It’s 1986. The Olympics in Los Angeles just ended a couple of years ago, and America is still riding a massive high from Mary Lou Retton’s perfect ten. Everyone wants to be a gymnast. Or, at least, every movie studio thinks everyone wants to watch a movie about one. Enter American Anthem, a film that tried so hard to bottle lightning that it basically ended up being a two-hour music video with some chalk and parallel bars thrown in for good measure.
Honestly? It’s kind of a mess. But it’s a fascinating mess.
You’ve got Mitch Gaylord, an actual Olympic gold medalist, playing the lead. He’s Steve Tevere. He’s moody. He wears a lot of denim. He has a complicated relationship with his dad. It’s the classic "disgraced athlete finds redemption" trope, but set against the backdrop of high-stakes gymnastics and a soundtrack that screams "we want to sell cassettes." If you haven't seen it, or if you only remember the posters in the back of a Blockbuster, you’re missing out on a very specific slice of 80s cultural sincerity that we just don't see anymore.
The Pitch: Top Gun Meets the Pommel Horse
The producers probably sat in a room and said, "What if we do Top Gun, but with backflips?" That’s the vibe. They even hired Albert Magnoli to direct it, the guy who did Purple Rain. You can see his fingerprints everywhere—the moody lighting, the slow-motion sweat, the way the camera lingers on muscles in a way that feels very MTV.
The plot of American Anthem isn't exactly reinventing the wheel. Steve Tevere was a football star who quit because of a family tragedy involving his father. He turns to gymnastics—because that’s what you do when you’re brooding in the mid-80s—and meets Julie Thompson, played by Janet Jones. Julie is the "serious" gymnast who moves to Arizona to train at a world-class facility. They fall in love, they train, they deal with a coach who yells a lot, and eventually, they head to the championships.
It sounds simple. It is simple. But the execution is where things get weirdly intense. The movie treats every single routine like it’s a life-or-death battle. There’s a scene where Mitch Gaylord’s character works out on a makeshift high bar in a dusty barn. It’s supposed to be gritty and "Rocky-esque," but it’s mostly just Mitch doing incredible stunts while looking very lonely.
Real Athletes, Real Stunts, Questionable Acting
One thing you have to give American Anthem credit for: the gymnastics are actually incredible. Nowadays, we’d use a lot of CGI or clever editing to hide a stunt double’s face. In 1986, they just hired the best guys in the world. Mitch Gaylord was a legitimate superstar. He was the first American to score a perfect 10.0 in the Olympics. When he’s on the rings or the high bar in the movie, that is really him.
The "Gaylord Flip" is a real thing. Look it up.
However, being a world-class athlete doesn't always translate to being a world-class actor. Mitch is... fine. He’s likable enough. But he spends a lot of the movie staring off into the distance. Janet Jones, who later became famous as Mrs. Wayne Gretzky, does a decent job as the romantic interest, but the script doesn't give her much to do besides look worried and do some floor routines.
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The supporting cast is a "who’s who" of "hey, I know that guy." You’ve got Michelle Phillips from The Mamas & the Papas playing the mom. She brings a bit of actual weight to the family drama scenes, which, to be fair, are the weakest part of the film. The movie is at its best when it stops trying to be a family drama and starts being a sports spectacle.
That 80s Soundtrack and the "Training Montage" Problem
You cannot talk about American Anthem without talking about the music. It’s the backbone of the entire experience. John Parr—the "St. Elmo’s Fire" guy—did the title track. It’s called "Two Hearts," and it is the most 1986 song you will ever hear in your life.
The movie is basically one giant training montage.
Seriously. There are stretches where dialogue just disappears and we get five minutes of athletes spinning in slow motion to synth-pop. For some people, this is a bug. For others, it’s a feature. If you grew up in that era, it’s pure nostalgia fuel. If you’re watching it for the first time in 2026, it feels like a fever dream.
Why did they do this? Because music videos were the dominant language of the decade. Footloose, Flashdance, Dirty Dancing—these were the hits. The studios realized that if you had a hit single, the movie was basically a commercial for the record, and vice versa. American Anthem tried to follow that blueprint perfectly. It just forgot that those other movies had slightly more compelling scripts.
Why the Critics Hated It (And Why It Flopped)
When it came out, the critics were brutal. Roger Ebert basically said it was a movie made of spare parts from other, better movies. It currently sits with a pretty dismal score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The main complaint? It was too earnest. By 1986, the "rah-rah" patriotism of the early 80s was starting to wear thin for some. People wanted something with a bit more bite. American Anthem was unapologetically sincere. It believed in the power of the American Dream and the idea that if you just practiced your iron cross enough, your dad would finally love you.
