Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Football Films (February 19, 2016 Up-dated from original post)

Here's a list of films about football.
Except for a few other-themed films that contain a lot of football scenes, hopefully, you will find this list quite complete.
(See: Documentary and Other-themed films following list.)

Title - Year - Rating - Length
*Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland - 2016 - R - ? minutes
When the Game Stands Tall - 2015 - PG - 115 minutes
Intramural - 2014 - R - 98 minutes
Draft Day - 2014 - PG13 - 109 minutes
Underdogs - 2013 - PG - 102 minutes
All Things Fall Apart - 2011 - R - 110 minutes
Division III: Football's Finest - 2011 - R - 98 minutes
Field of Vision - 2011 - NR - 84 minutes
Game Time: Tackling The Past - 2011 - NR - 85 minutes
Touchback - 2011 - PG13 - 118 minutes
U, The - 2011 - NR - ? minutes (fiction)
5th Quarter, The - 2010 - PG - 96 minutes
Big Fan - 2009 - R - 88 minutes
Blind Side, The - 2009 - PG13 - 129 minutes
Express, The - 2008 - PG - 130 minutes
**Longshots, The - 2008 - PG - 94 minutes
Comebacks, The - 2007 - PG13 - 84 minutes
Game Plan, The - 2007 - PG - 110 minutes
Leatherheads - 2007 - PG13 - 114 minutes
Facing the Giants - 2006 - PG - 111 minutes
Gridiron Gang - 2006 - PG13 - 120 minutes
Invincible - 2006 - PG - 105 minutes
We Are Marshall - 2006 - PG - 127 minutes
Code Breakers - 2005 - NR - 120 minutes
Longest Yard, The - 2005 - PG13 - 113 minutes
**Stranger I Married, The AKA The Man Who Lost Himself - 2005 - NR - 90 minutes (TV)
Two For The Money - 2005 - R - 122 minutes
Friday Night Lights - 2004 - PG13 - 118 minutes
Radio - 2003 - PG - 109 minutes
**Australian Rules - 2002 - NR - 95 minutes (Australian)
Brian's Song - 2002 - NR - 87 minutes
Hometown Legend - 2002 - PG - 108 minutes
Junction Boys, The - 2002 - NR - 93 minutes
**Monday Night Mayhem - 2002 - NR - 98 minutes
Second String, The - 2002 - PG - 100 minutes
*Slaughter Rule, The - 2002 - R - 112 minutes
Full Ride - 2002 - PG13 - 95 minutes
They Call Me Sirr - 2001 - PG13 - 97 minutes
Remember the Titans - 2000 - PG - 113 minutes
Replacements, The - 2000 - PG13 - 118 minutes
Any Given Sunday - 1999 - R - 150 minutes
Fumbleheads - 1999 - PG13 - 90 minutes
**Saintly Switch, A - 1999 - NR - 88 minutes
Varsity Blues - 1999 - R - 100 minutes
Air Bud: Golden Receiver - 1998 - G - 90 minutes
Garbage Picking Field Goal Kicking - 1998 - PG - 78 minutes
Possums - 1998 - PG - 97 minutes
Waterboy - 1998 - PG13 - 90 minutes
Angels In The Endzone - 1997 - G - 88 minutes
**Fanatics, The AKA Fumbleheads - 1997 - PG13 - 95 minutes
Weapons of Mass Distraction - 1997 - R - 100 minutes
Halfback of Notre Dame - 1996 - G - 93 minutes
Jerry Maguire - 1996 - R - 139 minutes
Reggie's Prayer - 1996 - NR - 94 minutes
Little Giants - 1995 - PG - 107 minutes
Windrunner - 1995 - PG - 108 minutes
**Ace Ventura: Pet Detective - 1994 - PG13 - 83 minutes
**Rise and Walk: The Dennis Byrd Story - 1994 - NR - 88 minutes (TV)
Program, The - 1993 - R - 112 minutes
Rudy - 1993 - PG - 116 minutes
Last Boy Scout, The - 1991 - R - 105 minutes
Necessary Roughness - 1991 - PG13 - 108 minutes
Everybody's All-American - 1988 - R - 127 minutes
**Johnny Be Good - 1988 - R - 91 minutes
Best of Times, The - 1986 - PG13 - 104 minutes
Lucas - 1986 - PG13 - 100 minutes
**Bear, The - 1985 - PG - 110 minutes
All The Right Moves - 1983 - R - 91 minutes
Quarterback Princess - 1983 - NR - 96 minutes
**Grambling's White Tiger - 1981 - NR - 92 minutes
**Club, The - 1980 - PG - 96 minutes (Australian)
Fighting Back: The Story of Rocky Bleier - 1980 - NR - 95 minutes
North Dallas Forty - 1979 - R - 119 minutes
Heaven Can Wait - 1978 - PG - 101 minutes
**Uppercut AKA Lo Chiamavano Bulldozer - 1978 - NR - 110 minutes
Semi-Tough - 1977 - R - 108 minutes
*Two Minute Warning - 1976 - R - 115 minutes
*Gus - 1976 - G - 95 minutes
