determination and guts that it took to sign Michael Jordan on with Nike in the biggest collaboration ever in the sporting industry. I really enjoyed watching how the movie progressed from the beginning to the end. It keeps your attention and even though we all know how it’s going to end, I loved seeing all the things that actually went into it and how it happened.

As a momma of four, I can totally relate and understand where Deloris Jordan (played by Viola Davis) is coming from. She did a great job of showcasing that. I felt like they could have made George Raveling’s part a little bigger as I think he has a little more to do with all of this than it shows.

Overall I really enjoyed watching it and getting to know the history of Nike as well as learning more about Michael. I grew up watching Michael Jordan (as I was born in the early 1980s) and so this was even better for me because it showed so many things from the early 1980s that most younger viewers wouldn’t understand. Before, during, and after the movie, you will be treated to several clips and images of Michael Jordan (and other 80’s icons). I am sure there are a few differences between what happened in real life, to the movie but overall it was a fantastic retelling.

My only complaint is the language. I wish it was cleaner so I could watch it with my younger kids. For basketball fans, you will love this movie and understand all the things. If you don’t watch basketball – you will still enjoy this great piece of history coming to life.

AIR opens in theaters on April 5, 2023

AIR Parents Guide

AIR is rated R for language throughout. It runs for 1hr 52m.

There are no end-credit scenes for AIR. It shows several pictures and videos with text about Michael Jordan (in real life) just after the movie ends, but when the credits start rolling, feel free to head out.

Sex, Nudity, Crude References & Innuendos – 2/5 – There are some crude references to balls/nuts. One of the characters spews several crude references all within a few minutes. It has one short scene of a guy pretending to jack off (not meant to be sexual). There is also a completely nude male statue that is shown at least twice (it shows full frontal). Two men are shown in the bathroom. One is using the urinal, the other is in a stall. No nudity. References to

Violence & Gore – 0/5 – None

Profanity – 5/5 – 50+ uses of the F word in various uses. Several uses of Damn, shit, hell, and ass. A few uses of God, Jesus. Some talk about racial topics between some of the characters.

Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking – 1/5 – Shows a man in a casino gambling, there is drinking. Very short and not prevalent.

Frightening & Intense Scenes – 0/5 – None

AIR is a fantastic story of how Nike came to sign Michael Jordan and the men and women that were behind it. I learned so much. I didn’t even realize that most of the things happened that they showed. I really enjoyed all of the real footage of Michael and how it showed so much of what he has done and what he has gone through. Definitely 18+ on this because of the language and crude topics. My only complaint is I wish they had left all the F words out and made it family-friendly. It is a movie I would have loved to watch with my kids!

AIR Parents Guide

AIR opens in theaters on April 5, 2023

About AIR:

From award-winning director Ben Affleck (Argo, The Town), AIR reveals the unbelievable game-changing partnership between a then-rookie Michael Jordan and Nike’s fledgling basketball division which revolutionized the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand. This inspirational story follows the career-defining gamble of an unconventional team with everything on the line, the uncompromising vision of a mother who knows the worth of her son’s immense talent, and the basketball phenom who would become the greatest of all time.

AIR stars Matt Damon as Nike’s basketball expert, Sonny Vaccaro; Ben Affleck as Nike founder and CEO, Phil Knight; Jason Bateman (Ozark) as Rob Strasser, Nike’s VP of Marketing; Chris Tucker (Rush Hour franchise) as Howard White, Sonny’s colleague and advisor; Chris Messina (Sharp Objects) as David Falk, Jordan’s agent; Marlon Wayans (Respect) as George Raveling, one of Jordan’s coaches at the 1984 Olympics; and Viola Davis as Michael’s mother, Deloris Jordan.

The main cast also includes Matthew Maher (Captain Marvel) as Peter Moore, Nike’s creative director; and Julius Tennon (The Woman King) as Michael’s father, James Jordan.

Affleck directed AIR from a screenplay by Alex Convery. Affleck and Damon are also producing alongside David Ellison, Jesse Sisgold, Jon Weinbach, Madison Ainley, Jeff Robinov, Peter Guber, and Jason Michael Berman. Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Kevin Halloran, Michael Joe, Drew Vinton, John Graham, Peter E. Strauss and Jordan Moldo serve as executive producers.

The behind-the-scenes creative team includes three-time Oscar-winning director of photography Robert Richardson (Hugo, The Aviator, JFK), production designer François Audouy (Ford v Ferrari, Logan), Oscar-winning editor William Goldenberg (Argo, The Imitation Game, Zero Dark Thirty), costume designer Charlese Antoinette Jones (Judas and the Black Messiah) and music supervisor Andrea von Foerster (Yellowstone). Amazon Studios and Skydance Sports present an Artists Equity and Mandalay Pictures production, AIR. The film has been rated R by the MPAA for language throughout.