6 Best Football-Themed Movies

With its tension, emotion and twisting narratives, football is the perfect subject for movies. There have been plenty over the years, and some particularly special creations that linger long in the memory.

#1 Friday Night Lights

This movie was such a success that it spawned its own television series. It has everything that you’d want from a movie of any genre, including emotion, a stellar set of performances and even thought-provoking social commentary. Friday Night Lights revolves around a Texan football coach struggling to keep his successful team together after their star player is injured. It’s about far more than that, though, and examines the social pressures of the town.

#2 Leatherheads

Far removed from the seriousness of Friday Night Lights, Leatherheads is an overwhelmingly feel-good sports comedy. It’s star-studded too, with performances from George Clooney, John Krasinski and Renée Zellweger. The narrative follows a football captain (Clooney) as he strives to give the sport more mass market appeal and boost its popularity. It’s certainly not the movie of choice for purists but it’s laugh out loud funny.

#3 Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook shifts the action away from the field to focus on fans instead. The protagonist is a football fan fresh out of a mental institution. He returns home to rebuild his relationship with his father but quickly falls for a family friend played by Jennifer Lawrence. Among all the action, it’s a love of football that binds this movie together. If you’re a long time follower of the sport, own a season ticket and follow all the latest NFL betting trends, then you’ll love Silver Linings Playbook.

#4 Little Giants

An underdog tale with a twist, Little Giants puts Rick Moranis in the starring role. He’s charged with developing a team of young talent to defeat an elite squad coached by his brother. The dynamic between the two rival coaches is fascinating and the underdog tale heartwarming, but there’s more depth to Little Giants than meets the eye. The town is riven with social and economic divides that come to the fore on the pitch.

#5 The Waterboy

This strange tale of a misfit waterboy who becomes the star of his college football team shouldn’t work as well as it does. It’s outright bizarre, but Sandler embodies the role of the titular waterboy and there are laughs at every turn. The movie also has an emotional undertone as the waterboy’s mother tries to keep hold of him and shield him from the outside world. Sandler’s comedies can be hit and miss at times, but this falls firmly into the category of a big and hilarious hit.

#6 We Are Marshall

Based on a true story, this movie can be a difficult watch at times, but it’s poignant, affirming and (eventually) heartwarming. Mathew McConaughey stars as a coach who must nurture his team through one of the most difficult periods of their life, in the wake of a plane crash that killed many of their fellow players.

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