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The best football movies, ranked

Get ready for the gridiron with these classic films

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American football laying on grass
Jean-Daniel Francoeur / Pexels

Whether it’s watching peewee league or NFL professionals tackling and dropping dimes, football is a special social event in the United States. The sport itself is complex, interesting, physical, and dynamic, but the intangibles are what define the gridiron. Football symbolizes toughness, camaraderie, and family, qualities all easily exhibited in some of our favorite Hollywood movies over the years.

Football movies can be corny, but they also teach lessons and build a cultural connection between Americans and the game they’ve come to love. To celebrate the start of another season, these are the best football movies to watch.

Recommended Videos

12. Heaven Can Wait (1978)

12. Heaven Can Wait
101m
Genre
Fantasy, Comedy, Romance
Stars
Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, James Mason
Directed by
Buck Henry, Warren Beatty
Watch on Amazon
Warren Beatty stars as Joe Pendleton, an NFL quarterback who reincarnates after his death in a different body. Pendleton’s guardian angel places him into quite an unfamiliar vessel: a millionaire businessman. He tries to adapt to the lifestyle of this person while juggling the responsibilities of both his old and new lives, including his dream of continuing his football career. The movie dabbles in fantasy, religion, and comedy for a classic 1970s cinema experience.
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11. We Are Marshall (2006)

11. We Are Marshall
124m
Genre
Drama, History
Stars
Matthew McConaughey, Matthew Fox, Anthony Mackie
Directed by
McG
Watch on Amazon
Matthew McConaughey ventured out of the rom-com genre with the bone-chilling story We Are Marshall. The Academy Award winner plays the football coach tasked with rebuilding Marshall University’s football program after a plane crash killed every person on the team. The movie proves how ingrained sports are in small college towns and the power of community outreach and intermingling when it’s time to heal from unimaginable trauma. Anthony Mackie gives a great supporting performance pre-Marvel career.

10. Varsity Blues (1999)

10. Varsity Blues
106m
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Stars
James Van Der Beek, Amy Smart, Jon Voight
Directed by
Brian Robbins
Watch on Amazon
Varsity Blues follows the lives of the West Canaan Coyotes football team. As interpersonal drama and sports stress mix into a melting pot of emotions, the young men on the gridiron have to figure out what’s truly important to them and how to handle pressure like never before. The movie is acclaimed for capturing small-town America and the intricacies of high school football culture in this setting.

9. Gridiron Gang (2006)

9. Gridiron Gang
125m
Genre
Crime, Drama
Stars
Dwayne Johnson, Xzibit, L. Scott Caldwell
Directed by
Phil Joanou
Watch on Amazon
Football has the power to teach lessons in relatable ways to people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to adapt to the world. Gridiron Gang gets you all fired up for the kids at Camp Kilpatrick, a real-life juvenile detention center, who realize their ticket out of prison is football. Dwayne Johnson excelled in this early-career role before shifting to action movie franchises and special effects extravaganzas. He portrays Coach Sean Porter, the man who successfully teaches the kids how to be productive and happy teenagers and, eventually, adults.

8. Concussion (2015)

8. Concussion
123m
Genre
Drama, History
Stars
Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks
Directed by
Peter Landesman
Watch on Amazon
Will Smith has some iconic films, but Concussion goes under the radar. A biopic about Dr. Bennet Omalu, the film tells the story of the doctor who discovered CTE, the disease that riddles many NFL football players after years of experiencing head trauma. The story is more prescient than ever, even if the people who run the NFL continue to omit information or gloss over the danger of the sport we have all come to love and watch.

7. Draft Day (2014)

7. Draft Day
110m
Genre
Drama
Stars
Kevin Costner, Jennifer Garner, Denis Leary
Directed by
Ivan Reitman
Watch on Peacock
The NFL Draft represents hope, excitement, and unpredictability. The future of so many franchises rests in the results of the draft, and Draft Day, starring Kevin Costner, does an excellent job encapsulating all of the emotions and nitty-gritty details of the annual spring event. The movie’s main character is Sonny Weaver Jr., the fictional executive of the Cleveland Browns who juggles personal and professional issues while contemplating the player who will turn the downtrodden franchise around once and for all.

6. Remember the Titans (2000)

6. Remember the Titans
113m
Genre
Drama
Stars
Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Wood Harris
Directed by
Boaz Yakin
Watch on Disney+
Denzel Washington delivers an all-time sports movie performance as Herman Boone, a successful high school football coach who has to grapple with the issues of racial diversity in a small town after the local team is integrated. The movie shows the power of football to erase big-world issues and resolve long-standing problems. Ryan Gosling appears in one of his first big roles as Alan Bosley.

5. Brian's Song (1971)

5. Brian's Song
73m
Genre
Drama, TV Movie
Stars
James Caan, Billy Dee Williams, Jack Warden
Directed by
Buzz Kulik
Watch on Amazon
Football, and all sports, form lasting friendships that go well beyond the common interest of competing on the field. Brian’s Song is the heartbreaking and heartwarming true story of Chicago Bears teammates Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo and their brotherly friendship in the face of racial discrimination and terminal cancer for Piccolo. The film is one of the defining portrayals of heterosexual male bonding on screen, and it remains a classic comfort watch for people who don’t even love football.

4. Jerry Maguire (1996)

4. Jerry Maguire
139m
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Stars
Tom Cruise, Renée Zellweger, Cuba Gooding Jr.
Directed by
Cameron Crowe
Watch on Amazon
Tom Cruise’s best movie before he turned to action films was Jerry Maguire. The film is a stark contrast from many others on this list, as there isn’t as much on-field action or football minutiae involved in the proceedings. Cruise plays an NFL agent who leverages the power of his closest client, Arizona Cardinals player Rod Tidwell, to stay relevant in the industry. A great romance between Cruise and Renée Zellweger grounds the film.

3. Friday Night Lights (2004)

3. Friday Night Lights
118m
Genre
Drama
Stars
Billy Bob Thornton, Lucas Black, Garrett Hedlund
Directed by
Peter Berg
Watch on Amazon
More people may know about the television version of Friday Night Lights starring Kyle Chandler, but the film is equally fun. Billy Bob Thornton plays Gary Gaines, a high school football coach with the unenviable task of maintaining hope around a tiny rural town after the team undergoes an injury-riddled season. Those who know how vital high school football is to small-town America will relate to this movie.

2. The Longest Yard (2005)

2. The Longest Yard
113m
Genre
Drama, Comedy
Stars
Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, James Cromwell
Directed by
Peter Segal
Watch on Amazon
The Adam Sandler version of The Longest Yard remains the pinnacle of this story about a prison convict who relies on his professional football background to get out of the slammer. Burt Reynolds and Chris Rock feature heavily in supporting roles. The mix of eclectic talents on display makes for a unique and funny football movie that families still enjoy today.

1. Rudy (1993)

1. Rudy
114m
Genre
Drama, History
Stars
Sean Astin, Jon Favreau, Ned Beatty
Directed by
David Anspaugh
Watch on Amazon
The semi-true story of Rudy Ruettiger is a true tear-jerker. Rudy dreams of playing college football like so many kids in America, and through determination and a little bit of luck, he fulfills this wish and gets on the field for the University of Notre Dame. The scene in which Rudy is carried off the field is a defining cinematic experience that inspires millions.

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Shawn Laib
Shawn Laib
Contributor
Shawn Laib is a freelance writer with publications such as Den of Geek, Quote.com, Edge Media Network, diaTribe, SUPERJUMP…
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