It also suffered from bad timing. It came out in June, right in the middle of a crowded summer movie season. It got crushed by blockbusters and disappeared from theaters pretty quickly. But then, something interesting happened. It found a second life on VHS and cable.
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Gymnasts loved it. Coaches used it to get kids excited. For a whole generation of male gymnasts, Mitch Gaylord was the ultimate cool guy. He made a sport that was often dismissed as "feminine" look incredibly athletic and masculine. That’s a legacy that the box office numbers don’t show.
The Technical Reality: Breaking Down the Routines
If you ignore the plot and just look at the sports choreography, the movie is actually a technical achievement. They used innovative camera rigs to follow the gymnasts through the air. You get angles that you didn't even see in the televised Olympic coverage.
- The High Bar sequences were filmed with multiple cameras to capture the speed.
- The lighting in the final competition was designed to mimic the "gold" glow of a championship arena.
- The sound design—the "whoosh" of the air, the "thud" of the mat—was cranked up to 11 to make it feel visceral.
Even the injuries in the movie are handled with a weird amount of technical detail. When a gymnast "pips" or misses a grip, the movie shows the physical toll it takes. It’s not just "oh, I fell," it’s "my hands are shredded and my shoulder is out of socket." That grit helped balance out the cheesy synth-pop.
The Cultural Impact: A Time Capsule of 1986
Watching American Anthem now is like opening a time capsule. You’ve got the high-waisted leotards. The feathered hair. The tiny gym shorts. It’s a visual feast of 80s aesthetics. But beyond the fashion, it captures a specific American mood. It was a time of "Go for the Gold."
The movie also touches on the pressure of elite sports. While it doesn't go as deep as modern documentaries like Athlete A, it does show the grueling nature of the training. Julie's character is constantly told she’s not good enough, not fast enough, not focused enough. It’s a glimpse into the "win at all costs" mentality that defined that era of gymnastics.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Film
People often lump American Anthem in with "so bad it's good" movies. I don't think that’s quite right. It’s not a "Plan 9 from Outer Space" situation. It’s actually a very well-made movie from a technical standpoint. The cinematography is beautiful. The editing is sharp.
The problem is the tone. It’s so incredibly dramatic about everything. A scene where someone is making a sandwich is shot with the same intensity as the final vault. It’s exhausting. But that’s also its charm. It’s a movie that takes itself 100% seriously, and there’s something kind of respectable about that.
Where Can You Watch It Today?
Tracking down American Anthem can be a bit of a hunt. It’s not always on the big streaming platforms like Netflix or Max. You can usually find it for rent on Amazon or Apple TV. Sometimes it pops up on YouTube or Tubi. If you’re a physical media collector, the DVD is out there, but don't expect a 4K Criterion collection release anytime soon.
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It’s worth the $3.99 rental fee just to see the final competition sequence. It’s genuinely thrilling, even if you know exactly how it’s going to end.
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Buffs and Athletes
If you're going to dive into the world of 80s sports cinema, don't go in expecting The Godfather. Go in for the vibes. Here is how to actually enjoy the experience:
Watch the "Gaylord 2" on YouTube first. Before you see the movie, watch the actual footage of Mitch Gaylord at the 1984 Olympics. Seeing what he could do in real life makes his performance in the movie much more impressive. You’ll realize he wasn't just an actor playing a gymnast; he was a legend playing a version of himself.
Pay attention to the cinematography. Look at how Albert Magnoli uses light. The way he shoots the gym in the early morning is genuinely pretty. It’s a masterclass in how to make a low-budget sports movie look like a million bucks.
Don't skip the soundtrack. If you like 80s rock, the soundtrack is a gold mine. Beyond the main hits, there are some deep cuts by artists like Mr. Mister and Graham Nash. It’s the ultimate "get motivated" playlist.
Look for the cameos. There are several real-life gymnastics coaches and athletes in the background of the competition scenes. If you’re a fan of the sport, it’s like a game of "Where’s Waldo" for the gymnastics world.
Understand the context. Remember that this came out in a pre-internet world. For many kids, this movie was the only way they could see high-level gymnastics outside of the four-year Olympic cycle. It was a gateway to the sport for thousands of people.
In the end, American Anthem is a relic. It’s a snapshot of a time when we thought sports movies could be music videos and that Olympic gold was the answer to every family problem. It’s cheesy, it’s loud, and it’s very, very 80s. Honestly, we could probably use a little more of that sincerity today. Just maybe with a slightly better script.