Someone doesn’t have to be a fan of football to enjoy football movies, although it doesn’t hurt. Quite a few awesome football movies are out there. Some are funny, some are poignant, and a few will make viewers cry. Others offer lighthearted, good-natured fun for the sports enthusiast. Most of them, however, have one thing in common: the ability to leave the viewer cheering for lovable characters who overcome some type of adversity with a winning spirit and usually with the help of a team.
One of the most recent football movies to make a big impact on the silver screen is “The Blind Side.” This 2009 flick is based on the Michael Lewis bookThe Blind Side: Evolution of a Game.It stars the always-spot-on Sandra Bullock as a caring sports fanatic who, with the help of her family, befriends and subsequently adopts a traumatized homeless boy and helps him become an All-American player and a first-round draft pick for the NFL. It is based on the true-life story of the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive lineman Michael Oher. Bullock won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film, which was nominated for Best Picture.
Some football movies have the capacity to inspire, and “Radio” is certainly one of them. This 2003 classic is also based on a true story that was adapted for the screen and brought to life by “The Rookie” screenwriter, Mike Rich. This movie features a mentally challenged boy, Radio, played by Cuba Gooding, Jr., who is befriended by Ed Harris’ character, Coach Harold Jones. The boy is allowed to help out with the school’s football team and continues to support the team for three decades despite controversy and sometimes ill treatment he receives in the process. Overall, “Radio” is a feel-good movie based on an inherently moving story with some solid performances and talented actors.
Another football movie based on a true story that sticks in the hearts of fans is “Gridiron Gang.” This 2006 movie stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as a counselor at a juvenile detention center who sets out to teach a group of teens teamwork and self-esteem by forming a football team. It is based on the true story of a team that was made up of juvenile offenders in Los Angeles-the Kil