Movie Reviews: Volume I
by AutumnSpectacle.com staff    E-mail

The typical college football fan is a guy who thinks in terms of movie lines.  Okay, most men think in terms of movie lines.

However, there is no denying that some movies were written and made for the inner-linebacker in all football fans.  Sometimes Hollywood gets it right and provides us with well told and well acted flicks while others look like movies written and directed by chick flick chicks trying to do a football movie.

That’s where we come in.

As we continue to trudge through the monotony of the time of year that spans from the end of spring ball and the beginning of two-a-days, AutumnSpectacle.com is here to review Pigskin Cinema.  Some are classics that you know by heart.  Some are hidden gems that you may or may not have seen.  And, others would have been better off going straight to the cutting room floor altogether.

The following is the first in a two-part review of football movies – some dealing with the college game and others just straight gridiron entertainment.

The Best of Times (Robin Williams, Kurt Russell) – The 1972 Taft vs. Bakersfield high school football game was an upset that provides a haunting memory for Williams’ character, Jack Dundee.  In a series overwhelmingly dominated by Bakersfield, the ’72 contest ends in a scoreless tie because of Dundee’s famous drop that would’ve given the Midway Union Rockets their first only win in series history.

More than a decade later, Dundee takes it upon himself to organize a rematch of the ’72 game.  Along with the help of his friend, Reno Hightower played by Russell (who incidentally is the only quarterback in the history of south Kearn County to wear white shoes, the two headline the efforts to lead the town out of lethargy.

The storyline is well thought out and the acting is superb.  But, the thing that makes this movie so enjoyable is the writing.  The screenplay was written by Rob Shelton, who also wrote “Bull Durham” and “White Men Can’t Jump.”  The dialogue conveys the passion uniquely found in football fans.  Reno and Jack love the game and simply have a way in communicating.

Every great movie has lines that are memorable.  The Best of Times has many.

Jack Dundee: “It’s that time of year again.  When the first leaf of autumn falls forlornly to the barren ground below.”

Jack Dundee: “In kindergarten, I had it all.  I was the first in my class to learn Itsy Bitsy Spider.”

The Colonel (Jack’s father-in-law): “Jack, you can’t even pose.”

Reno Hightower: “Nice catch, my ass.  That’s what you’re supposed to do when the ball hits you in the hands.”

Reno Hightower: “This graffiti’s all wrong.  1971 wasn’t 42-0.  It was 35-0.”

Charlie (the PA announcer): “Whoa, Nellie!  He’s wearing the white shoes.”

By the way, did you know in the case of all out nuclear war that Taft, California is the safest place in America?  It’s because of the winds.

The Program (James Caan, Omar Epps) – Out of all of the football films out there, this one makes the least of its opportunity.  Following the ESU Wolves through a college football season, the viewer sees the adversity and triumph of a once-proud program who is trying to make it back to a bowl game.

The game play is pretty good and, for the most part, the sequences seem to be performed by collegiate-level athletes.  However, the movie becomes preachy when it attacks almost every stereotypical problem in college football.

The future NFL linebacker who can barely read.  The defensive lineman who is on steroids.  The maverick QB who drinks himself into a short suspension and a stay in an alcohol treatment center.  The backup QB who allows his girlfriend to take his tests for him.  The boosters who pay players based on performance.  And, the coach who lies to recruits and cuts corners in order to save his job.

The most redeeming item in the movie is the quarterback’s name: Joe Kane.  Other than that, it feels like it was written and directed by someone who calls soccer “futbol.”

Navy Blue and Gold (Jimmy Stewart, Robert Young) – Three plebes enter the Naval Academy in pre-WWII America.  One loves the Navy and yearns to be a sailor.  One loves football and is eager to serve.  One is simply using the Naval Academy and his commitment to service as a way to get what he wants.

This flick combines the best of college football and filmmaking.  The rigors of the Academy is brought to life by the Stewart and Young.  Not only does their acting make for good movie watching, but the director highlights some of the many traditions of the Academy that live today.

From throwing coins and praying to the Tecumseh statue to yearning to beat Army, this film makes it easy to understand why young men and women fall in love with Annapolis.  The star-studded cast includes Billie Burke (Glinda the Good Witch of “The Wizard of Oz”), Samuel Hinds (George Bailey’s father in “It’s A Wonderful Life”) and Lionel Barrymore (Mr. Potter of “It’s A Wonderful Life”).

The climax features actual footage of an Army-Navy game, complete with the pageantry and tradition only found in this rivalry.

All the Right Moves (Tom Cruise, Craig T. Nelson) – Western Pennsylvania is a haven for high school football and “All the Right Moves” takes you inside the intensity surrounding a big-time rivalry.

Ampipe is a typical steeltown that loves its football players who end up becoming steel workers.  Winning and losing is something each town member deals with in their own way and it all causes them to lose their sense of reality.  The mob mentality may seem far-fetched but all you have to do is look toward west Texas or south Georgia to know that it’s not too far off base.

Stefen Djordjevic (Cruise) wants to leave Ampipe to pursue a college degree and he knows that football is his way out.  Cruise is believable in the role, which is one of his better performances.  His portrayal of head-strong and talented Stef clashes with Craig T. Nelson and, thus, throws his dreams of getting out of Ampipe into a tailspin.

True, the movie digs into the pressures of being a high school kid.  But, make no mistake.  This is a football movie and it will help pass the time on a lazy summer afternoon when you yearn for the sound of chinstraps buckling.

Advertise     Privacy Policy