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Films with theme "American football films", sorted by production date
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Necessary Roughness (1991)
, 1h48Directed by Stan Dragoti
Genres Comedy
Themes Sports films, American football films
Actors Scott Bakula, Héctor Elizondo, Robert Loggia, Harley Jane Kozak, Larry Miller, Sinbad
The Texas State University Fightin' Armadillos were once one of the most powerful teams in college football. After winning consecutive national championships, massive NCAA violations resulted in the program having to forfeit years' worth of victories. All of the previous players and coaches are banned from returning except Charlie Banks, the only "clean" player, who never got to play despite having "heart".
Origin USA
Genres Drama
Themes Medical-themed films, Sports films, American football films, Films about cancer
Actors Mario Van Peebles, Susan Ruttan, Lynn Whitfield, Polly Holliday
Everybody's All-American (1988)
, 2h7Directed by Taylor Hackford
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Romance
Themes Sports films, American football films
Actors Dennis Quaid, Jessica Lange, Timothy Hutton, John Goodman, Carl Lumbly, Ray Baker
Gavin Grey (Dennis Quaid) is a 1950s star athlete known by the moniker "The Grey Ghost," who plays football at Louisiana State University. His campus girlfriend Babs Rogers (Jessica Lange), nephew Donnie (Timothy Hutton) who also goes by the nickname "Cake," and friend Ed Lawrence (John Goodman), adore his personality and charm. During an important matchup in the Sugar Bowl, Gavin's play, which at times defined his competitiveness throughout his career, causes a player from the opposing team to fumble the ball, while he later returns it to score a game-winning touchdown.
The Best of Times (1986)
, 1h39Directed by Roger Spottiswoode
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Comedy-drama
Themes Sports films, American football films
Actors Robin Williams, Kurt Russell, Pamela Reed, Holly Palance, Donald Moffat, Margaret Whitton
Jack Dundee (Williams) is a banker obsessed with what he considers the most shameful moment in his life: dropping a perfectly thrown pass in the final seconds of the 1972 high school football game between Taft and their arch rivals, Bakersfield, which ended in a scoreless tie.
Lucas (1986)
, 1h40Directed by David Seltzer
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy, Comedy-drama, Romance
Themes Films about education, Sports films, American football films
Actors Corey Haim, Kerri Green, Charlie Sheen, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Winona Ryder, Tom Hodges
Lucas Bly (Haim) is an extremely intelligent and nerdy 14-year-old high school student. He soon becomes acquainted with Maggie (Green), an attractive older girl who had just moved to town. After meeting Lucas on one of his entomological quests, Maggie befriends him, spending time with him during the remainder of the summer until school begins. Lucas, who finds himself a frequent victim of bullying and teasing, has a protector of sorts, Cappie Roew (Sheen), a fellow student and football player; Cappie was once one of Lucas' tormentors, until Cappie contracted hepatitis and Lucas brought him his homework every day, ensuring that Cappie didn't fail and have to repeat a year of school. Even though Lucas deems it beneath her, Maggie becomes a cheerleader for the football team in order to get closer to Cappie, on whom she has a growing crush. Angered and offended by Maggie continuing to ignore him, Lucas begins to irritate Maggie, continuing to castigate her cheerleading as "superficial" and making the incorrect assumption that she will be his date to an upcoming school dance. Maggie complains to Lucas that she's interested in things besides just hanging out with him all the time, and Lucas' unrequited affection for her continues to upset him.
Wildcats (1986)
, 1h46Directed by Michael Ritchie
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy, Action
Themes Films about racism, Sports films, American football films
Actors Goldie Hawn, Jan Hooks, Swoosie Kurtz, Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson, Robyn Lively
Molly McGrath is the daughter of a famed football coach who is dying to head her own team. When her wish is finally granted, Molly leaves her job coaching girls' track at an affluent high school (Prescott High School) to take over a football team at an inner-city high school (Central High School)--the kind of place where guard dogs are needed to patrol the campus. At first the new coach’s idealism and optimism are suffocated with racial and gender prejudice, but eventually her overriding spirit begins to whip her unruly team into shape. At the same time, she must also struggle to win a battle for the custody of her two young daughters. The real test for Molly comes when her Central High team faces Prescott in the city championship.
The Bear (1984)
, 1h50Directed by Richard C. Sarafian
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Biography
Themes Sports films, American football films
Actors Gary Busey, Jon-Erik Hexum, Cary Guffey, D'Urville Martin, Michael McGrady, Harry Dean Stanton
The Bear follows the life of Paul "Bear" Bryant (Busey), head coach of the University of Alabama football team, who died in 1983. Jon-Erik Hexum, who played Pat Trammell, also stars in the film.
