Classic football films give nest alternative to the real thing

Although more people watch and attend football games, baseball remains "America's Pastime," and still seems to be the sentimental choice as a national sport. Moreover, the movie industry genuinely appears to prefer the diamond to the gridiron. This is evidenced by the abundance of stellar baseball films (i.e. "The Natural," "Pride of the Yankees, "Bull Durham"), and the dearth of quality football movies. Still, if you look closely enough at your local video store, you may be able to find a few enjoyable selections this football season.

Ever since early Hollywood legend Harold Lloyd starred in 1925's "The Freshman," the football field has been a common setting for comedy. While the same formula (put together a bunch of misfits and watch them develop into winners) has been used countless times, only a few of these types of movies have actually worked well onscreen. Perhaps the funniest of all the films is "The Longest Yard," where Burt Reynolds leads a team of convicts against their guards in a good old-fashioned, bone-crunchi

Goldie Hawn shows Woody Harrelson the real way to throw a football in the 1986 football comedy, "Wildcats." The film is one of the sports classics that portrays the light and humorous side of football.

ng game of football. The result is an event as unsportsmanlike as a Mike Tyson fight.

A few other football comedies worth checking out include: "Wildcats," "Necessary Roughness" and "Little Giants." "Wildcats" features Goldie Hawn as the coach of a rowdy inner-city high school team that includes Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. The action is dull but the students are not, and Nipsey Russell is a riot as the school's principal.

"Necessary Roughness," with an ensemble cast including Scott Bakula, Kathy Ireland, Sinbad and Rob Schneider, is a similar movie except that it takes place at a fictional Texas college. The family film "Little Giants" tells the same story as well, but without the offensive language.

In contrast to these completely juvenile comedies, "All the Right Moves" "The Best of Times," and "Jerry Maguire" use football as a catalyst for the maturation of the film's lead characters. The muddled but thoughtful "Moves" stars Tom Cruise as an ambitious high school player in a Pennsylvania steel town, hoping to earn a college scholarship. The dream begins to fade away when he has a run-in with his coach (Craig T. Nelson), and the harsh realities of working-class life begin to faze Cruise's character.

"The Best of Times" is the story of a man who, 20 years after dropping the winning pass in a high-school game, arranges for a rematch. Starring Robin Williams as the protagonist and Kurt Russell as a former teammate, the film was written by Ron Shelton (who directed "White Men Can't Jump," "Bull Durham" and "Tin Cup"). It is intelligent, pensive and funny. And, the final scene is one of the more unforgettable in sports movie history.

Last year's Oscar-nominated "Jerry Maguire," also with Cruise, combined humor and sensitivity for the perfect characteristic of sports sentiment.

Only a few films have attempted to explore the darker side of football, the most memorable of which are "North Dallas Forty" and "The Program." Considered by many to be the best movie ever made about the gridiron, "North Dallas Forty" features great performances by Nick Nolte and Dabney Coleman. Based on a best-selling book about the National Football League by Peter Gent, the film deals with labor abuse and its by-products (i.e. drug abuse) in professional football.

"The Program" touches on issues such as steroid use, alcoholism and rivalry among teammates, but it manages to be laughably over-dramatic in the process. However, it will probably be best remembered as the film that inspired a group of teens to lie down in the middle of a busy street with tragic consequences.

Still, the football movies that are most loved by audiences are the ones that seem to pour as much cheese as possible into their storylines. The earliest example of this sentimental writing is "Knute Rockne, All American" which features the famous scene where George Gipp (Ronald Reagan) tells his coach to "win just one for the Gipper."

Following in its footsteps is "Brian's Song" which is about the real life friendship between Chicago Bears running backs Gale Sayers (Billy Dee Williams) and Brian Piccolo (James Caan). Although the two are very different, they form a bond that is jeopardized when Piccolo develops cancer. The conclusion of the movie can leave both the meanest nose tackle and the most cynical critic in tears.

Yet, as far as football movies go, the standard by which our generation will judge other films is "Rudy." Starring Sean Astin as the title character, "Rudy" tells the somewhat true story of a kid who dreams of playing at Notre Dame but is told by everyone that he is too small and too slow. You don't have to be a film major to figure out what happens in the end. Despite its predictability and sappiness, the film manages to be extremely entertaining. Sparked by a wonderful music score, it can get even the biggest Wolverine fan to chant "Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!"

Although they are hard to find, there are a few football movies that manage to be quite entertaining. But, while these films may be an enjoyable way to spend two hours, they don't compare to the real thing. So, you might not want to choose this Saturday afternoon to check out some of these movies.

Tom Cruise, here as Cuba Gooding Jr.'s super sports agent in last year's "Jerry Maguire," has played the mastermind of football both on and off the field.

09-25-97