CONCUSSION (Rated PG-13)

A movie about an immigrant doctor’s discovery of the connection between American football and the severe neurological problems brought on by repetitive head trauma is not exactly cheerful holiday fare.

But, at least, “Concussion” allows the deft portrayal by Will Smith of the reluctant, nuanced medical crusader Dr. Bennet Omalu, who believed so passionately that his breakthrough in the field of forensic pathology could save lives of football players.

It must be granted that “Concussion,” however, has the fortuitous good timing of landing in theaters just in time for the nearly endless parade of college football bowl games and the upcoming NFL playoffs.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is probably not too thrilled with Hollywood’s treatment of this serious issue, considering for one thing that the direction of “Concussion” is in the hands of investigate journalist Peter Landesman, doing double duty as the film’s writer.

Additionally, Goodell may be equally displeased to be portrayed on film by Luke Wilson, whose screen time, though limited, generates no real emotional impact other being another proverbial corporate honcho of dubious moral character.

“Concussion” has an important story to tell for the simple reason that the issue of the health risks to pro players has been percolating in recent years. Will Smith, coming across with naïve yet principled conviction, is the right fit to infuse Dr. Omalu with credibility.

By all indications, Dr. Omalu is a highly educated forensic pathologist from Nigeria who seems overly qualified to be working in the Pittsburgh morgue for the Allegheny County Coroner Dr. Cyril Wecht (Albert Brooks).

Possessed of idiosyncratic tendencies, Dr. Omalu is perceived to be somewhat eccentric by his fellow medical colleagues as he talks to the cadavers while conducting autopsies. His stated reason for this behavior is to intuit the truth of a person’s demise.

Conducting his medical examination on retired Pittsburgh Steelers star center and local sports hero Mike Webster (David Morse), Dr. Omalu reportedly discovers a football-related brain trauma disorder that he names Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).

Granted that I am no medical expert, but it seems to me that awareness of repeated blows to the head have been known for some time to cause permanent damage, both mental and physical, to professional boxers, and by extension to any sport involving physical contact above the neck. 

The story of Mike Webster takes on special meaning in a community like Pittsburgh where the Steelers are widely revered. Dr. Wecht observes to his Nigerian pathologist that the NFL has claimed Sunday as the day of the week that it owns, thereby upping the stakes to any challenge to the prevailing orthodoxy of football supremacy.

Then, it comes as no surprise that Dr. Omalu’s research into game-related brain injuries was certain to stir passions on both sides of the issue, with certain interests trying desperately to discredit the pathologist’s clinical studies.

That Mike Webster, known as “Iron Mike,” who died of an alleged heart attack at age 50, had suffered from severe dementia and was living in his pickup truck at the time of death proved to be merely the beginning of medical fascination to Dr. Omalu.

Other famous cases of CTE include Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Andre Waters and Chicago Bears defensive back Dave Duerson. The characterization of the latter in this film has drawn fire from family members.

Aside from support from the Coroner, Dr. Omalu had few allies in his quest to bring his research into the public light. Alec Baldwin’s Dr. Julian Bailes, a former team physician for the Steelers, joined the cause after realizing the risks to players formerly in his care.

Playing his role with quiet intensity, Will Smith’s Dr. Omalu may be unorthodox in his approach to medical science but his quest for truth is a matter of personal ethics and professional duty.

“Concussion” works best when the focus is on the doctor’s good works and his interaction with medical colleagues, whether they are hostile or favorable to his efforts.

The film gets bogged down a bit in his personal life story, one that lacks much excitement until his church persuades him to provide temporary shelter to new Nigerian immigrant Prema Mutiso (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), who later becomes his wife.

Not that going up against the powers that be in the NFL is any easy task worthy of focused attention, but the story veers off into a subplot of intrigue in which on one occasion Prema finds that she is being followed ominously on back roads. Moreover, Dr. Wecht gets arrested by federal agents on what looks like retaliation.

In the end, Will Smith stands out in a cast with many excellent performances, but “Concussion” leaves the impression that the conflict with the NFL could have been even more pronounced than as it is portrayed.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.