Chattanooga Choo Choo (1984)
, 1h42Directed by Bruce Bilson
Origin USA
Genres Comedy
Themes Sports films, Transport films, Rail transport films, American football films, Musical films
Actors Barbara Eden, George Kennedy, Melissa Sue Anderson, Christopher McDonald, Clu Gulager, James Horan
The film follows the story of football team owner Bert (George Kennedy) who will inherit one million dollars from a railroad tycoon if he can successfully drive a steam train from New York City to its namesake of Chattanooga, Tennessee in 24 hours. He invites his girlfriend Maggie (Barbara Eden) and his team on the train, who invite their own guests and pick up new ones along the trip. The comedy is derived from numerous delays along the way.
All the Right Moves (1983)
, 1h31Directed by Michael Chapman
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Romance
Themes Sports films, American football films, Children's films
Actors Tom Cruise, Craig T. Nelson, Lea Thompson, Charles Cioffi, Gary Graham, Chris Penn
Stefan "Stef" Djordjevic (Tom Cruise) is a Serbian-American high school defensive back who is both gifted in sports and academics seeking a college football scholarship to escape the economically depressed small western Pennsylvania town of Ampipe and a dead-end job and life working at the mill like his father and brother Greg. Ampipe is a company town whose economy is dominated by the town's main employer, American Pipe & Steel, a steel mill struggling through the downturn of the early 1980s recession.
Quarterback Princess (1983)
, 1h36Directed by Noel Black
Origin USA
Genres Drama
Themes Films about education, Sports films, American football films
Actors Helen Hunt, Don Murray, Barbara Babcock, Dana Elcar, John Stockwell, Severn Darden
North Dallas Forty (1979)
, 1h59Directed by Ted Kotcheff
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy, Comedy-drama
Themes Sports films, American football films
Actors Nick Nolte, Mac Davis, Charles Durning, Dayle Haddon, Bo Svenson, Steve Forrest
Wide receiver Phil Elliott (Nolte) plays for a 1970s era professional football team based in Dallas, Texas named the North Dallas Bulls, which closely resembles the Dallas Cowboys.
Heaven Can Wait (1978)
, 1h37Directed by Warren Beatty, Craig R. Baxley, Buck Henry
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Fantastic, Comedy, Romantic comedy, Fantasy, Romance
Themes Films about religion, Sports films, American football films, Ghost films, Musical films, Films based on plays
Actors Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, James Mason, Jack Warden, Charles Grodin, Dyan Cannon
Joe Pendleton (Warren Beatty), a backup quarterback for the American football team Los Angeles Rams, is looking forward to leading his team to the Super Bowl. While riding his bicycle through the Mulholland Drive tunnel under Sepulveda Boulevard in Los Angeles, he collides with a truck. An over-anxious guardian angel (Buck Henry) on his first assignment plucks Joe out of his body early, in the mistaken belief that his death is imminent, and Pendleton arrives in the afterlife.
They Called Him Bulldozer (1978)
, 1h50Directed by Michele Lupo
Origin Italie
Genres Comedy, Action
Themes Sports films, American football films
Actors Bud Spencer, Raimund Harmstorf, Reinhard Kolldehoff, Nando Paone, Riccardo Pizzuti, Giovanni Cianfriglia
Bulldozer is a sailor and a retired American football superstar; landed by accident in the port of Livorno, he is involved in a sport challenge.
Black Sunday (1977)
, 2h23Directed by John Frankenheimer, Marc Monnet
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Thriller, Action, Adventure, Crime
Themes Sports films, Films about terrorism, Transport films, Aviation films, American football films, Disaster films, American disaster films
Actors Robert Shaw, Bruce Dern, Marthe Keller, Fritz Weaver, Bekim Fehmiu, Steven Keats
Michael Lander is a pilot who flies the Goodyear Blimp over National Football League games to film them for network television. Secretly deranged by years of torture as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, he had a bitter court martial on his return and a failed marriage. He longs to commit suicide and to take with him as many as possible of the cheerful, carefree American civilians he sees from his blimp each weekend.
Semi-Tough (1977)
, 1h48Directed by Michael Ritchie
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy, Romantic comedy, Romance
Themes Sports films, American football films, Buddy films
Actors Burt Reynolds, Kris Kristofferson, Jill Clayburgh, Robert Preston, Lotte Lenya, Bert Convy
Wide receiver Marvin "Shake" Tiller and running back Billy Clyde Puckett are football buddies who play for a Miami pro team owned by Big Ed Bookman (Preston). Bookman's daughter Barbara Jane is roommates with both men, and the film depicts a subtle love triangle relationship between Barbara Jane and her two friends. She initially has romantic feelings for Shake, who has become more self-confident after taking self-improvement training from seminar leader Friedrich Bismark. The program is called Bismark Earthwalk Action Training, or B.E.A.T. After Shake completes his course, he and Barbara Jane sleep together and start a relationship. Barbara Jane is not a follower of B.E.A.T., and Shake is warned by his leader Bismark that "mixed marriages don't work.