Today we’re reviewing “Any Given Sunday”, personally one of
my favorite football movies and an extremely underrated film. Any Given Sunday
is a 1999 movie about a struggling professional football team, the Sharks, that’s
finding it difficult to work together amidst a turbulent season headlined by an
up and coming quarterback played by Jamie Foxx.
This movie was made for the passionate football fan as it
addresses several controversial situations that penetrate every facet of a professional
football franchise. What really makes this movie great is the first person view
of the individual story lines that suck you in and force a connection between
the viewer and the hopes and ambitions of the characters.
A bonus for the experienced football fan can be found in
some appearances by current and former NFL greats throughout the movie. Former
football players that appear in Any Given Sunday include Irving Fryar, Joe
Schmidt, Ricky Watters, and Terrell Owens. These former players appear in just
a handful of scenes combined but former NFL rushing yards leader and current
Hall of Famer Jim Brown is a key component to the story line as he plays Al
Pacino’s defensive coordinator, friend, and only true confidant. Although few
would argue that retired athletes turned actors make a film great, in this particular
instance it adds much to the story line and overall grit of the movie. Any
Given Sunday is not the most amazing football movie of all time but it is a
brief glimpse inside the dirty, business side of professional football that
almost every football fan can appreciate.
Two popular movies with the same style of story delivery are
“Crash” the 2004 drama about intertwining lives of several individuals living
in Los Angeles and “Traffic” the 2000 drama about drug smuggling and abuse.
Rating: 8.8
