Every week at SiftPop.com, we challenge our writers to choose what they think is the best movie under a certain topic related to a recent release. So this week, with the release of Home Team, we’re counting down our favorite American football movies! Let us know @SiftPop what your ranking is!
I will shoot it straight with you, I couldn’t care less for American football, or rugby. Just not my thing. So when I saw this week’s BEC topic, I thought to myself, “Great, another one I will have to skip.” Luckily, I’ve spotted Any Given Sunday on the list. I won’t lie, I’ve only seen it once and that was at least 12 years ago now, but I still remember how much fun I had with that film. Cameron Diaz in her prime, director Oliver Stone’s last “truly” great film for a while, young Jamie Foxx before he became “The Jamie Foxx” we all know… but most importantly, Al Pacino is in his most Pacino mode (shouty acting!) possibly ever. Any Given Sunday made a film about American football interesting to me, and not only that, I loved it! And the movie is almost three hours long! Talk about the power of the cinema. I think this movie is not discussed enough and it gets short-shrifted because of its length or the fact Al might shout a bit too much at times. But hey, you can’t break eggs without having an omelette right? Wait… (Luke Burian)
I swear, McG has one of the oddest careers in Hollywood. His collection of work ranges so widely, I am often bouncing between complete surprise he was attached to the movie to that of-course-he-was feeling because he is seemingly everywhere. All this to say, he directed We Are Marshall, a relatively sobering biographical sports drama depicting the aftermath of a devastating moment in Marshall University’s history. And I believe he handled the material pretty well. I think movies about sports, in this case American football, have a really unique ability to tap into a deep feeling in all of us. There is a connection to the underdog aspect of the team — an inherent will to see them succeed in some fashion. And when they do, it’s a pure moment of joy for them. I think that feeling is magnified by having those feelings put in a movie based around real events, watching a depiction of what actually happened come to life. It brings out the humanity in us all. On top of it all, Matthew McConaughey is giving a heartfelt and strong lead performance. Matthew Fox and Anthony Mackie also deliver strong, emotionally centered performances. We Are Marshall isn’t breaking any barriers, but it delivers on its promise of having you believe in the strength of our fellow man. We can all use that from time to time. (Nashua Doll)
Could Concussion be one of the most important football movies ever? The subject of head injuries in football is a touchy subject; however, it’s something that needs to be addressed for long-term health ramifications. Will Smith plays Dr. Bennet Omalu who, in real life, discovered the link between repeated head injuries and long term brain damage. His accent aside, Smith plays Dr. Omalu beautifully and shows how greed and protecting the shield became more important than player safety. Concussion sports an all-star cast of great acting talent that matches the real life gravity of the discovery of the long-term health ramifications of playing football. This is a David versus Goliath story of how far Dr. Omalu was willing to go in order to reveal the truth and potentially saved thousands of lives while taking on the powerful National Football League. (Mike Hilty)
I grew up 15 minutes from Philadelphia… so talking about Invincible was probably prophetic, right? I grew up a Giants fan (like Elizabeth Banks’ Janet in the film), which meant I was not popular. I could not escape Philly fan landscape. But what if an Eagles fan became a player? That is the story of Vince Papale! Mark Wahlberg leads the way as Vince (who happens to look NOTHING like him, but what else is new?) as this football underdog who lived the dream. This period drama has the football, the love story, and all the dad rock to make a fun and enjoyable experience along the way. Nothing quite feels as epic as a football game montage to Ted Nugent’s “Strangehold.” Mix all of that with plenty of heart, and Invincible gives you a memorable and worthwhile sports movie experience. (Shane Conto)
