The best damn high school football movies, period.
Brought to you by Steve Ramirez
High school football is more than a game, but in someways a fabric of American life. A point that the Hollywood movie industry has discovered over the years, which brings up an interesting point: Which is the best movie about high school football?
Now this type of debate could be heated as much as who is the top team in the Valley this fall. But from my perspective, here are the top five that I have saved permanently on my Blockbuster Online account:
1. All the Right Moves
The Take: This is top dog, the Picasso of the genre. It stars a very young Tom Cruise and we get a side of Craig T. Nelson that we never saw in "Coach." This tale of the Ampipe football team hits a home run in epitomizing the passion that a community has for its high school football team. The action scenes are also believable, except maybe Coach Nickerson's decision not to take a safety in the waning moments, which result in a heart-breaking loss to a rival school.
Best Line: " A fluke? That pass-interference penalty was no fluke. If you had done it the way I taught you, they never would've been down there in the first place, and they never would've scored, and we would've won that game!" Craig T. Nelson as Coach Nickerson scolding Tom Cruise's Stef Djordjevic
2. Remember the Titans
The Take: This is the true tale of the 1971 T.C. Williams High (Va.) football team and how its ability to put race aside bring a town together. Denzel Washington and William Patton are certainly believeable as head coach Herman Boone and defensive coordinator Bill Yost. I like everything from the training camp scenes to the on-the-field action. The end is somewhat of a cliche, though. I just find it hard to believe in a championship game that a defense would let one team score on a 70-yard run as time expired.
Best Line: "If we don't come together right now on this hallowed ground, we too will be destroyed, just like they were. I don't care if you like each other of not, but you will respect each other. And maybe... I don't know, maybe we'll learn to play this game like men. " - Denzel Washington as coach Herman Boone giving a motivational speech to his team.
3. Friday Night Lights
The Take: Another true tale, this time from Odessa, Texas. The story is very believable and inspirational. The final play is awesome, because its true to life. Plus, the hidden message - that its not about the final answer but the journey; that being perfect is not about going 14-0, but giving your all.
Best Line: "Being perfect is not about that scoreboard out there. It's not about winning. It's about you and your relationship with yourself, your family and your friends. Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know that you didnt let them down because you told them the truth. And that truth is you did everything you could. There wasnt one more thing you could've done. Can you live in that moment as best you can, with clear eyes, and love in your heart, with joy in your heart? If you can do that gentleman - you're perfect!"
- Billy Bob Thornton as coach Gary Gaines giving an emotional halftime speech during the Texas State championship game.
4. School Ties
The Take: High School football is nearly a back drop to a film about a jewish quarterback, played by Brendan Fraser, who has to deal with the racism of playing at parochial school in the 1950s. We also learn that recruiting players from other schools wasn't a concept born in the 1990s.
Best Line: "Was it worth it? Breaking a tradition just to win a football game? - Peter Donat's Headmaster Bartram talking to Fraser's David Greene.
5. Best of Times
The Take: This is one of my personal favorites on the list and the only comedy. It's the tale of Jack Dundee, a banker, who can't forget dropping the winning TD pass some 13 years before and preventing Taft from upsetting rival Bakersfield. It's more about adults trying to recapture their past glory, but high school football is the on-going theme. And it hits home to anyone who has failed in sports and would love to make up for it.
Best Line: "I'm not a has-been. I'm a never-was. I aspire to be a has-been. - Robin Williams as Jack Dundee, wanting desperately to make up for his blunder years before
HONORABLE MENTION
Varsity Blues - A fictional tale about playing football in Texas. Jon Voigt is good as the coach you love to hate. But this is a cheap version of "Friday Night Lights."
Fast Times at Ridgemont High - A 1970s cult classic that only misses the list because its more about high school life than football, but the football scenes and references are classic.
Gridiron Gang - A pretty good take on the beginnings of the Camp Kilpatrick football program.
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Look there is North Dallas Forty and Any Given Sunday. Remember The Titans is the best!
92AMAT The Program ALWAYS gets the blood pumping ...
LATTIMAR ....WOW !!! HGH @ it's best .
None of these movies capture the TRUE essence of what it is to play HS football, let alone the game it self.
how about honorable mention for Wildcats. I tha dit moments and you can tforget the rap at the end of the movie.
3 o'clock high!!!
Jerry kicking Buddy's ass in the end is great!
FYI . FAST TIMES WAS 80's NOT 70's .And had a FEW ak football scenes . HOW BOUT' THEM TARTANS !?!?!?
TM
Pretty cool list. As has been pointed out, the 1971 TC Williams Titans were a thoroughly dominant team, they won virtually all their games very easily, the only game which was fairly close they still won by two scores. Th racial thing in RTT was overplayed too.
I liked "All the Right Moves" because hey - Lea Thompson nude gets lots of bonus points.
Friday Night Lights the movie did not capture, IMO the raw excitement captured in the book. The book was superb. The movie was good, but not great. Boobie Miles actually got hurt in a pre-season scrimmage, not in the first game, as depicted in the movie.
I thought Varsity Blues was about as cliched a high school football movie there ever was.
My favorite football movie of all time isn't a HS football movie, but a college football movie, "The Program."
I think you are confusing it with a different movie. Gridiron Gang, which was released in 2006, is about the first year of the Camp Kilpatrick football team, according to IMDB.com
steve,
Grid gang is about Texas A&M you tool! This proves once again that you should not be reporting on anything that has to do with football. Stop already.
Throw me the Damn ball Reno!! Want some more medicine Dr. Death?
