Lights, Camera, Play-Action: Tony Romo Hits The Big Screen

At least for one weekend … on the big screen.

The former Cowboys quarterback, and current lead NFL analyst for CBS, is the subject of the documentary “Now or Never: A Tony Romo Story,” which is showing at 7pm Thursday at the Dallas Video Fest and will run through Sunday at the Angelika Film Center & Café.

Now Or Never

“This is a guy who was breaking records from middle school to high school into college and then his incredible run from undrafted free agent to Dallas Cowboys quarterback, but he never won the big game,” said Chris Hanna, Now or Never director. “I’m thinking … why is there not a documentary about his life?”

So the 27-year-old director, while in his final semester of film school, set out on his path to make one.

A path that led him to interviews in Wisconsin, Illinois, Texas and many places in between en route to a feature-length film that may have turned out better than initially anticipated.

“Every time you start a project, obviously you hope for the best,” Hanna said. “But being a smaller fish in the film world … you never quite know.”

The film world answered any lingering concerns Hanna had with a thumbs up as the 95-minute flick has already been screened at film festivals in Rhode Island, New Mexico and his hometown of El Paso as well as being screened in Romo’s hometown of Burlington, Wis. - the latter of which included the featured subject in the audience.

Now or Never

“I think Chris did a great job with the film,” Romo told DallasCowboys.com. “I know how hard he worked and I’m proud of the way it turned out.”

But before getting to talk to Romo, Hanna had to study up on No. 9.

It started with a 2016 article in Texas Monthly written by Michael J. Mooney. That led Hanna to research about Romo’s family, starting with his grandfather Ramiro Romo, Sr., who started doing ranching work in Mexico at the age of 7.

“A lot of people think Tony is Italian,” Hanna said, “but he’s a Mexican-American and as a Mexican-American myself, I was really interested in that story.”

Talking with Romo’s inner circle shifted the focus of the story the film tells.

Tony Romo Now or Never

Hanna learned that Ramiro moved from Mexico to San Antonio while continuing to work and learn English before moving to Wisconsin, where he would meet his future wife and Romo’s grandmother. The El Paso filmmaker spoke with both of Romo’s grandparents, former basketball coaches, his best friend and several other relatives, gaining the attention and apparent admiration of his subject along the way.

“Tony loved our approach,” Hanna said. “About two months after we started he invited us out to his football camp for a one-hour interview. But then we got another one and another and another.”

As could be expected, the follow-up interviews delved into Romo’s upbringing.

“Tony grew up singing in Spanish all the time with his grandparents,” Hanna said. “That home was full of culture and music and they also had such amazing values and morals.”

Tony Romo Now or Never

Hearing the director gush over his subject isn’t surprising given Hanna is dyed in the silver and blue.

“I’ve been a Cowboys fan my whole life,” he said. “I grew up watching Romo; he was my quarterback. That’s one of the reasons I’m so excited to show this film here … it’s a dream come true.”

A dream that will continue next month as the run of Now or Never at the Angelika ends Sunday, but the documentary will be shown Nov. 13 at the AMC Palace Theater in Fort Worth as part of the Lone Star Film Festival.