Are You Ready for Some Football (Movies)?

For years, producing a football film has been a surefire way to capitalize on America’s pigskin-obsessed culture. Considering that the professional and collegiate football seasons have both recently started, interest in the exploits of Hollywood’s fictional athletes is at its annual peak. Here are a bunch of football-themed films that run the gamut from good (the touchdowns) to bad (the fumbles).

Touchdowns

“North Dallas Forty.” A film that has been largely forgotten since its release nearly 40 years ago, “North Dallas Forty” is a unique and surprisingly well-acted look at a Dallas Cowboys-esque football franchise.

“Friday Night Lights.” Even though the legacy of this film probably exceeds its actual merit, Peter Berg’s “Friday Night Lights” is an intelligent film centered around the obsessive culture of high school football in Texas. Based on a 1990 nonfiction book by H.G. Bissinger, this film also spawned a critically acclaimed television show of the same name.

“The Longest Yard.” Prison has never been so much fun. Adam Sandler and Chris Rock would do their best to ruin this film with an uninspired remake in 2005.

Field Goals

“Rudy.” It’s overly sentimental and often downright gooey, but David Anspaugh’s tale of overachieving Notre Dame football player Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger is earnest enough to avoid becoming pure cheese.

“Remember the Titans.” Much like “Rudy,” “Remember the Titans” is well-made, but tends to overplay its sentimentality. Some of the acting by the high school players is downright awful, which is amplified when they share the screen with veterans like Denzel Washington and Will Patton.

“Varsity Blues.” While probably not as good as it could have been, James “Dawson’s Creek” Van Der Beek’s first starring role is a breezy ride through a high school football season. The in-game action is far more believable than you’d expect it to be.

“Necessary Roughness.” It’s easily one of the dumbest sports films of the 90s, but “Necessary Roughness” wears its silly premise like a badge of honor. Good for a few laughs.

Fumbles

“Any Given Sunday.” Al Pacino was parodying himself at this point in his career and therefore spends most of the film’s (lengthy) 160 minutes screaming randomly at the other actors in a vain attempt to recapture his former prestige.

“Two for the Money.” Pacino drops the ball again in this sleepy and uninvolving football gambling flick. The biggest problem with “Two for the Money” is that the film’s degenerate characters completely avoid any repercussions for their actions.

“The Game Plan.” Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson doesn’t belong in any film in which he is unwittingly thrust into childcare. And yet he’s made four films of this nature: “The Game Plan,” “Race to Witch Mountain,” “Tooth Fairy,” and the upcoming “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.” Go figure.

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