What better way to celebrate the kickoff of football season than a Top 5 list to generate some reader feedback...
ALL-TIME TOP 5 FOOTBALL FILMS
5. Little Giants - I'd put it a notch below The Sandlot, but Giants definitely succeeds at entertaining viewers of all ages. Rick Moranis and Ed O'Neill deserve props.
4. Rudy - Classic.
3. Necessary Roughness - Not a perfect movie, but it does a good job of blending on-the-field action with off-the-field antics. Scott Bakula, Rob Schneider, Kathy Ireland, and Sinbad - talk about your dream-team lineup.
2. Any Given Sunday - Could easily have been #1 on my list, but it did run a little long and get a little ridiculous at times. Jamie Foxx warms up for future Oscar-nominated roles as the phenom QB "Steamin'" Willie Beamen. (My only question: Why didn't he throw more passes to TO?) The slo-mo rain storm scene rocked.
1. The Program - I've heard that college football players consider this the most realistic football movie ever made. I'm not sure if they're talking about the part when the star QB starts a bar fight, or when the juiced-up lineman smashes his head through a car window. In any case, this movie is the perfect combo of football and extracurricular action, with spot-on performances by James Caan, Omar Epps, Kristy Swanson, and Halle Berry.
Second String: The Waterboy, Friday Night Lights, Remember the Titans, School Ties, Varsity Blues
Cut during Training Camp: Air Bud 2: Golden Receiver, Angels in the Endzone [in truth, I haven't seen either of these movies]
Surprised that Jerry Maguire didn't make the cut? Pissed off because I didn't include The Replacements? Please share your thoughts below...
18 comments:
No mention of The Longest Yard?!? (I'm talking about the original, not the Chris Rock & Adam Sandler version.)
No mention of Lucas?!?
Little Giants ahead of Varsity Blues?!? Billy Bob would be pissed.
Worst of all, you forgot to mention Heaven Can Wait!!!
Respect the classics!
You also forgot Dawson's first football movie (before Varsity Blues) in which he was the mean bully. I forget the name...which is probably a good indication that it shouldn't have received a shout out.
This list sucks. In addition to Nick's suggestions - the original Longest Yard is kick ass - you also left out the Waterboy. LIttle Giants, while somewhat humorous, has no right to be on this list. Necessary Roughness is highly questionable as well. You also forgot that Knute Rockne movie starring former President Ronald Reagan.
Also, when Anthony Michael Hall was trying to shed his nerdy typecast (post Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, and Weird Science), he did a movie in which he was a highly recruited high school quarterback. According to P's Rule of Movie Analysis, any movie with AMH is good.
You also forgot Friday Night Lights num nuts
No mention of Wahlberg's recent movie as a walk-on receiver for the Jets?
I didn't see it, so I don't know if it was good. A shout out to Marky Mark would've been nice, though.
Listen Nick, it was called Invincible and it was the Eagles, not Jets. BTW, Pete, Halle Berry sucked in the Program
Who's Anonymous?
FNL is on his second string list.
Apparently, your brain is a little numb.
I'm talking top 5 jerk ass
Anonymous, I will hurl my mouse at you if you don't watch your language.
P, I think that fact that you named the three divisions in your fantasy league after things in ANY GIVEN SUNDAY and not THE PROGRAM shows that ANY GIVEN SUNDAY is a superior film. Not only did it have gritty football action, it had a number of hi-larious scenes, and showed the interesting side of old school vs. new school in the NFL, aging players trying to still make the cut, and how money in professional sports corrupts almost everything. "My name is Willie, Willie Beamen, I keep the ladies, screaming...". Plus, I know you loved the scene in the locker room where you get to see the big black guy's family jhram (as Borat would say).
Although THE PROGRAM was sick, and i love watching it, I can't see how you can argue that it is better than ANY GIVEN SUNDAY.
Just to throw it out there, we should talk about The Last Boy Scout. Admittedly, I saw it a long time ago, and football is a little bit of a side show in it, but I seem to remember a touchdown run aided by a handgun. Pretty intense.
Actually the line is "I keep the ladies creamin'", which adds further cred to the argument on behalf of AGS. Check out the clip on you tube by googling "my name is Willie".
North Dallas Forty. Just how I like my Nolte, straight up crotchety--my men in general, for that matter.
Hey, at least nobody claimed that the best football movie is "Bend It Like Beckham."
Good call P, while reading your post I totally forgot that football can refer to soccer outside the states. I don't know if I can even think of 5 soccer movies: 1. Bend it like Beckham 2. Kicking and Screaming 3. Shaolin Soccer 4. Airbud? 5. ???
I will say however that Keira Knightley looked pretty cute in Bend It Like Beckham, even though I think she was only 16 or 17 in that movie. The Indian girl was pretty cute too. I'm sure P found the guy coach of the girls team quite attractive also.
I just thought of a 5th soccer movie, LADYBUGS. I'm sure P will recommend that one...
the Big Green! (aka Mighty Ducks on a pitch)
Ladybugs? LADYBUGS???
...yes, yes I am going to recommend Ladybugs. Rodney Dangerfield, 'nuff said.
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