There are plenty of names from the genesis of American Football that reverberate to this day, from Jim Thorpe to John Heisman, whose names are held in high regard. This week, I watched yet another movie I had not seen with another name whom the fans of Notre Dame likely could fit the bill: Knute Rockne, All American. Holding the highest win percentage of any major college football coach ever, this story tells of a man who immigrated as a child and discovered a love for the “greatest game ever,” and how he helped develop it into the national pastime, and Notre Dame into the powerhouse, that it is today. It shows its age in a few ways, namely with a plot that could be more complex, but how it often transitions in between shots during games and practice is very clever and makes this a fun movie to watch. It also has one of the most iconic moments in film where young actor Ronald Reagan as George Gipp asks him to tell the team someday to “win one for the Gipper” (I wonder what else this Reagan got up to). So if you’re like me and enjoy the pageantry of college football, this movie is nothing short of a must-watch. (Joseph Davis)
As a lifelong, long-suffering Chicago Bears fan, Brian’s Song was on the list of shame for me until just a few years back. The TV movie chronicles the friendship that developed between teammates Brian Piccolo and Hall of Famer Gale Sayers that takes a tragic turn. The teammates also hold the distinction of being the first interracial roommates in the NFL. TV movies historically have gotten a bad rap, and this 1971 film debuted long before the modern blurring of film versus TV actors. That makes it more impressive that names like James Caan and Billy Dee Williams are in the lead, though it came before their breakouts in The Godfather and Star Wars, respectively. The story also gets some extra authenticity from the fact Bears players and coaches help fill out the cast. That’s not always a plus, but both Piccolo and Sayers are beloved members of the franchise, and here it’s more a signal to me of how respected the pair were. The Bears to this day hand out The Brian Piccolo Award annually to a rookie and veteran on the team that best demonstrates “the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication, and sense of humor” of Piccolo. The care put into the production results in a film worthy of five Primetime Emmys and one that’s able to successfully pull on the heartstrings for an emotionally wrought experience. (Jake Bourgeois)
It’s become a popular cliché to describe a coach that players will give their all for as someone they’d, “run through a wall for.” There are few movie coaches, regardless of sport, that better fit that description than Denzel Washington’s Herman Boone in Remember the Titans. From the Gettysburg speech to the story about taking care of his family, he’s a master motivator. The movie tells the true story of a Virginia high school football team in 1971 that tries to overcome various obstacles after the school, and therefore the team, are integrated. The social obstacles are clear, as the team has to overcome racism from their own community, the refs, and their opponents. Even more intriguing are the struggles they go through internally. There’s the struggle between Boone and his top assistant coach and former head coach of the all-white team (Will Patton), up for the Virginia High School Hall of Fame. Then there’s the struggle of trying to get the players to come together and overcome their biases. The young talent in this film is unbelievable, including: Ryan Gosling, Donald Faison, Kate Bosworth, and Hayden Panettiere. The cast, from the players to the coaches create moment after moment of movie magic, including one of the best uses of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” Is it a little Disney-fied? Sure. Do I care? Not one bit. (Jake Bourgeois)
Friday Night Lights might be the best football movie ever made. Not saying that it’s the best movie ever made that happens to be about football, but specifically the best football movie ever made. The depth in which they go into the process of creating a competitive football team is astounding. The rigorous portrayal of practice, the physical injuries players sustain and how they impact their career, and some really hard-hitting football action truly sets this picture apart. It also tells a fascinating story about rural small town individuals who have dreams of something bigger, while feeling stuck in the community in which they were raised, creating the feeling that football is one of the only outlets to “escape.” Couple this with some pretty powerful performances from Billy Bob Thornton and a handful of younger actors, and a really moving soundtrack by the band Explosions in the Sky, and you have something special. I thoroughly enjoy this movie, and would recommend it to any sports fan. (Heath Lynch)
