As America’s favorite game, football easily lends itself to dramas and comedies alike. Like the best sports movies, movies about football highlight the dedication athletics requires. Football movies often capture the high stakes of the game, and how beloved athletes can become by fans. Because football is a team sport, movies also often highlight the camaraderie that makes the sport so compelling to follow.
Some football movies, like Friday Night Lights, showcase how much high school football, in particular, is part of American life. Other movies, like Rudy, are based on the real stories of people who played the game and inspired people with their experiences. The best movies about football capture how inspiring the sport is to millions of fans. Additionally, these movies lend themselves to inspiring and thought-provoking stories.
Invincible is based on the career of Vince Papale (Mark Wahlberg). Papale was a wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1976-1978. The movie follows Papale’s unlikely career trajectory as he was drafted by the Eagles after responding to an open tryout organized by the team’s new coach. Invincible chronicles how profoundly Papale’s life was changed after having the unlikely chance to play professional football.
What makes Invincible such a compelling movie about football is the fact that it focuses on how accessible the sport can be at the best of times. Watching a man go from being a fan and casual football player to a professional athlete is as inspiring as it gets. Invincible also provides commentary on how important football is to working-class Americans in particular, and how so many can see themselves in their favorite teams and athletes.
August 25, 2006
Ericson Core
Brad Gann
Paper Lion is based on the novel of the same name by George Plimpton, which was based on Plimpton’s experiences trying out for the Detroit Lions. The movie stars Alan Alda as Plimpton and follows Plimpton’s unlikely and often hilarious journey to try to start a professional sports career. Plimpton eventually became a well-known journalist, and this idea to try out for the Lions was initially pitched as a story idea for him.
Paper Lion is a comedic look at the football tryout process and never takes itself seriously for a moment. This makes the story that much more fun to follow. Plimpton is painted as a charming character who would do whatever was necessary to write a compelling story. Paper Lion is particularly interesting if one knows about Plimpton’s journalistic career. This was an early example of the kind of journalism he became known for in that he actively participated in many of his stories.
October 23, 1968
107 minutes
Alex March
.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2)
Brian’s Song stars James Caan as Chicago Bears halfback Brian Piccolo, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The movie chronicles Piccolo’s friendship with Gale Sayers (Billy Dee Williams), a fellow player. The two were the first interracial roommates in the NFL. Throughout the story, Piccolo and Sayers become close friends who support one another through the challenges they face. Brian’s Song illustrates the fact that football is often so much more than just a game.
What makes Brian’s Song such a poignant football movie is the fact that it showcases the deep bonds that form between players. The fact that the movie focuses on this beautiful friendship makes it more than a simple movie about sports. Brian’s Song is notable because it highlights how much of a family football players can become. The movie shows how this love and support extends far beyond the football field.
Any Given Sunday is based on the 1984 novel of the same name by Pat Toomay, who played as a defensive end in the NFL. The movie stars Al Pacino as Tony D’Amato, the head coach of the fictional Miami Sharks. The title of the movie comes from a line of Tony’s in the book, which says any football team can win or lose on any given Sunday. The movie follows Tony as he coaches his struggling team and fights to get them to the top of their game.
Any Given Sunday also features several cameos from actual NFL players, which adds a layer of authenticity to the overall story. The movie represents a creative expansion for Oliver Stone, who uses this movie to showcase his ability to tell character-driven stories against different backdrops, which in this case means football. The movie is another example of one that highlights how universal football is in America, and how embedded the sport is in American culture.
All the Right Moves chronicles the story of Stefen Djordjevic (Tom Cruise), a high school defensive back who aims to be given a college scholarship to escape his small town. He has dreams of becoming an electrical engineer and avoiding a life working in the town’s mill like the rest of his family. All the Right Moves is ultimately a coming-of-age drama that captures the dreams of so many American high school athletes.
All the Right Moves is charming because it is so relatable. The movie’s premise is one that many people, whether they are football fans or not, can appreciate. Stefen’s restlessness and need to rely on football to escape a dreary future in his small town with little to offer. All the Right Moves offers viewers the opportunity to consider the tangible impacts football has had and continues to have on young people across the country.
