The Best Football Movies of All Time
Flag on the play—you haven’t filled up on popcorn yet!
Though America’s game owns next to five days of airtime per week during football season, finding a quality pigskin flick that fires on all cylinders is tougher than Rudy Ruettiger earning that golden helmet. Luckily, we’ve rounded up the MVPs right here—catch up before the season starts in September.
'The Freshman' (1925)
Who needs dialogue when you have the booming orchestral genius of Harold Berg in this silent delight? The Freshman follows a bumbling overachiever with the goal of being the big man on campus. Starring everyman comic Harold Lloyd, it set the status quo for the campus comedies we cheer for today.
Stream The Freshman, $4 to rent, $20 to buy, amazon.com.
'Horse Feathers' (1932)
Trust us, you want to enroll in this riotous satire, in which higher education gets clowned by the Marx brothers. The gist: the president of a university stages a winning football game to boost its reputation. The result: a lyrical and musical masterpiece that will leave you in stitches.
Buy Horse Feathers as part of the Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection, $38 for Blu-Ray, $12 for DVD, amazon.com.
'Knute Rockne: All American' (1940)
What’s black and white and Irish all over? This film. Cheer, cheer for old Notre Dame as the legendary football player and coach Knute Rockne battles to “win one for the Gipper.” Two things: no, the “K” is not silent. And yes, that is Ronald Regan as star QB George Gipp.
Stream Knute Rockne: All American, $4 to rent, $13 to buy, amazon.com.
'Brian’s Song' (1970)
James Caan and Billy Dee Williams play Chicago Bears running backs Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers in this buddy drama that tackles race, friendship, and death. A TV movie, it’s gained iconic status over the decades and brings the toughest of the tough to tears. Pro tip: Foam fingers are good for eye dabbing.
Stream Brian's Song, $4 to rent, $13 to buy, amazon.com.
'The Longest Yard' (1974)
Sorry, Sandler fans, the Wrecking Crewe we’re going long for is played by Burt Reynolds. Directed by Robert Aldrich, this gridiron-in-the-clink classic follows an incarcerated pro quarterback and the dirty game he’s forced to play. Extra point? It was nominated for an Oscar.
Stream The Longest Yard, $4 to rent, $13 to buy, amazon.com.
'North Dallas Forty' (1979)
One of the first football features to blow the whistle on the game behind the game, North Dallas Forty is loosely based on the ‘70s Dallas Cowboys team, adapted from wide receiver Peter Gent’s volatile bestseller that exposed off-the-field corruption. It’s definitely not suitable for your little giants.
Stream North Dallas Forty, $4 to rent, $13 to buy, amazon.com.
'Lucas' (1986)
We get a whiff of nostalgia (or is that Icy Hot?) every time we watch David Seltzer’s dramedy, which pummels clichés and transforms child star Corey Haim into a legit actor. An entomologist in the making, Lucas (Haim) will do anything to impress Maggie (Kerri Green). Including suiting up and enduring the bottom of the pile.
Buy Lucas, $18 for Blu-Ray, $30 for DVD, amazon.com.
'Rudy' (1993)
Daniel E. “Rudy” Ruettiger is the real-life go-getter who made up for his small stature by dreaming big. His goal: play for the Fighting Irish. Sean Astin takes on the titular role, and when you find yourself getting goosebumps and wanting to chant “Ru-dy, Ru-dy, Ru-dy,” just go with it.
Stream Rudy, $4 to rent, $13 to buy, amazon.com.
'Jerry Maguire' (1996)
What begins with a mission statement ends up a gem of pop culture gold. We’re pretty sure Cameron Crowe knew his story about a fired sports agent, his only client, and the “pride-swallowing siege” they endure was good, but there’s no way he could have known the imprint it would leave on the zeitgeist.
Stream Jerry Maguire, $4 to rent, $13 to buy, amazon.com.
'Varsity Blues' (1999)
Fresh off the river, Dawson’s Creek star James Van Der Beek becomes the poster boy for smash-mouth football. As QB2 Johnny Moxon, he wrestles with his future while stepping up to lead his Texas football team to victory when their star quarterback is injured. Hooligan revelry, right this way
Stream Varsity Blues, $4 to rent, $14 to buy, amazon.com.
'Remember the Titans' (2000)
Denzel Washington dons the whistle to embody Herman Boone, the black head coach who took the T.C. Williams Titans to the national championship during their first racially-integrated season. An impressive winning record and one Motown-heavy soundtrack later, you will remember the Titans. And cry. A lot.
Stream Remember the Titans, $4 to rent, $18 to buy, amazon.com.
'Friday Night Lights' (2004)
Peter Berg does a solid job of shining a stadium light on the vital role football plays in the lives of those in the destitute South. But can we take a timeout and praise Berg’s even more stellar accomplishment? The five-season TV series that etched “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose” into our playbooks. Long live the Dillon Panthers.
Stream Friday Night Lights, $4 to rent, $13 to buy, amazon.com.
'The Blind Side' (2009)
Sandra Bullock gives an Oscar-winning performance as Leigh Anne Tuohy in this true-life tale about a Southern family who provide a homeless teen with the opportunity to realize his full potential on and off the field. In real life, that teen is now Carolina Panthers left tackle Michael Oher.
Stream The Blind Side, $4 to rent, $13 to buy, amazon.com.
'Undefeated' (2011)
This Oscar-winning documentary takes the field with the underprivileged youth of inner-city Memphis and doesn’t hit the showers until the Manassas Tigers rewrite history under their coach, Bill Courtney. The film focuses on Courtney and three players, and once it grabs hold of the feels, it doesn’t let go.
Watch on Netflix or stream Undefeated, $3 to rent, $8 to buy, amazon.com.
'Concussion' (2015)
More an important addition to the canon of sports films than an all-American crowd-pleaser, Concussion blows the lid off a highly controversial brain disease (CTE) the NFL might rather keep concealed. Everything we now know about it is thanks to Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith).
Stream Concussion free with a Starz trial, amazon.com.
DeAnna Janes is a freelance writer and editor for a number of sites, including Harper’s BAZAAR, Tasting Table, Fast Company and Brit + Co, and is a passionate supporter of animal causes, copy savant, movie dork and reckless connoisseur of all holidays. A native Texan living in NYC since 2005, Janes has a degree in journalism from Texas A&M and got her start in media at US Weekly before moving on to O Magazine, and eventually becoming the entertainment editor of the once-loved, now-shuttered DailyCandy. She’s based on the Upper West Side.
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