10 Best Football Movies

When it comes to getting audiences cheering and pumping their fists in theaters, few genres accomplish that better than sports films. Everyone remembers the classics such as Rocky, Miracle, Moneyball, and Warrior. But one sport that isn’t as positively represented in cinema is American football.

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Unlike baseball or boxing, a large amount of football movies negatively represent the sport. Despite that cynical stigma, there are also some truly amazing movies about the hard-hitting national pastime of the USA. From inspirational stories to pinpoint documentaries, there are many prime examples of great football movies.

10 Invincible

An Unbelievable Underdog Tale

Much like any sports film, often the best works are the true stories. Even with the often dramatic liberates the filmmakers might take with the narrative, there’s an extra dimension of emotional weight when you know what you’re watching really transpired.

Invincible is in that class of film that seems too preposterous to be true, but alas, it’s based on a real person. Mark Wahlberg, in one of his best performances, plays Vince Papale, a substitute teacher who works his way up to playing in the NFL.

9 Any Given Sunday

Spearhead By An Explosive Pacino Performance

Sometimes, a single fantastic performance can elevate what would be an otherwise average movie. It’s the sort of feat that few actors can pull off, but for Al Panico in the 1990s, such a triumph was a walk in the park.

Any Given Sunday is fundamentally very similar to other sports drama films, but between Panico’s superb role as coach Tony D’Amato and the always solid direction work of Oliver Stone, Any Given Sunday stands out from the pack of similar sports productions.

8 The Longest Yard

An Overlooked Gem From Decades Ago

The 2005 remake of The Longest Yard is a well-known Adam Sandler film that grossed nearly two hundred million dollars worldwide. However, what may not be as well-known is that the film is a remake of a superior movie from 1974.

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Starring Burt Reynolds and Eddie Albert, The Longest Yard revolves around an imprisoned former NFL quarterback building up a team of prisoners to battle a team of guards. Unlike the Adam Sandler vehicle, the 1974 Iteration boasts great acting, solid writing, and an undeniable charm.

7 Remember The Titans

A Denzel Washington Masterwork

Periodically, a film doesn’t get the reception it deserves upon release. Whether it be because it’s ahead of its time or the overall film industry is quite different, there are several factors which can lead to the movie being positively reevaluated long after its release.

Loosely based on Herman Boone, 2000s Remember the Titans stars Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington as the high school coach. Remember the Titans has earned a reputation in recent years as one of the best football movies, with heavy praise directed towards its fantastic leading performance.

6 North Forty Dallas

Satirical Comedy Done Right

In the 1970s, the Dallas Cowboys were America’s team. With five conference championships and two Super Bowls wins, the Cowboys were riding high. Then, when Hollywood turned former NFL wide receiver Peter Gent's novel into a film, it shook America’s team.

Starring Nick Nolte and Mac Davis, North Dallas Forty presents the cynical and gross underbelly that reigned over the Cowboy’s locker room. While the NFL and Cowboys fans have criticized the movie’s accuracy, there’s no denying North Dallas Forty is a captivating film.

5 Friday Night Lights

Story Of A Town, A Team, A Dream

Many people often herald H. G. Bissinger’s Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream as one of the most iconic sports novels of all time. Despite being the subject of censor and challenge following its release, the non-fiction book received a film adaptation in 2004.

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Through great camerawork and solid performances, Peter Berg brought the story of Permian High School's football to the big screen. In fact, the movie was so successful it spawned a television series that ran from 2006 to 2011.

4 Brian's Song

An Emotional Devasting True Story

Sport movies can prove effective at getting audiences to shed tears. From Warrior to Rocky, there’s been some truly emotionally powerful films over the decades. Yet, there’s perhaps no drama sadder than the tale of Brian Piccolo.

Brian’s Song focuses on the friendship between Piccolo and his Chicago Bears teammate Gale Sayers during Piccolo’s battle with terminal cancer. With both lead actors giving exquisite performances, Brian Song succeeds at pulling the heart strings.

3 Jerry Maguire

Endlessly Quotable And Superbly Produced

Tom Cruise is one of the last genuine movie star from Hollywood’s era of big named box office draws. Although he is most recognized for his stunt work rather than his acting chops, Cruise has demonstrated on multiple occasions that he can deliver a virtuoso performance.

Jerry Maguire tells the story of the titular sports agent as his career as an NFL agent falls apart. Unlike other football movies, Jerry Maguire is more character driven as Cruise, Renée Zellweger, and Cuba Gooding Jr. all turn in Oscar-worthy performances.

2 Undefeated

An Oscar-Winning Documentary

The list of films that took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary is full of critically acclaimed productions. While sports movies aren’t typically popular at the award shows, at the 84th Academy Awards, a sports documentary took home the honor.

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Undefeated focuses on a high school football team as they transform from perennial losers to a winning unit with the help of a new head coach. The odyssey of the Manassas Tigers is utterly gripping from opening to end credits.

1 Rudy

An Uplifting Sports Tour De force

What makes a perfect sports story? It takes a lot of things to go right for a sports film to reach that zenith of perfection. It’s rare for any movie to have one of those elements, let alone multiple of them. Enter Rudy, one of the greatest sports flicks ever produced.

Released in 1993, Rudy centers on the growth of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger as he fights for a spot on the University of Notre Dame Football Team. With Sean Astin serving as the lovable underdog, Rudy is the kind of movie that’ll have you clapping rowdy.

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