Just imagine! The great Egyptian pyramids were just being built, wild tribes were roaming Europe, Stonehenge was considered a new building in the British Isles, and football was already being played in America! The ancient peoples of Mesoamerica held sports competitions similar to football matches. Archaeologists came to this conclusion in 1985. They discovered a field with a length and width almost identical to modern football fields in Paso de la Amada (the territory of modern Mexico).
Today, American football is a sport with a huge fan base and multimillion-dollar contracts and is part of US culture. Moreover, American football fans are eagerly awaiting the Super Bowl matches to try their luck on the best Gamblorium betting sites. According to Nodar Giorgadze, bookmakers offer high odds on the most amazing bets – which team uniform Drake will wear on game day, what color liquid will be poured on the winning coach, whether a streaker will run onto the field, bets related to Taylor Swift, etc.
Naturally, many films have been made about American football. These are dramas, biographical films, comedies, stories about love, loyalty, friendship, the ability not to give up, etc. Among them, you will definitely find one that suits your mood for tonight!
The Blind Side (2009) By John Lee Hancock
Like many sports dramas, The Blind Side is based on real events. Its plot is inspired by Michael Jerome Oher’s life story. His father died in an accident, and his mother (Adrian Lenox), suffering from drug addiction, was unable to care for him. So a 17-year-old boy (Quinton Aaron), nicknamed Big Mike for his size, ends up on the street. Lee Tuohy (Sandra Bullock), his classmate’s mother and a representative of a wealthy white family, started supporting Mike. Thus, the young man, previously embarrassed by his size, begins a sports career. He soon ends up with the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens.
This film was nominated for an Oscar but lost to The Hurt Locker. Nevertheless, Sandra Bullock still won the Academy Award for Best Actress. By the way, Michael Oher didn’t appreciate the way The Blind Side portrayed him. According to the athlete, he appeared quite slow-witted there.
Love Beyond the Rules (2008) By George Clooney
This is a retro film where George Clooney is the director and star. The film takes place in the 1920s. At that time, American football was beginning to develop as a professional sport. Naturally, viewers are in for a love triangle.
The first participant is Jimmy “Dodge” Connelly (Clooney), captain of the Duluth Bulldogs, a team of record outsiders. The second is Princeton college football star and World War hero Carter “the Bullet” Rutherford (John Krasinski). Dodge invites Bullet to join his team to keep it afloat. At the center is journalist Lexie Littleton (Renée Zellweger), who is trying to gain Rutherford’s trust. Further, her plans included only exposing him. She just didn’t take into account that Bullet could really fall in love with her.
Invincible (2006) By Erickson Core
Racial prejudice is not easy to overcome. However, becoming a professional football player at 30 while working as a bartender in South Philadelphia is probably even more difficult. This is exactly what Vince Papale managed to do. This wonderful story happened in the mid-1970s. The Philadelphia Eagles’ long losing streak coincides with the bad luck in Vince Papale’s (Mark Wahlberg) life. He even lost his temporary job as a school teacher amid the economic recession. In addition, his wife left him, leaving a note saying that he would never achieve anything in life. In the evenings, Papale worked as a bartender and devoted his soul to amateur football matches. But life would soon change for the Eagles and Vince.
Dick Vermeil (Greg Kinnear) was appointed as the team’s new coach and announced an open recruitment for the team. Papale passed the test and got his place in the team. Along the way, he had an affair with Janet (Elizabeth Banks). Ironically she supported another NFL club – the New York Giants. The story of the real Vince Papale differs from the version presented in the film. In reality, Vince Papale still had considerable experience playing in semi-professional leagues. The film turned out to be quite charming.
Remember the Titans (2000) Boaz Yakin
Titans main character Herman Boone, like Ernie Davis, had to fight racism in the 1970s. Segregation laws were repealed in most states, but everyday prejudices still remained. Sports was no exception. This is the story of Boone (Denzel Washington), a black coach who led a white-skinned high school team in Virginia in 1971.
At first, the team, led by captain Jerry Berthier (Ryan Hurst), refused to work with him. This was because of Boone’s skin color, and partly because their beloved coach, Bill Yost (Bill Patton), was fired. Boone recruited African Americans to the team and sought to impose discipline among the players. Young Ryan Gosling played one of the supporting roles here. The film was a huge box-office success.
Draft Day (2014) By Ivan Reitman
Ivan Reitman’s film shows why draft day sometimes draws more viewers than some regular-season games. On this day, teams in major American sports leagues select recruits from among talented students
Sonny Weaver Jr., general manager of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, was going to experience a very difficult day. The relationship with his mother did not improve after the recent death of his father. His girlfriend Ali (Jennifer Garner) just announced that she was pregnant. Finally, on the eve of the draft, club owner Anthony Molina (Frank Langella) pressured Sonny to make a splash. Suddenly, Sonny receives a very tempting offer to exchange picks from another team. Thus, he had to face a tense game in which there was no room for error.
It is not surprising that these and many other football films attract viewers from all over the world. They convey the atmosphere and intensity of the NFL League! As we have already said, events involving NFL teams are followed worldwide. By the way, in 2023, Michael Oher filed a lawsuit against the family that sheltered him. He stated that the film’s script was based on lies created by his adoptive family. As a result, he demands to terminate the guardianship agreement (it turns out that it is still relevant) and to prohibit the Tuohy family from using his name. Of course, he also asks for financial compensation – after all, he received no penny after The Blind Side was released.