Jerry Maguire is a movie so quotable that it will take everything in my being to avoid using some cringe-inducing BEC-themed variation on one of the film’s iconic lines, but with that said, show me the BEC! (Darn it!!) Classic one-liners aside, Jerry Maguire is such a likable and easily recommendable movie. It is hard to imagine anyone actively disliking Jerry Maguire. Even if you are typically not a fan of sports movies, Jerry Maguire’s choice to focus on a sports agent rather than an athlete or a coach makes this an engaging watch for even the most sports-illiterate moviegoers. Tom Cruise delivers a genuinely great dramatic performance as our title character, Renee Zellweger is wonderful as always, and even though I’ll never forgive him for stealing Edward Norton’s Oscar for Primal Fear, I have to admit that Cuba Gooding Jr. is giving a fantastically high-energy performance. Jerry Maguire is a delightful watch, and I could continue telling you about how its wide-ranging appeal makes it one of the easiest films to recommend, but I know what you all are thinking. “Shut up. Just shut up. You had me at BEC.” (Foster Harlfinger)
Stories in which a person shows great determination to achieve a nearly impossible goal are inspiring, and even more so when they are based on actual events. In Rudy, the titular character has always wanted to play college football for Notre Dame — the issue lies in his learning disability and lack of talent in said sport. Directed by David Asspaugh of Hoosiers fame, he truly knows how to weave a story of inspiration and hope when telling the story of Rudy. Sean Astin is very endearing as the main character and an excellent choice for filling this role. Despite his small stature, the heart of the character shines through Astin’s performance brightly. The cast is quite notable with performances provided by Jon Favreau, Ned Beatty, Charles S. Dutton, and Lili Taylor, to name a few. Whether you enjoy character-driven dramas or enjoy the game of football, there is something for all audiences in this biopic. (Joe Vargas)
The Blind Side
Sandra Bullock’s Oscar-winning role as Leigh Anne Tuohy is front and center of this football classic. The Blind Side is about former NFL offensive lineman Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) and his struggles with poverty and homelessness, until Tuohy and her family take him in simply because it’s the right thing to do to. What I like about The Blind Side is the relationships that Oher builds with all the members of the Tuohy family, particularly his little brother S.J. (Jae Head). Also, the mutual feeling of positive change that is felt between Oher and the Tuohys makes this feel less like a charity case and more like two people helping one another out and bringing out the best in each other. There are some book- and real-life-to-screen adaptation issues according to Oher himself, but this is still an enjoyable movie about how high school football helps people succeed and how having a big heart makes for life changing events. The fact that the casting got so many college football coaches (six high profile ones) in the movie was an accomplishment within itself. (Mike Hilty)
Varsity Blues
I’m not so big on sports films, but Varsity Blues is my first favorite. It didn’t just deal with football. It’s the story of Jonathan “Mox” Moxon (James Van Der Beek), who’s dissatisfied in life, ready to leave West Canaan, Texas behind. But he gets thrown into the spotlight as the new star quarterback of his high school after the first string quarterback gets hurt during a game and while dealing with their verbally abusive, controlling coach, Bud Kilmer (Jon Voight), who doesn’t take losing as an option. It’s a good coming-of-age story, showing the pressures of adolescence and trying to find yourself in a world where you don’t belong but come a part of. The picture isn’t giving anything spectacular, but it’s a fun ride with the melodramatics like any ‘90s teenage flick. Voight definitely makes you hate him as Coach Kilmer, and Van Der Beek keeps up with Voight with his suitable performance. Scott Caan is funny as Tweeder, the comedic relief. The other performances from everyone are so-so, but the feature is still entertaining. Also, I found out another way of eating an ice cream sundae, but I wouldn’t recommend it. With some memorable scenes, your typical ‘let’s be hero’ speech, and a killer soundtrack, Varsity Blues is the average sports movie. (Chantal Ashford)
Little Giants
Growing up in the ‘90s, there weren’t comic book movies coming out five to 10 times a year. But what we did get were sports themed kids’ movies. I was a huge nerd (I know, shocking), so these movies helped me fit in with my sports-loving friends and understand the finer points of sports. I learned about hockey from The Mighty Ducks, baseball from Rookie of the Year, soccer from The Big Green, and football I learned from the Rick Moranis classic Little Giants. The New York Giants were my family’s favorite team, which made the movie feel like home, but also, it’s about a group of nerds and socially awkward kids wanting to have fun playing a sport they aren’t good at, and that’s why I really fell in love with it. Little Giants is your typical underdog story where the misfits must win a game against the athletic bullies of their town in order to be included. Rick Moranis and Ed O’Neil are the coaches of each team and are the perfect bickering brothers with a rivalry that drives the story. This movie is so funny, and after a recent watch with my kids, holds up surprisingly well for a ‘90s family movie. The jokes are cheesy, but memorable, as well as very quotable with a certain amount of nostalgic charm that those of us old enough can appreciate. Thanks to Little Giants, I know that it’s cheating to put tar on your gloves, what a lateral pass is, and that football is 80% mental and 40% physical… Go sports! (Nick Ferro)
