ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?!
It’s a question our TVs have loudly asked us for decades. Before, we weren’t so sure. But after today, we can all answer that, indeed, we are ready for football. But not just some. And not quite all. Only the essential: The 29 Essential Football Movies.
Filling the roster are classics synonymous with football flicks (Remember the Titans, Rudy), comedies to tackle the funny bone (The Waterboy, The Longest Yard), industry insiders (Jerry Maguire, Draft Day), and the inspirational tearjerkers (Brian’s Song). And it’s an-all ages club, from elementary (Little Giants), to high school (Varsity Blues), to college (We Are Marshall), and, of course, the winding road to the pros (Invincible). Whether they’re set on field, in the locker room, or in the halls, these movies capture the spirit of football in its complex glory.
So here it is: Rotten Tomatoes’ 29 Essential Football Movies. No need to review the play on this one. We guarantee you can believe what you’re seeing: Just a fat dogpile of the gridiron greats. It’s a Fresh down!
#29
Adjusted Score: 38.858%
Critics Consensus: This is an insult to its genre with low humor and cheap gags.
#28
Adjusted Score: 30.415%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#27
Adjusted Score: 42.774%
Critics Consensus: This is a predictable football movie that lacks intensity.
#26
Adjusted Score: 44.816%
Critics Consensus: The role of probation officer Sean Porter fits Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson like a glove; however, the execution is so cliched, the youths’ stories (based on real events), fail to inspire.
#25
Adjusted Score: 48.129%
Critics Consensus: The Last Boy Scout is as explosive, silly, and fun as it does represent the decline of the buddy-cop genre.
#24
Adjusted Score: 51.496%
Critics Consensus: Jim Carrey’s twitchy antics and gross-out humor are on full, bombastic display in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, which is great news for fans of his particular brand of comedy but likely unsatisfying for anyone else.
#23
Adjusted Score: 51.732%
Critics Consensus: Matthew McConaughey almost runs We Are Marshall to the end zone, but can’t stop it from taking the easy, feel-good route in memorializing this historic event in American sports.
#22
Adjusted Score: 57.319%
Critics Consensus: Sometimes entertaining, but overall Any Given Sunday is a disappointment coming from Oliver Stone.
#21
Adjusted Score: 64.688%
Critics Consensus: It’s perfectly pleasant for sports buffs and Costner fans, but overall, Draft Day lives down to its title by relying too heavily on the sort of by-the-numbers storytelling that only a statistician could love.
#20
Adjusted Score: 64.927%
Critics Consensus: The Express crosses the goal line as an inspirational sports drama, although fans of the genre will recognize many — if not most — of its clichés.
#19
Adjusted Score: 72.218%
Critics Consensus: It might strike some viewers as a little too pat, but The Blind Side has the benefit of strong source material and a strong performance from Sandra Bullock.
#18
Adjusted Score: 42.556%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#17
Adjusted Score: 13.294%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#16
Adjusted Score: 76.113%
Critics Consensus: As simple and authentic as the gritty South Philly invirons in which it’s set in, Invincible sends a uplifting and heartfelt message packed with an athletic enthusiasm that shouldn’t be missed.
#15
Adjusted Score: 77.582%
Critics Consensus: An inspirational crowd-pleaser with a healthy dose of social commentary, Remember the Titans may be predictable, but it’s also well-crafted and features terrific performances.
#14
Adjusted Score: 74.025%
Critics Consensus: A bleak but original indie, The Slaughter Rule benefits from outstanding performances by Ryan Gosling and David Morse.
#13
Adjusted Score: 81.285%
Critics Consensus: Though undeniably sentimental and predictable, Rudy succeeds with an uplifting spirit and determination.
#12
Adjusted Score: 85.544%
Critics Consensus: An acute survey of the football-obsessed heartland that succeeds as both a stirring drama and a rousing sports movie.
#11
Adjusted Score: 84.044%
Critics Consensus: Equal parts tough and funny, and led by a perfectly cast Burt Reynolds, The Longest Yard has an interesting political subtext and an excellent climax — even if it takes too long to get there.
#10
Adjusted Score: 87.545%
Critics Consensus: Anchored by dazzling performances from Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Renée Zellweger, as well as Cameron Crowe’s tender direction, Jerry Maguire meshes romance and sports with panache.
#9
Adjusted Score: 84.537%
Critics Consensus: Muddled overall, but perceptive and brutally realistic, North Dallas Forty also benefits from strong performances by Nick Nolte and Charles Durning. Football fans will likely find it fascinating.
#8
Adjusted Score: 74.574%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#7
Adjusted Score: 85.899%
Critics Consensus: Buoyed by standout performances from James Caan and Billy Dee Williams, Brian’s Song is a touching tale of friendship whose central relationship transcends its standard sports movie moments.
#6
Adjusted Score: 85.495%
Critics Consensus: Go Tigers! is both an absorbing and evenhanded documentary, a perceptive look into the world of high school sports and its impact on a community.
#5
Adjusted Score: 82.915%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#4
Adjusted Score: 92.417%
Critics Consensus: A throwback to the high-gloss screwball comedies of the 1940s, Heaven Can Wait beguiles with seamless production values and great comic relief from Charles Grodin and Dianne Cannon.
#3
Adjusted Score: 92.587%
Critics Consensus: Harvard Beats Yale 29-29 is compelling viewing even though it spoils the score of the titular college football matchup – and even if you aren’t a fan of the sport.
#2
Adjusted Score: 93.925%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#1
Adjusted Score: 99.075%
Critics Consensus: It covers familiar sports documentary territory, but Undefeated proves there are still powerful stories to be told on the high school gridiron.
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