I’m not going to pretend to be a football fan. I like football, but I love toasted bread bowls with chili. (Do you see the connection?) Let’s try again: I like football, but I love a good comeback story, being in the company of friends and watching halftime shows. Just as I expect my friends to watch the Academy Awards with me, I feel that it is my duty to bring my best attitude and prettiest game face to Super Bowl Sunday.
For those who wish to join in the competitive, game day spirit, here is my list of the Top Five Football Flicks! You can’t go wrong with any of these.
“Little Giants” Who doesn’t enjoy Rick Moranis and Ed O’Neill duking it out with their rival Pee-Wee Football teams? As a child, I loved watching Becky play on her father’s team of misfits. Themes of combatting sexism abound! It’s much deeper than you’d expect. I also remember liking a particular scene in which O’Neill falls out of a window and crashes onto the ground. The decision to play “Car Wash” was another win for “Little Giants.”
“Rudy” My dad and I watched this together, and I remember wanting, very badly, to attend Notre Dame in the wake of the viewing. This movie is hope in its most visceral form. No matter who you are, “Rudy” will speak to you. (The film tells the story of a down on his luck kid with a dream to play football.)
“Friday Night Lights” This film addresses the intensity of contemporary youth specialization in sport. It’s distressing to watch, particularly as the sister of an athlete. I’ve always struggled to invest myself deeply in competition, and watching these young, Texan men fight against their circumstances, and overcome obstacles…It’s moving, but frightening.
“Remember the Titans” I friggin’ love this movie. “WE ARE THE TITANS!” Oh my gosh, I feel so pumped just remembering all those great movie-music moments. Denzel Washington, alongside Will Patton, plays a head coach in a recently desegregated high school. It’s a powerful film on race, sports and loyalty.
“Brian’s Song” James Caan, my sweet, savage Sonny Corleone, plays a newly minted pro-football player, recently diagnosed with cancer. With the tagline, “A true story about love,” “Brian’s Song” is, at its core, a tale of great friendship and great ambition. This is a heartstrings puller!
What am I missing? Add your suggestions in the comments section.
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