With football season officially underway in Tuscaloosa and beyond, fans’ love and excitement for the sport is especially high. Not many films can capture that feeling, but there are a select few that accurately depict the gameplay, physicality and passion of the game. Spanning from Odessa High School in Texas to the draft room of the Cleveland Browns, here are a few of the greatest football movies ever made.
“Remember the Titans” (2000)
There is perhaps no better football movie than director Boaz Yakin’s “Remember the Titans.” Following the true story of the slow union of a racially divided football team in Virginia, the film teaches an important lesson about coming together for a common goal — in this case, competing for the state title. Going beyond the 1971 setting, the film’s themes remain relevant and important today.
One of the best aspects of the film is Denzel Washington’s performance, stealing the show from start to finish. Washington plays head coach Herman Boone, who is brought into T.C. Williams High School to replace Virginia Hall of Fame head coach Bill Yoast, played by Will Patton. This creates a strong divide in the team, leading to high tensions throughout fall camp and leading up to the season. The best part of the film is watching the team slowly become a brotherhood on their way to finding success.
There’s a surprisingly high level of emotion in the film, as the final 30 minutes end up pulling on the heart strings more than the average football movie.
“Friday Night Lights” (2004)
Written and directed by Peter Berg, “Friday Night Lights” highlights the competitive and passionate high school football landscape of Texas. Set at Odessa High School in 1988, the true story follows head coach Gary Gaines, played by Billy Bob Thornton, as he attempts to navigate the season after losing star running back James “Boobie” Miles, played by Derek Luke, to a season-ending injury in the opening game.
Facing backlash from the community for his role in Miles’ injury, the pressure rises on Coach Gaines as he faces the challenge of giving his team a new identity on the field. Ultimately, Odessa ends up making it to the state championship game, finding success through strong leadership.
What makes the film so good is its visceral and engrossing in-game sequences, blurring the line between acting and real high school football.
“Draft Day” (2014)
Following fictional general manager Sonny Weaver Jr., played by Kevin Costner, “Draft Day” takes the audience inside the Cleveland Browns’ draft room as they decide how to use the No. 1 overall selection in the NFL draft.
Costner acts alongside Jennifer Garner, who plays the role of the Browns’ financial manager and Weaver’s love interest. Surprisingly, she serves a pivotal role in Cleveland’s decisions throughout the film. The team winds up putting together a number of deals through Weaver’s smooth persuasions and the film ends with the Browns kicking off the 2014 season. It’s all fairly inaccurate and not exactly in line with how an NFL front office actually operates, but to say it isn’t a fun time would be a lie. With wild trades, tense phone calls and a surprising amount of controversial tweets, “Draft Day” is a must-watch for NFL fanatics.