October 21, 1983
91 minutes
Michael Chapman
The Replacements stars Keanu Reeves as quarterback Shane Falco. The movie is loosely based on the events surrounding the 1987 NFL strike. In the movie, a fictional professional football league experiences a player’s strike with only four games left in the season. Several replacement players are assembled based on the coach’s judgement alone. The Replacements is the story of a group of misfits who come together to win games.
What makes The Replacements such a compelling football movie is the fact that it emphasizes how people from all backgrounds with different skills can succeed at the game. The movie is a feel-good sports movie that captures so much about what makes football enjoyable to watch. While the movie could have done more to explore the implications of professional players being workers who need to protect their workers’ rights, it at least invites viewers to consider the issue.
August 11, 2000
118
Howard Deutch
The Waterboy features Adam Sandler as Bobby Boucher, a socially awkward man who works as the water boy for the University of Louisiana’s football team. The university’s team, coaching staff, and cheerleaders are all in complete disarray. Bobby fits in perfectly with this chaos, even as he’s bullied and disrespected by those around him. When the team’s coach recognizes Billy’s talent, Billy joins the team as an outside linebacker.
The Waterboy is an enjoyable football movie because Sandler is allowed to be his most chaotic self. Sandler uses his character to underline how wild football culture can be. In spite of the shenanigans Bobby causes, he’s strangely easy to love, like so many of Sandlers characters. As the story gets further from reality, it remains a charming reminder that so many fans love football since truly anything can happen.
November 6, 1998
90 Minutes
Frank Coraci
Rudy is based on the life of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger (Sean Astin), who always aspired to play football for Notre Dame. While he faced serious obstacles to realizing this dream, he never gave up. Rudy struggles academically and comes from a poorer family so is not eligible to play on the team. The movie follows Rudy’s quest to realize his football dream, and the friends he makes along the way who support him.
What makes Rudy such a heartwarming football movie is the fact that it portrays a character who is charming and relatable in his goal to play the game he loves so much. The movie doesn’t sugarcoat the struggles that Rudy faced in his working toward this dream. Instead, Rudy demonstrates the support that made these dreams achievable. The movie is ultimately a meditation on what makes sports so important to so many.
.jpeg?q=70&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1)
Friday Night Lights follows a high school football team in Texas that uses high expectations to fuel their season. The series is based on the book of the same name by H. G. Bissinger, which chronicled the experiences of a real high school football team. As the team featured in Friday Night Lights aimed to compete in the state championship, they faced numerous challenges. Along the way, they had to rely on one another and on their community.
What makes Friday Night Lights one of the best football movies of all time is the fact that it emphasizes how important it is to communities across America. The movie highlights everything that makes sports dramas, and football movies in particular, so compelling. Friday Night Lights is structured in such a way that makes it impossible not to cheer for this team as they fight to the end of the season. The movie also captures the special relationships that exist between teammates and how good coaches can be highly influential.
October 8, 2004
118 minutes
David Aaron Cohen
Remember the Titans is loosely based on the true story of coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington), who was tasked with integrating a high school’s football program. He faces immense challenges in bringing Black and white players together and making them a team. As the team learns to come together, they realize how strong they are. Remember the Titans is a feel-good portrait of a community that represented the larger crisis America was facing at this time.
Remember the Titans is a heartfelt and honest portrait of the power that football, and sports by extension, have over communities and individuals. The movie is a meditation on the fact that sports can bring people together even under the most unlikely circumstances. Remember the Titans is a classic sports movie that creates a compelling ensemble that is always worth cheering for. Additionally, Coach Boone’s leadership transcends football and is an inspiration for all.
September 29, 2000
113 minutes
Boaz Yakin
NEXT: 15 Best Basketball Movies Ranked: ‘He Got Game’ to ‘White Men Can’t Jump’
After Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen said he wasn't going to call it a spring game earlier this week, coach Matt Rhule went a step further."I highly dou
The 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl is scheduled to transpire this afternoon, as the American squad plays against the National squad. The all-star game will begin at
The 2025 Reese's Senior Bowl is set for Saturday afternoon at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the University of South Alabama's campus.This is more than just another
The Michigan Wolverines are reportedly going to miss on two massive transfer portal targets, according to the latest reporting from On3. After missing out on No
