Concussion (2015 film)

Concussion poster

Concussion
Directed by	Peter Landesman
Written by	Peter Landesman
Produced by	Ridley Scott, Giannina Facio, David Wolthoff, Larry Shuman, Elizabeth Cantillon
Starring	Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Arliss Howard, Paul Reiser, Luke Wilson, Albert Brooks
Cinematography	Salvatore Totino
Edited by	William Goldenberg
Music by	James Newton Howard
Production companies	Scott Free Productions, The Shuman Company, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release dates	November  10, 2015 (2015-11-10) (AFI Fest) December  25, 2015 (2015-12-25) (United States)
Running time	123 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$35 million
Box office	$48.6 million

Concussion is a 2015 American biographical drama film directed and written by Peter Landesman, based on the exposé "Game Brain" by Jeanne Marie Laskas, published in GQ magazine. The film stars Will Smith as Dr. Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist who fought against efforts by the National Football League (NFL) to suppress his research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) brain degeneration suffered by professional football players.

Plot

The film follows Dr. Bennet Omalu, a Nigerian American forensic pathologist who discovers CTE in the brains of deceased NFL players. His research and findings bring him into conflict with the NFL, which attempts to discredit him and his work. The story highlights the struggles and challenges faced by Omalu as he seeks to bring awareness to the dangers of repeated head trauma in football.

Cast

• Will Smith as Dr. Bennet Omalu
• Alec Baldwin as Dr. Julian Bailes
• Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Prema Mutiso
• Arliss Howard as Dr. Joseph Maroon
• Paul Reiser as Dr. Elliot Pellman
• Luke Wilson as Roger Goodell
• Albert Brooks as Dr. Cyril Wecht

Production

The film was produced by Ridley Scott, Giannina Facio, David Wolthoff, Larry Shuman, and Elizabeth Cantillon. James Newton Howard composed the film's score, and Salvatore Totino was the cinematographer. The film was edited by William Goldenberg.

Release

Concussion premiered at the AFI Fest on November 10, 2015, and was released in the United States on December 25, 2015, by Columbia Pictures. The film received mixed to positive reviews from critics, with praise for Will Smith's performance but criticism for its pacing and script.

Reception

The film grossed $48.6 million worldwide against a budget of $35 million. Will Smith's portrayal of Dr. Bennet Omalu was widely praised, earning him nominations for several awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama.

See also

• Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
• National Football League controversies
• Sports-related concussions

External links

Concussion at IMDb