However, I'll still use the day to my advantage and go to parties, socialize and eat and drink and be merry.
Don't worry. This article is not about slamming America's favorite sport (sorry, baseball, but let's just finally be honest with ourselves). Just like I love movies, people love football. It's their entertainment and it's our belief here at the Culture Cave that it doesn't matter what you love -- just as long as you love it with a passion. Yes, football fans, you are football geeks.
But don't be insulted by that term. It's a loving term. A term that is equal to loving something so much that you look forward to it, you follow it and you talk it up like it's one of the best things in the world. So ... own it! Live it! Love it. After all, I am a true, proud movie geek.
Now! Onto what this article is really about. I'm here to present some alternatives for those of us who are less than thrilled to be watching football today. Ironically, I may not care for the actual sport but I love football movies! Seriously! Love 'em. Now, if you don't like football so much that a football movie seems out of the question, then there are plenty of movies, TV shows, etc., to watch. One of them being the following; don't forget, today is also ...
Groundhog Day
Bill Murray stars as TV weatherman Phil Connors, who is sent to Punxsutawney, PA, to report on the famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, and what he will predict -- an early spring or a long winter. Connors is rude to everyone he meets, which is probably why he suddenly finds himself repeating Groundhog Day over and over again. Connors indulges in hedonism, thinks himself a god, and even attempts suicide to end his "curse." But, then, thanks to his growing affection for his producer Rita (Andie MacDowell), he begins to re-examine his life and priorities with others. This film is a cult classic with fans being able to spout out famous lines ("Phil!? Phil Connors!? I thought that was you!"; "I'm a god. I'm not the God ... I don't think.") and introduced the entire theme of living a day over and over again, which has been seen in numerous films and TV shows since the film was released in 1993. If there's one film to check out today, it's this one!
Now, if you're like me, and love a good football film, here are my favorites (in alphabetical order), which are a must-see!
Any Given Sunday
Director Oliver Stone stepped out of controversy and wrote this unflinching, somewhat honest look into professional football with this 1999 film starring Al Pacino as legendary coach Tony D'Amato, who is coaching the once-great Miami Sharks when his star quarterback Jack "Cap" Rooney (Dennis Quaid) is injured and the reins are handed over to second-string quarterback Willie Beamen (Jamie Foxx). When Beamen starts getting wins, the success gets to his head. Yes, this plotline is what is seen in a lot of football movies. But the way in which writers Stone, John Logan and Daniel Pyne write it stands out because of the many ensemble stories branching throughout the film: the aging coach who's lost those he loves; the star quarterback who is ready to retire but has trouble doing so; the newby quarterback who means well but gets a big head because of his success and struggles with it; the young, unexperienced team owner who only wants money; the running back only motivated by the incentive clauses in his contract; the defense captain who is one concussion away from not waking up again; and the intern team doctor who has to decide whether to go down the path of his crooked predecessor or not. A great film with a great cast (including some real-life NFL alum)!
And who could forget Pacino's motivational "Inches" speech!?
The Blind Side
Based on the true life story of Michael Oher, offensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens, who was adopted by fast food franchise owner Sean Touhy and his firecracker-of-a-wife Leigh Anne Touhy. Focusing more on the drama rather than the football, the film follows Oher (Quinton Aaron) from his impoverished upbringing and his attending Wingate Christian School (a fictional representation of Briarcrest Christian School) to becoming a highly coveted prospect for college football and his signing onto the Ravens. This film is one of the best, most uplifting stories when it comes to our relationship with others, how we are all one and no one can go it alone.
Brian's Song
Looking for a good cry ... men? Well, look no further than 1971's Brian's Song. Originally a made-for-TV movie, Song is the true life story of Brian Piccolo (James Caan), a Wake Forest University football player who is stricken with terminal cancer after turning pro, and his friendship with Chicago Bears running back teammate Gale Sayers (Billy Dee Williams). Yes, there is death in this one so don't be surprised if you shed a tear or (maybe) two after viewing this one.
Friday Night Lights (TV series)
Yes, I know the 2004 film came out first. And if you are looking for a movie to watch, then feel free to watch it. But you'll be missing out on its insanely better TV counterpart/spinoff! The TV show is ten times better; the first season being one of the best seasons in television ... ever ... bar none! In the show, Coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) and his wife Tami (Connie Britton) move to Dillon, Texas, where football is a way of life. Throughout the show, we are introduced to the players for the Dillon Panthers as well as their family and friends. This is one of the few shows (next to Buffy the Vampire Slayer) where I love every character. When the show ended after its fifth season, I honestly felt like I had lost some friends. The football games featured in the show are intense and the drama is great.
Remember the Titans
Denzel Washington stars as real-life coach Herman Boone who coached the 1971 T.C. Williams High School football team, which was racially divided, and led them to victory and a force to be reckoned with in high school football. There is also a somewhat Brian's Song-type friendship between Gerry Bertier (Ryan Hurst) and Julius Campbell (Wood Harris).
Undefeated
As much as I'm not a big fan of pro football, I strongly believe in the importance of high school football. Again, I'm not a fan of the sport nor did I play it. However, I believe it teaches important aspects regarding character, time management, sacrifice and teamwork. And that's why I love this documentary film. Never has there been a better real-life (non-fictional) film that showcases all of these aspects. Imagine taking The Blind Side and mixing it with the TV show Friday Night Lights, then making it non-fictional, and you would have this documentary! The coach Bill Courtney says at the beginning of the film that football does not build character but reveals it. I don't know if I agreed with this statement a 100% or not. But after thinking about it, I realized that he was right. There can be a teammate who doesn't care about anyone but himself, but football itself will not make him a better person or more selfish one. Football will, however, make him reveal his true self -- a self that has already been implanted within him from early on whether he knew it or not. This is best shown in this film when teammate Chavis Daniels (who is difficult and angry through most of the season) steps up to recognize another teammate Montrail "Money" Brown (who he doesn't get along with), who is having a difficult time. It is a philosophical question to pose on whether Chavis would have had the empathy to stand up for Brown or not if he was not on the football team. However, the question is almost an answer to itself in that Chavis could have always been empathetic but it took football (and/or the coach) to bring it out of him. This is a GREAT film that I cannot recommend enough! It should be watched by anyone who loves football or even those who also don't care much about the sport. Simply a wonderful documentary!
Varsity Blues
Very similar to the pilot episode of Friday Night Lights, Varsity Blues was the show's predecessor -- coming out in 1999 -- and made the coach (Jon Voight) much more tyrannical as opposed to Chandler's humbling Coach Taylor. Nevertheless, this film had extreme high school football stereotypes but the presence of James Van Der Beek's Jonathan Moxon helps anchor the story. The film will always be known as one of the late Paul Walker's first major film roles (along with Pleasantville) ... and Ali Larter's whipped cream bikini.
We Are Marshall
Based on the aftermath of the true tragic events of 1970 when a plane crash killed 37 football players on the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team, as well as five coaches, two athletic trainers, the athletic director, 25 boosters and an airplane crew of five. Matthew McConaughey stars as new coach Jack Lengyel, who must pull the remaining players, families, friends, and surviving assistant coach together, while also healing a town still struggling with its tragic loss.
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