BuzzSugar

TV Tonight: Remember the Titans

BuzzSugar — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 13:23:40 -0800

When we were talking about football films the other day, several of you mentioned Remember the Titans as a favorite. Well, you're in luck: TNT is showing it tonight as a prelude to Sunday's Super Bowl. The Denzel Washington film is based on the true story of a black coach who takes over a newly integrated football team and promotes racial harmony while also leading the team to victory. To see a trailer for the film, read more

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Movie Night: Football Films

BuzzSugar — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 10:31:07 -0800

The Super Bowl is this Sunday, so let's get the couch warmed up with a Movie Night. This week's theme: football movies. These three will make for good date-night viewing, since they have a little bit of something for everyone (assuming one of you is a football fan). I could make some lame sports/love pun here - something involving touchdowns, perhaps - but "My Boys" has put me off those forever. So just grab some beer and buffalo wings and enjoy the films.

Any Given Sunday
Though it leans a little heavy on the football-as-war metaphors, Oliver Stone's over-the-top football flick is better than you might think, with chaotic cinematography, a killer hip-hop soundtrack, and a sinister normalcy holding it all together. Here, we get the first hints that Jamie Foxx can act, as he plays the young hotshot to Dennis Quaid's aging quarterback on the fictional Miami Sharks pro squad. There are plenty of quiet acting gems in the big ensemble cast, including Matthew Modine as the conflicted team doctor. Offering surprising moments of depth for what, at times, feels like a music video, Any Given Sunday will rally football fans and non-fans alike.

To see the other two, read more

Jerry Maguire
Even if you haven't seen this movie, you can probably quote it, since Jerry Maguire birthed two well-known one-liners: "Show me the money!" and "You. Complete. Me." Egomaniac Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) is a sports agent who is all about the money but magically grows a conscience when he loses his job and falls for the sweet single mom Dorothy Boyd (Renee Zellweger). Cuba Gooding Jr. is in top form as Jerry's loyal client Rod Tidwell, who sticks by Jerry even when his career is in turmoil.

Friday Night Lights
These athletes are far from the Super Bowl, but their fans are just as rabid. Before it was an outstanding TV show, Friday Night Lights was an outstanding nonfiction book following the Permian Panthers high-school football team in Odessa, TX. This nicely done film adaptation ably captures the players' personal and sports-related struggles as they carry the optimism of a hopeless town on their shoulders. A subdued and wise Billy Bob Thornton stars as coach, but the movie is most notable for its ability to make us care deeply about each of the players despite not really knowing any of them - kind of like a real football team.

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The Blind Side: An Unexpected Delight

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:30:42 -0800

It's not that the trailer for The Blind Side isn't compelling; the problem is that it combines Sandra Bullock's twangiest, most-over-the top lines with a heartrending song, which makes it seem schlocky. That's exactly what I expected from the movie, but I have to admit that I was wrong - to my surprise, I found it to be a sentimental gem that's actually quite restrained.

The Blind Side is the true story (based on Michael Lewis's book) of NFL player Michael Oher, who grew up in Memphis's projects with his drug-addicted mother and landed in and out of foster homes. He ended up in a fancy private school and in the home of a wealthy family, the Touhys, led by tough-talking Leigh Anne (Bullock). The weaving of Michael's newfound life in the movie is effective, with sweet bits of humor and just enough emotion.

To see what I liked about the film, just read more.

The movie is full of many surprises: first, it looks like it's going to be mainly about football, but it's not all sports. There is proper attention given to Michael's life before he's taken in and the development of the relationships between the Touhy family members and Michael.

Another nice thing is how smoothly Bullock slides into her role. It's not just her wardrobe and hair that transforms her into the high-maintenance Southern matriarch; her manner as the tough mom who's not completely comfortable showing emotion is very natural - not what I'd expect from the laid-back actress.

Quinton Aaron is also impressive as a sad-eyed orphan turned well-adjusted student and son over the course of the movie. It's not an incredibly complex performance, but his teddy bear presence is irresistible. The supporting players are equally as enjoyable: Tim McGraw, whom I didn't expect much from, is charming, while the Touhy children win you over with their affection for their new brother. The late addition of Kathy Bates (whose role is basically an extended cameo) is hardly needed to bolster the movie, but she adds a nice touch as well.

At two hours and six minutes, the movie is a little too long; director John Lee Hancock seemed intent on fitting in nearly every detail of Michael's journey. Then again, at the end you're rewarded with the payoff: footage and photos of the real-life Touhys and Michael. It's an emotionally satisfying ending to a movie that makes no apologies for being so uplifting.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.