**Great MacArthy, The - 1975 - NR - 106 minutes (Australian)
Longest Yard, The - 1974 - R - 121 minutes
*Spirit Of Stanford, The - 1942 - Approved - 73 minutes
Brian's Song - 1971 - G - 73 minutes
*Number One - 1969 - PG-13 - 100 minutes
Paper Lion - 1968 - NR - 107 minutes
Crazylegs - 1953 - NR - 87 minutes
Trouble Along the Way - 1953 - NR - 110 minutes
*Bonzo Goes to College 1952 NR 80 minutes
Jim Thorpe: All-American - 1951 - NR - 107 minutes
*Saturday's Hero - 1951 - NR - 111 minutes
**That's My Boy - 1951 - NR - 104 minutes
**Easy Living - 1949 - NR - 77 minutes
**Father was a Fullback - 1949 - NR - 84 minutes
*Yes Sir, That's My Baby 1949 NR 82 minutes
*Good News 1947 NR 93 minutes
Knute Rockne All American - 1940 - NR - 98 minutes
*$1,000 a Touchdown 1939 NR 71 minutes
**Gladiator, The - 1938 - NR - 72 minutes
*Mr. Doodle Kicks Off 1938 NR 75 minutes
*Life Begins at (in) College 1937 NR 80 minutes
**Navy Blue and Gold - 1937 - NR - 94 minutes
*Saturday's Heroes - 1937 - NR - 60 minutes
**Pigskin Parade - 1936 - NR - 93 minutes
*Three Little Pigskins - 1934 - NR - 20 minutes (short)
**College Coach - 1933 - G - 76 minutes (TV)
*Hold 'Em Jail 1932 NR 66 minutes
Horse Feathers - 1932 - NR - 68 minutes
**Galloping Ghost, The - 1931 - NR - 426 minutes (serial)
**Maker of Men - 1931 - NR - 71 minutes
*Spirit of Notre Dame,The - 1931 - NR - 80 minutes
*Touchdown - 1931 - NR - 79 minutes
**Forward Pass, The - 1929 - NR - 78 minutes
**Salute - 1929 - NR - 84 minutes
**Drop Kick, The - 1927 - NR - 62 minutes (silent)
**Brown of Harvard - 1926 - NR - 85 minutes
*One Minute to Play - 1926 - NR - 74 minutes
**Brown of Harvard - 1918 - NR - 85 minutes (silent)
**Brown of Harvard - 1911 - NR - 10 minutes (silent short)
Freshman, The - 1925 - NR - 76 minutes (silent)
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Documentary
**Marinovich Project, The - 2011 - NR - 80 minutes
**Roll Tide / War Eagle - 2011 - NR - 51 minutes (TV)
**Undefeated - 2011 - PG13 - 113 minutes
**Lombardi - 2010 - NR - 90 minutes (TV)
**Pony Excess - 2010 - NR - 102 minutes (TV)
**U, The - 2009 - NR - 106 minutes (TV episode)
*Harvard Beats Yale 29-29 - 2008 - PG - 105 minutes
**Damn Good Dog - 2004 - NR - ? minutes
**Go Tigers - 2001 - R - 103 minutes
**Marshall University: Ashes to Glory - 2000 - NR - 117 minutes
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Other-themed
*Superdome - 1978 - NR - 100 minutes
*Black Sunday - 1977 - R - 143 minutes
*Something for Joey 1977 NR 96 minutes
M*A*S*H - 1970 - R - 116 minutes
*Split, The - 1968 - R - 91 minutes
Long Gray Line, The - 1955 - NR - 138 minutes
*Francis Goes to West Point 1952 NR 81 minutes
Spirit of West Point, The - 1947 - Approved - 77 minutes
*No Census, No Feeling - 1940 - NR - 17 minutes (short)
---
Among the more enjoyable football portrayals over the years were some of the scenes in "The Long Gray Line" showing Army battling that little school of Our Lady.
Great cast too with Maureen O'Hara, Tyrone Power, Ward Bond, Donald Crisp, just to recall a few, and a young Peter Graves demonstrating his skill on the pommel horse.
Mentioning Army, "The Spirit of West Point" had the best college football scenes of an actual team and "Trouble Along the Way" had good scenes depicting a fictional school.
"Wildcats" was fun to watch and, of course, there's the Michael Curtiz classic "Jim Thorpe -- All-American" which has better Olympic Games track scenes than football.
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*Edited to include titles provided by other posters.
**Edited to include titles provided by John Grasso.
Edited on Sat Feb 6, 2016 4:03 pm to add titles and contributions mention.
Edited on Wed Feb 17, 8:12 pm to add titles
Edited on Fri Feb 19, 10:20 am to add titles
Contributions by: bachslunch, Evan, Ralph Hickok, Andrew McKillop, LJP, LuckyShow, Rupert Patrick, Todd Pence,
JohnR, Matt Reaser, Saban, single wing, SixtiesFan, BDSullivan, and a big bunch by John Grasso