Anonymous at September 13, 2007 12:43 PM
YOUR AN IDIOT. GO BACK TO THE IE
Hey man, I know "Longest Yard" does not fit into this category. But I got really pumped up when those he-she cheerleaders started waiving their poms poms, reminded me of my high school years. Those cheerleaders back then had 5 o'clock shadows.
Alright Fred, you got that one. That always made me laugh because Cal Poly Pomona no longer had a football program when the movie came out. Oh yeah, you know I saw it on opening day at the theater.
Cal Poly
How about FACING THE GIANTS????
Anonymous "on crack"? @ 12:43. Glendora respects their opponents. Why do you want to see men in skirts?
The only people covering the GHS defeat is always quiet leading up to the game. They will all talk trash when they win or you will here them say how EHS was ranked ahead of them. Bottom line. I hope they get smoked this week. Thats what I would like to see. A bunch of men in skirts cry.
Trivia: At the end of all the right moves, which college offered Craig T Nelsons character a secondary coaching positon. Hint, it's local.
The only people covering the GHS lose is always quiet leading up to the game. They will all talk trash when they win or you will here them say how EHS was ranked ahead of them. Bottom line. I hope they get smoked this week. Thats what I would like to see. A bunch of men in skirts cry.
FRED, Is anyone covering the Etiwanda-Glendora game?
I also liked Varsity Blues. Lots of that goes on in the HS varsity football circle right now. The parties after the games. Yound adult Seniors drinking beer. (dont lie to yourself it still happens). The stripping Teacher was a nice touch. Boosters parents drinking also. Most fields today have the state of the art facilities now, but over at Amats Kiefer stadium you can shoot a old time movie with this field, that stadium bleachers still have the origin wood that creeks when you walk up those stairs. The announcers booth is old and the bleachers are surrounded by aluminun siding. Built in 1958 this place has not had many face lifts but just good Ol'blue paint.
But guys....Varsity Blues has got to be #4.
"Dawson" on his way to the Ivy league without the support of his coach comes up with,
"... In America, we have laws. Laws against killing, laws against stealing. And it is just accepted that as a member of American society, you will live by these laws. In West Canaan, Texas, there is another society which has it's own laws. Football is a way of life."
But the one we remember, "... I don't want your life!..."
and the whipped cream bikini : )
It's the sport of kings, better than diamond rings. Football.
What about Wildcats with Goldie Hawn. I dont know if that was HS or College but it was not that bad. Playing that last game as a senior is always a special game, lots will feel that after this year and will hand the torch over to their junior and sophmore teamates and never put the pads on again. So if your a senior out there enjoy every game this season have fun stay safe and live the moment. These times will live with you for the rest of your lives. To all SGV teams good luck this Friday.
What about "Wildcats" with Goldie Hawn as the football coach...and Woody Harrelson as one of the players. The best part of the movie...the cheerleaders " U-G-L-Y you ain't got no aliby, you UGLY, uhuh, YOU UGLY!! Fun movie...
Although I truly enjoyed RTT I was a bit dissapointed to learn that many of iconic scenes never happened. Berteir was paralyzed in an accident, but it was after the season was over, while he was on his way to the end of year banquet. T.C. Williams dominated that year and won the championship handily, no need for the dramatic strategy change that caught "Old Ed Henry" off guard. All the teams the Titans played were from shools dealing with forced busing and integration and all had black players on their team as well.
Great story and I am sure there were many dramatic moments to the season, but much of what made the movie great, never actually happened.
It was a great story, too bad
My vote has to be "Quarterback Princess" with Helen Hunt. MMMMMMMM! Helen Hunt!
Again, this thread is about HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL movies. Rudy is about COLLEGE FOOTBALL.
After reading some the comments, I went back and inserted the Gary Gaines speech from "Friday Night Lights," as it is published on IMDB.com That is the better of the two lines in the movie.
I remember "Blood Sport." It was a great movie. These are just on top of the list.
Ha Ha: "Waterboy" is not on the list because that's about college football, and this is list is for movies about high school football. It's the same reason for "Little Giants," which is about Pee-Wee football.
Omg How Aren't You guys goin to put the infamous RUDY on here come on who agrees with me
man, its tought between friday night lights and remember the titans...but im gonna go with remember the titans. only beacuse of the half time speech, that thing is amazing
Great list Steve, I would have added just one...Radio...
the program got me pumped up during my damien days
Gary Busey was in that one about a high school athlete is torn between his father, who wants him to get a football scholarship, and his coach, who wants a winning season. Good action and a good idea what it's like to play with that strap lined helmets as opposed to the air helmets of today.
where is the waterboy, and the little giants
the best line from friday night lights is the coach gaines half time speech "its real simple you got tomorrow quarters and thats it most of you have been playing this game for 10 years you got two more quarters and after that most of you will never play this game as long as you live ya'll known me for a while and for a long time now you been hearing me talk about being perfect i want you to understand something to me Being perfect is not about that scoreboard out there. It's not about winning. It's about you and your relationship with yourself, your family and your friends. Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know that you didnt let them down because you told them the truth. And that truth is you did everything you could. There wasnt one more thing you could've done. Can you live in that moment as best you can, with clear eyes, and love in your heart, with joy in your heart? I want you to take a moment, and I want you to look each other in the eyes. I want you to put each other in your hearts forever because forever is about to happen here in just a few minutes. I want you to close your eyes, and I want you to think about Boobie Miles, who is your brother. And he would die to be out there in that field with you tonight. And I want you to put that in your hearts. Boys my heart is full. My heart is full"
Hahaha, Tom Cruise looks whimpy in that yellow unifom. Hey what about "Blood Sport" about some gritty football players during the 70's?
It was a good movie.
It figures that you would pick a midget playing the star role steve. wish upon a star and keep dreaming " big guy ".