The Replacements
I’ve been on a Keanu kick for the last few weeks, and I’m loving every second of it, because this guy gave me some of the most lasting films of my childhood. So let’s dive into the early 2000s hit that is The Replacements! Did you ever think you would see Jon Favreau spear multiple people on a football field? How about Orlando Jones describing a method of cheating that would make deflating footballs look as simple, as… doing something to an elephant? How about Reeves and Gene Hackman teaming up for some of the greatest lines ever? Well, The Replacements is here for you. This film brought together some of the biggest stars and some of the best up-and-comers that you have ever seen! Multiple renditions of “I Will Survive” are the capstone to this hit and why everyone needs to watch it at some point. (Matt Lawson)
The Waterboy
There are plenty of brilliant movies about football, but none are more quotable than The Waterboy. Adam Sandler’s first football movie came at the height of what many consider Sandler’s best work. The Waterboy continued that trend of being a top tier ‘90s movie. Every character is memorable and stands out for one reason or another. Front and center is Sandler’s Bobby Boucher. Boucher, with his unique accent and backwater upbringing, makes him endearing to audiences, as it becomes evident that his Mama (Kathy Bates) has warped his perception of reality. Bobby finds himself with the talent of using his pent up anger to dominate on the defensive side of the ball, which already sets itself apart. It is not often the main character of a sports movie plays defense, but here, it creates a series of memorable funny images like a team of Henry Winklers singing “Water sucks” and Kathy Bates as a quarterback. As far as the culture zeitgeist, no football movie has given more to the world. It is not uncommon for someone to spout, “Football is the devil” or some variation and my personal favorite, “Oh no, we suck again.” But for all the good comes the bad, this movie has also cursed us with forever hearing “You can do it.” Despite endless Rob Schneider impressions, The Waterboy is easily in the discussion for best ever football movie. (Scott Batchelor)
The Longest Yard (2005)
The 2005 film, The Longest Yard is an Adam Sandler remake of a 1974 Burt Reynolds movie of the same name. The movie tells the story of Paul Crewe (Sandler), a down-and-out football superstar who, after a drunk driving accident, winds up in a Texas Prison. Warden Hazen (James Cromwell) arranged for Crewe to end up at his prison in order to help the prison guard football team, Crewe then comes up with the idea for the guards to play the inmates as a warm-up game for the guards. As expected from the synopsis, insanity and hilarity ensue with an all-star cast of Reynolds, Chris Rock, Terry Crews, Nelly, Tracy Morgan, Steve Austin, and many more. I have only ever seen this version, and it may not be one of Happy Madison’s best Sandler movies, but it still is an excellent watch. The chemistry between all the actors feels genuine, and even if you don’t enjoy football, there are some excellent scenes during the big game and practices leading up to it. (Austen Terry)
The Game Plan
Sports movies have never been my thing, but when The Game Plan came out I checked it out, and it seemed like a good heartwarming Disney movie starring The Rock. The movie tells the story of all-star quarterback Joe Kingman (Dwayne Johnson), who is on his way to win the championship title for the Boston Rebels when one morning Peyton Kelly (Madison Pettis) shows up at his door claiming to be his daughter. Joe has to learn how to live his new life as a dad and as a football star; pretty quickly, and insanity and chaos ensue. Johnson and Pettis have amazing chemistry together and play off each other really well. This movie has remained in my top favorites since it came out because it can always make me laugh and cry. This is a great movie to watch if you’re a fan of sports movies and Disney. There’s a lot of Disney charm in it, and it’s a great film to watch with your family. This is yet another movie that got me liking Elvis music. (Austen Terry)
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