American Football
| Title | Year | Genre | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Freshman | 1925 | Comedy | Silent film |
| Maker of Men | 1931 | Drama | A football player finds it hard to please his coach, who's his father. |
| Horse Feathers | 1932 | Comedy | Marx Brothers farce about college football. |
| College Coach | 1933 | Drama | Star players get money, academic favoritism under new coach (Pat O'Brien). |
| Pigskin Parade | 1936 | Comedy | A "hillbilly" (Stuart Erwin) becomes a Texas college football hero. |
| Navy Blue and Gold | 1937 | Drama | Midshipman (James Stewart) clears father's name in time to play in Army-Navy game. |
| Touchdown, Army | 1938 | Drama | A cocky cadet (Robert Cummings) shapes up in time to play in Army-Navy game. |
| $1000 a Touchdown | 1939 | Comedy | Joe E. Brown inherits a college, offers money to any player who can score a touchdown. |
| Knute Rockne, All American | 1940 | Biographical | Life and career of Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne (Pat O'Brien), with Ronald Reagan as the Gipper. |
| Too Many Girls | 1940 | Comedy | Bodyguards hired to watch rich girl (Lucille Ball) in college end up on the football team. |
| Harmon of MIchigan | 1941 | Drama | Tom Harmon as himself, a college hero who weds sweetheart, becomes a coach. |
| The Spirit of Stanford | 1942 | Drama | Frankie Albert as himself, a high school quarterback who then attends Stanford. |
| Good News | 1947 | Musical | Tait College can win the big game, but only if its star (Peter Lawford) passes an exam. |
| Father was a Fullback | 1949 | Comedy | The daughter of State College's coach (Fred MacMurray) has a football-playing boyfriend who chooses her over Notre Dame. |
| Easy Living | 1949 | Drama | Pro quarterback Pete Wilson (Victor Mature) discovers he has a heart condition. |
| That's My Boy | 1951 | Comedy | Martin and Lewis college football comedy. |
| Saturday's Hero | 1951 | Drama | A Virginia university's halfback (John Derek) deals with injuries and money issues. |
| The Guy Who Came Back | 1951 | Drama | Injured, aging athlete (Paul Douglas) refuses to accept that his playing days are over. |
| The Rose Bowl Story | 1952 | Romance | A college gridiron star and a Rose Bowl princess fall in love. |
| Trouble Along the Way | 1953 | Comedy | A Catholic college in New York hires a new football coach (John Wayne). |
| Crazylegs | 1953 | Biographical | Based on college career of Elroy Hirsch, playing himself. |
| The All-American | 1953 | Drama | A quarterback (Tony Curtis) deals with hazing and hardship at a Chicago college. |
| Paper Lion | 1968 | Biographical | Adaptation of writer George Plimpton's tryout with Detroit Lions, starring Alan Alda. |
| Number One | 1969 | Drama | Fictional story of aging New Orleans Saints pro quarterback (Charlton Heston). |
| Brian's Song | 1971 | Biographical | Made for TV. Based on friendship between Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers of the Chicago Bears, and Piccolo's losing battle with cancer. James Caan and Billy Dee Williams. |
| The Longest Yard | 1974 | Comedy | Burt Reynolds prison-football film. |
| Two-Minute Warning | 1976 | Thriller | Fictional story of stadium sniper, starring Charlton Heston. |
| Gus | 1976 | Comedy | Disney tale of a football-kicking mule. |
| Something for Joey | 1977 | Biographical | television film on John Cappelletti, who won Heisman Trophy, lost brother to leukemia. |
| Semi-Tough | 1977 | Comedy | Based on Dan Jenkins pro football novel, starring Burt Reynolds. |
| Black Sunday | 1977 | Thriller | Terrorists attack a Super Bowl game, based on novel by Thomas Harris. |
| Heaven Can Wait | 1978 | Comedy | A remake of the 1941 film Here Comes Mr. Jordan, but with football as the backdrop instead of boxing. Warren Beatty as owner-quarterback of the Rams. |
| North Dallas Forty | 1979 | Drama | Based on Peter Gent pro football novel. Nick Nolte as a Dallas wide receiver. |
