Here’s the scenario. You’ve read our feature on how to plan a film festival (or even just one night) dedicated to football and you need some ideas of what to show. We got you! These are some classic football flicks that are favorites around the SportsEvents office. Is your favorite on the list? Let us know what we should have included instead at editorial@sportseventsmediagroup.com
*According to the editors of SportsEvents magazine
| Movie | Genre | Year | Summary | Memorable Quote | Rating (out of 5) |
All the Right Moves |
Drama | 1983 | Before Top Gun, before Mission Impossible, maybe even before Scientology, Tom Cruise starred as Stefen Djordjevic in this powerful portrayal of a high school player looking to escape his dying steel mill town through football. | “You’re not God, Nickerson. You’re just a typing teacher.” | 4 |
Any Given Sunday |
Drama | 1999 | Featuring Al Pacino at his scenery-chewing best, this Oliver Stone-directed flick is an over-the-top look at the cutthroat world of pro football. It also stars Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, and Dennis Quaid.
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“On any given Sunday you’re gonna win or you’re gonna lose. The point is, can you win or lose like a man?” | 4 |
Rudy |
Biopic | 1993 | The OG of underdog movies, Rudy recounts the true story of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, who, despite his small size, dreamed of playing football for Notre Dame.
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“Chasing a stupid dream causes you and everyone around you heartache.” | 4 |
The Longest Yard |
Comedy/Action | 1974 | Forget the remake that Adam Sandler made in 2005, the original is far superior. Starring Burt Reynolds as a gum-chewing, wisecracking disgraced and imprisoned pro-footballer, this classic tells the tale of a hard-fought gridiron battle between prisoners and guards. | “Before this game is over, I want every prisoner in this institution to know what I mean by power, and who controls it.” | 4 |
Undefeated |
Documentary | 2011 | This inspirational film, which won the Best Documentary Feature award at the 2012 Oscars, documents the struggles of the Manassas Tigers, a perpetually losing team of inner-city youths in Memphis, Tennessee, as they try to overcome the odds. | “The character of a man is not measured in how he handles his wins, but what he does with his failures.” | 5 |