The Spirit Of Stanford (1942?) Frankie Albert plays "jerk" version of himself. Cameo by Ernie Nevers. Hard to find.

"Two Minute Warning," which was originally made in 1976 about a sniper at the Super Bowl. However, when it was shown on television, supposedly NBC wasn't crazy about the plot. So they actually made the unprecedented decision to re-work the plot (shooting 40 additional minutes), where the guy was shooting to divert attention from a diamond theft.

In 1977, Black Sunday came out in a movie about terrorists at the Super Bowl. They used actual footage from Super Bowl X, and filmed scenes DURING THE GAME, and it was realistic enough that one security guy (unaware of the movie people) saw Robert Shaw running around and tried to stop him. Two years later when the Cowboys and Steelers met in SB XIII, CBS showed the movie that night.

In "Trouble Along the Way," 10-year-old Sherry Jackson actually pre-dates Lombardi by a decade or so by saying in the movie, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." In truth, UCLA head coach Red Sanders was the guy who originated it.

You could also a favorite movie of my childhood, the classic 1976 film "Gus" -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gus_(1976_film)

Dick Butkus, Johnny Unitas, Fred Dryer, Dick Enberg, I vaguely recall other NFL players in uncredited roles too. Credits are at - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074599/ful ... t_ov_st_sm.

Les Josephson was a technical advisor. I'd love to find out what he contributed exactly. Must have been fun.

oldecapecod11 wrote:Intramural - 2014 - R - 98 minutes

As previously mentioned in another thread, I watch pretty much any football movie - and evidently am one of the few who enjoys many - but that movie is one of the worst movies I've ever seen, football or non-football. Awful.

A movie based on the TV show "Blue Mountain State", titled "Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland" comes out next week, I believe.

"The Slaughter Rule" is a movie about six-man football that came out in 2002. It wasn't bad.

There's some more out there - especially if you include documentaries - but the list provided has most of the watchable ones.

Evan wrote:You could also a favorite movie of my childhood, the classic 1976 film "Gus" -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gus_(1976_film)

I vaguely recall other NFL players in uncredited roles too.

A good career move for all.

Number One, which I think came out in 1969, starred Charlton Heston as the aging QB of the New Orleans Saints: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064743/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

I would also put The Split on the list, it was a Jim Brown crime heist film from 1968 about a gang of burglars who rob the LA Coliseum during a Rams game. I hadn't watched it in a couple years but as I remember it there was quite a bit of actual footage shot of a Rams game. Great supporting cast, if you ever get a chance to check this one out I recommend it: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063636/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Although it isn't technically a football movie, I would consider including the 1970 MASH movie, which has a football game in it that is a very important subplot of the movie and is very funny: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066026/?ref_=nv_sr_2

Rupert Patrick wrote:Number One, which I think came out in 1969, starred Charlton Heston as the aging QB of the New Orleans Saints: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064743/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

That game uses actual footage from a 1968 Saints exhibition game with the Browns

Red Grange was in a few:-

One Minute to Play - 1926 - NR - 1h14m .. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0017233
The Galloping Ghost - 1931 - NR - 3h45m? ... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021895