TravelingbeebryantRN & Flicks_withNick

With the football season back, the next review from Flicks_withNick is the 1999 classic, Any Given Sunday. The all-star cast includes Al Pacino as Coach Tony D’Amato, Dennis Quaid as Cap Rooney, Cameron Diaz as Christina Pagniacci, Jamie Foxx as Willie Beamen, and LL Cool J as Julian Washington. The movie also stars former football player Jim Brown, and scene stealing linebacker Lawrence Taylor. Movie is directed by Oliver Stone. I was Shocked to learn that the movie only has a 52% Rotten Tomatoes score with a 73% audience rating. 

Film opens with the Miami Sharks playing Minnesota Americans. I guess they couldn’t get the rights from the NFL to use their teams and logos. I wonder if it was because of the excessive language, and drug use lol. The very first play, aging quarterback star Cap gets hurt after a brutal sack. Then the next play the 2nd string QB goes down. 

I love the fast pace editing with sound effects when they show gameplay. It honestly feels like you’re part of the action, and getting a concussion yourself. The third string QB Beamen comes in, and right away he’s a disaster, and even puked in the huddle. 

 The editing has fast cuts between all people that are part of the game. The football players, the coaches, the medical staff, and even the Owner. The Sharks end up losing their game, and it’s now the 4th straight loss.

In between the next game, Christina and Coach D’Amato have a heated conversation. She has inherited her team from her belated father. She’s trying to make a name for herself, while Coach is living in the past, and preferred his dealings with the dad. We only see their relationship boil as the season progresses. 

The next game, Beamen gets another chance after the 2nd string QB under performs. Jeez he had a short leash lol. Sharks come out with a victory due to his play, and the Sharks now have a star on the rise. When the game ends, the next scene takes us to the after party in the locker room. Totally forgot how much male nudity is in the movie. Even Christina comes in, and makes sexual jokes to the players. I’m sorry, but no way an owner is lurking around when the players are all changing, no matter how much sway she has.

As the season continues Beamen starts getting every endorsement, and on every magazine cover (back when that used to be huge lol). I’m just confused, how many games did he play before he started getting endorsements? Feel like someone would have to win at least 5 straight before that happens. It feels like the run Jeremy Lin had on the Knicks. The guy even gets his own music video. 

The sharks make the playoffs, and we get the famous speech from the coach about inches in life. This speech has even been featured in commercials. I remember it being more impactful and memorable, like the speech from the President on Independence Day, but I was a little disappointed. I think my expectations were too high. 

The Sharks play the Dallas Knights, and WOW are the uniforms for Dallas the most ugly thing ever. I don’t know how anyone can play for them, it’s that hideous. The game was so intense that a player from Dallas lost an eye. I found this scene to be super unnecessary, and gross for no reason. LT goes down, and he’s about to go on a stretcher, but he only cares that he got his bonus, and made the stop. 

My favorite scene in the game is not even the game winning play, but the play before. Beamon scrambled for a huge play to the four yard line. As he’s scrambling out of the pocket, and running down the sideline, they would have a dramatic cut between the play clock, and his running play. Makes you think this is going to be the last play, and he’s not going to score. I think this editing style is now emulated in almost every football movie since this movie. 

The game ends on a last second play, just like every other football movie. Is it generic?  Yes of course, but at least this is the first round of the playoffs, and not the championship game. It felt like a total gut punch by the end of the game, and the Sharks gave it all on the field. 

I totally forgot that the movie continues during the credits.  The Sharks lost their next playoff game, and the audience thinks the coach is giving his retirement speech during a press conference. He actually tricks everyone, and says that he’s gonna coach the new expansion team, and take Beamon with them. This would never happen today with social media, the ball would drop, and everyone would know by the press conference. 

Overall I think this movie appeals to all football fans. This movie focuses more on the players, and the game. Other football movies focus on a love story, or some other agenda. Is there a subplot of Beaman trying to get his girl back? Yes but you can tie it back to football, as he started as a hot head, and then became more level headed, and appreciated her. Yes the movie is two and half hours, but with the fast cut scenes, and the story line, you’ll be entertained the entire time. 

I give this movie a 3.2 / 5. 

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