| Fighting Back | 1980 | Biographical | Story of Rocky Bleier and obstacles he had to overcome after returning from Vietnam. |
| Grambling's White Tiger | 1980 | Biographical | Fact-based TV film on Grambling University's first white quarterback (played by Bruce Jenner). |
| All the Right Moves | 1983 | Drama | Tom Cruise as a high school football player. |
| Quarterback Princess | 1983 | Biographical | Oregon schoolgirl seeks a chance to quarterback the boys' team. |
| The Bear | 1984 | Biographical | Made for TV biopic on the life and career of Alabama's Bear Bryant. |
| Against All Odds | 1984 | Drama | Pro receiver (Jeff Bridges) develops fatal attraction to daughter of team's corrupt owner. |
| Lucas | 1986 | Comedy | Not primarily about the sport; features a football-related subplot. |
| The Best of Times | 1986 | Comedy | Childhood friends replay their biggest game, starring Robin Williams and Kurt Russell. |
| Wildcats | 1986 | Comedy | Goldie Hawn as a high school football coach. |
| Johnny Be Good | 1988 | Comedy | Anthony Michael Hall as a star high school quarterback. |
| Everybody's All-American | 1988 | Drama | Dennis Quaid in adaptation of Frank Deford football novel. |
| Necessary Roughness | 1991 | Comedy | Story of a Texas college football team filled with misfits. |
| The Last Boy Scout | 1991 | Action | Crime action film; football marginal to plot. |
| School Ties | 1992 | Drama | High school bigotry story with Brendan Fraser and Matt Damon. |
| The Program | 1993 | Drama | James Caan as a college football coach. |
| Rudy | 1993 | Biographical | True story of quest by Rudy Ruettiger to enroll and play at Notre Dame. |
| Little Giants | 1994 | Comedy | Fiction about men who coach children's teams. |
| Rise and Walk: The Dennis Byrd Story | 1994 | Biographical | Television film on life and career-ending injury of New York Jets' Dennis Byrd. |
| Jerry Maguire | 1996 | Rom-Com | Tom Cruise as a pro athlete's agent. An Oscar for Cuba Gooding, Jr. |
| Angels in the Endzone | 1997 | Comedy | Direct-to-video sequel of the 1994 version of Angels in the Outfield. |
| The Garbage Picking Field Goal Kicking Philadelphia Phenomenon | 1998 | Comedy | Made for TV. |
| The Waterboy | 1998 | Comedy | Adam Sandler as a backward boy who helps Louisiana school's football team. |
| Air Bud: Golden Receiver | 1998 | Comedy | The second film in the Air Bud series. |
| Varsity Blues | 1999 | Drama | Texas high school football story starring James Van Der Beek. |
| Any Given Sunday | 1999 | Drama | Fiction about pro football with Al Pacino as a Miami coach. |
| The Fanatics | 1999 | Comedy | A television film with Ed Asner. |
| Marshall University: Ashes to Glory | 2000 | Documentary | Made for TV. A history of Marshall University football in late 20th century, starting with the 1970 plane crash and ending with the school's successes in the 1990s. |
| Remember the Titans | 2000 | Drama | Based on a true story about a Virginia high school coach, starring Denzel Washington. |
| The Replacements | 2000 | Comedy | Keanu Reeves in a fictional story about strike-breakers on a pro football team. |
| Brian's Song | 2001 | Drama | A remake of 1971 true story of Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo. |
| Full Ride | 2002 | Comedy | Bad-attitude teen is picked to play in a state all-star game. |
| Monday Night Mayhem | 2002 | Biographical | The creation of Monday Night Football, with John Turturro as sportscaster Howard Cosell. |
| The Slaughter Rule | 2002 | Drama | Ryan Gosling as a Montana high school six-man football player. |
| Junction Boys | 2002 | Biographical | Made for TV; based on a true story about coach Bear Bryant. |
| Hometown Legend | 2002 | Drama | A drifting teenager tries to play for a demanding high school coach. |
| Second String | 2002 | Comedy | television film about a man who gets to quarterback the Buffalo Bills. |
| