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WE'RE SHARING OUR PLAYBOOK ON MUST-WATCH FOOTBALL FILMS
Week one of the NFL season is here at last! As a football fanatic, you'll be busy every Thursday night, Monday night, and all day Sunday for the next several months. As for the rest of your week, if you're still craving some gridiron action, we've got 11 football movies that belong in the huddle. Whether you're revisiting them, or catching them for the first time, they're all a must-watch in our playbook.
DRAFT DAY (2014)
Explosive action. Realistic in-camera gameplay. Dramatic locker room speeches. These are things you will not see in Draft Day, but before you throw the Challenge Flag, hear me out. Ivan Reitman's film focuses on Kevin Costner's character (Cleveland Browns GM Sonny Weaver) and the tumultuous day he sets in motion by trading away the number one pick in an effort to rebuild the team. What transpires is anything less than heart-pounding excitement.
Costner proves he's still the guy to lead a sports movie, as he juggles confrontations with Dennis Leary's snide head coach, Frank Langella's overbearing team owner, the players, his mother, and Jennifer Garner's salary cap analyst, who he's secretly dating. Draft Day provides enough twists and turns in its tightly paced story that it'll have you on the edge of your seat, whether or not you've seen it before.
THE LONGEST YARD (1974)
I have nothing against Adam Sandler's comedic 2005 remake. It's fun and has plenty of heart. But the best football movies have more grit than grins, which is why I choose to sit Sandler and start Reynolds. Before Burt Reynolds was driving an iconic Trans Am, he was driving the prison warden mad with his flippant behavior and lack of interest in football in The Longest Yard. When threatened with an extended sentence and hard labor, Paul "Wrecking" Crewe has no other choice, but to put the pads on once more.
The climatic game between the Guardsmen and The Mean Machines takes up nearly 40% of the movie, which allows for some truly great gameplay action. The lack of montages and music give you the feeling that you're watching a real game, and it certainly helps that the cast is made up of several former NFL players. Reynolds, himself, played halfback for the Florida State University Seminoles.
VARSITY BLUES (1999)
Plenty of football movies highlight the extreme pressure that players find themselves under, sometimes to an absurd level (L.A. Stallions' Billy Cole, anyone?). If you live in, or near Texas, you already know that the celebrity status showered upon players at the high school level is anything but unrealistic. Varsity Blues is the first entry on this list to focus on this phenomenon, led by Jon Voight's villainous coach and a bevy of up-and-coming young stars representing the MTV generation of the 90s.
When the star QB (Paul Walker) goes down with a broken leg on the field, all eyes turn to second-string Mox (Dawson's Creek era James Van Der Beek) to ensure the West Canaan Coyotes win their 23rd Division Title. The sudden spotlight offers drugs, drinking, strip clubs, and Ali Larter's memorable whip cream bikini. But much to the dismay of the deified coach, the team, the town, and his family, Mox would rather read Kurt Vonnegut than playbooks. Infused with dynamic cinematography and a soundtrack featuring the hottest bands of the time, this one is sure to find the end zone.
ANY GIVEN SUNDAY (1999)
Mox wasn't the only back-up QB to get thrust into the spotlight in 1999. As "Steaming" Willie Beaman, Jamie Foxx walks a fine line between protagonist and antagonist in Oliver Stone's look at what goes on behind the scenes of pro football. Determined to make his mark, Beaman showcases his dazzling ability to put points on the scoreboard, opting to call his own plays, much to the chagrin of Al Pacino's out-of-touch head coach. Any Given Sunday let's us watch two dramas unfold onscreen; Jamie Foxx struggling to earn the support of his teammates while fighting to keep the starting job, and Al Pacino struggling to earn Foxx's trust and loyalty while fighting with ownership to keep his job.
In the 90s, Oliver Stone's films, with few exceptions, had a surreal look to them. Layered images and sounds created dream-like sequences (think Natural Born Killers, or U-Turn) that allowed us to get inside the head of his characters and know what they were thinking, or feeling. Al Pacino's Tony D'Amato isn't the inspirational father-figure to follow, despite his iconic locker room speech. His self-serving determination does little to battle his inner-demons, but watching him face off against Cameron Diaz' icy team owner makes for great dramatic moments. Their battles in the head office are every bit as intense as the Miami Sharks' battles on the field.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (2004)
"Gentlemen. The hopes and dreams of an entire town are riding on your shoulders. You may never matter more than you do right now. It's time." Billy Bob Thornton's Coach Gains sets the level of expectation, and reminds us that high school football in the state of Texas is bigger than the game, itself. It's a religion. Based on a true story, Friday Night Lights takes a close look at the Permian High Panthers and all the hardships they struggle with in a small town. Season-ending injuries, abusive parenting (Tim McGraw's film debut is fiery), and living up to unreasonable expectations are the easy part. The hard part? Winning State.
For all the darkness the film eludes to as life as a high school football player, it never abstains from the central message of hope. Hope is a powerful thing. Sometimes, it's the only thing. And in the case of the Panthers, it's what drives them. It's what makes teammates brothers, and turns a community into family. The final play of the championship game will break your heart. It's okay to cry. I sure did.
WILDCATS (1986)
We have great football movies about teams, about players, even about GMs (see our first pick above) and every now and then, we get a fun one about a coach. Enter Goldie Hawn in Wildcats. In the 80s, Goldie was the box office draw when it came to female comedic stars. As Molly, she plays a divorced mother of two with extensive knowledge and unbridled passion for the game of football. But when the high school football coaching job opens up, she's quickly dismissed by her misogynistic colleagues and reminded she's better off continuing to coach female track.
Determined to prove herself, she accepts the offer to coach an unruly group of foul-mouthed, undisciplined players at an inner-city high school. Leading the team's resentment for her are Wesley Snipes, and Woody Harrelson making their feature film debuts. The Wildcats are tough, but Molly's will is tougher. While the story isn't anything particularly new (even in '86), it's still fun to see an empowered Hawn win the respect of her team, see a young LL Cool J rapping at the school dance, and laugh out loud at the film's crude dialogue and suggestive quotes. If you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about. "Let's eat some..."
INVINCIBLE (2006)
Suspension of disbelief is the logic we employ when watching most movies if we want to enjoy them. The idea that a 30-year old bartender from South Philadelphia, who never played college ball, could walk onto open try-outs and make a pro team is outlandish. However, in 1976, that's exactly what happened when Vince Papale took advantage of Philadelphia Eagles coach Dick Vermeil's open try-outs. A football movie based on a true story? Touchdown!
Mark Walberg stars as the down-on-his-luck Papale. He's lost his job, and his wife has left him. With nothing to lose, he defies the odds by getting invited to the Eagles training camp. He does it again, when he makes the team. Invincible checks all the boxes for an inspirational sports movie. We get a highly likeable underdog, impossible odds, heartfelt moments with friends and family, and not to mention some fantastic football action. You want to play pro football for you favorite team? You might be past your prime, but Invincible will make you think it's possible. Because for Vince Papale, it was.
RUDY (1993)
We can't talk about inspirational, "based on a true story" football movies without #45 at the line of scrimmage. Charles S. Dutton's groundskeeper character, Fortune, reminds us that Rudy is "5 feet nothing... a hundred and nothing... with hardly a speck of athletic ability" and this is the one guy that's actually in Rudy's corner, while everyone else, including his family, isn't. In the title role, Sean Astin shows us what it takes to fiercely follow your dreams and never take no for an answer.
Loveable underdogs from 50s-60s era small towns aren't new territory for director David Anspaugh and writer Angelo Pizzo. Before working together on Rudy, they delivered what I feel is the greatest basketball movie of all time, Hoosiers, in 1986. Here again, they craft a story that pulls us in, builds our hope, and worries us that our lead character won't succeed, despite knowing the real Rudy Ruettiger did. When the team carries him off the field in celebration, we're every bit as proud and emotional as Ned Beatty.
NORTH DALLAS FORTY (1979)
Pain is part of the game. If you've ever played a set of downs, you know this. Watching the opening few minutes of North Dallas Forty makes you feel it. Elliot (played by Nick Nolte) could not possibly be worse for wear when his alarm clock goes off. Still taped up from last night's game, nostrils packed with blood-soaked tissue, Nolte is incredibly convincing in his performance as he painfully struggles to raise his bruised body out of bed. As he medicates with prescription pills and beer, we get quick cuts of some incredible football plays showcasing the excruciating hits he took. Moments later, he's soaking in a bathtub, smoking a joint, and we get another quick cut to a spectacular touchdown catch he makes. His grimace gives way to grin and that's the moment we understand that living with chronic pain is a small price to pay for glory.
So many football movies have included the "wild party" scene, that it's become a trope. Drugs, excessive drinking, property damage, and irreparable treatment towards women are common elements. I have to think that North Dallas Forty is the blueprint that all others use. This football team parties in such a fashion you'd assume they all pledged Delta House with John Belushi. Nolte's character has more important things on his mind, however. As "the best hands in the league" in his 7th year, he's facing an uncertain future as a new era in football is taking shape that conflicts with his style of playing the game. North Dallas Forty may paint a dark picture of pro football, but it manages to deliver a satisfying conclusion.
REMEMBER THE TITANS (2000)
"Left side!" "Strong side!" Much of the movie's "true story" may be fictional, but the story of T.C. Williams High School's racially integrated football team coming together is one of the best football movies you can watch. Denzell Washington gives an electrifying performance as Coach Herman Boone that will break you down and build you back up stronger, much in the same way he does with the Titans football team.
The film takes good measure to address racism but never loses it's focus on football. At training camp, comedic moments in the mess hall give way to brutal 3-a day practices, forcing the team to learn about one another, and acknowledge their divisive behavior. What results is a unified team ready to hit the field and dominate all opponents. The friendship forged between Wood Harris and Ryan Hurst's characters will have you wanting more and wondering if Brian's Song is currently streaming anywhere (it's free on Tubi).
THE BEST OF TIMES (1986)
When asked what 1986 movie featuring a character named Dundee comes to mind, you're probably thinking Crocodile Dundee, right? Me? I'm thinking Jack Dundee, or as he refers to himself during foreplay with his wife, "Jack... Aquarius! Got to, got to, got to, got to satisfy!" Jack has a good job, a loving wife, and a beautiful home. So why is so unhappy? Twenty years ago, he dropped the damn ball!
The Best of Times is a hilarious redemption story about a man who convinces the entire town that replaying the game against their arch-rival from 20 years ago, in which he infamously dropped the winning touchdown pass, is the only way for Taft to rise out of lethargy. Robin Williams plays a terrific comedic foil to Kurt Russell's legendary star QB, Reno Hightower. Reno doesn't have much to show for in life, but he has his legacy as Taft's greatest high school football player. Is he willing to risk losing it? Will Jack finally catch that pass? You don't have to like football to love this movie. You just have to like laughing.
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