The Book of Manning

The Manning family offered entertainment to football enthusiasts ever since Archie Manning took the field as an Ole Miss Rebel. The Book of Manning offers an inside look at the family on and off the field, a perspective that I have never seen before.

            Going into the movie, I wanted to see if they would focus on one member of the family or a summary of the family as a whole. At first, the movie seemed to be about Archie Manning and would cut out his three sons. I knew very little of Archie, but after his segment of the movie I was inspired by his integrity and character. The most impressive scene was when he was attending his sons’ games and went as far as disguising himself and not sitting in box seats to prevent the cameras from focusing in him.

            Another great feature of the movie was seeing all the home videos of Cooper, Peyton, and Eli. The personality difference between the brothers became obvious even when the brothers were in their early childhood. Cooper was laid back and looser, Peyton always had a stern look and took things more seriously, and Eli was the guy who everyone wanted to be around. Seeing the Manning brothers grow up through home videos offered a different yet intriguing point of view.

            The Book of Manning is apart of an ESPN series called 30 for 30, which is a collection of different sports stories all by different directors. This movie definitely has become my favorite of the series. I have always loved watching SEC football and learning about several of the greatest college football players ever is something I am glad I did not miss.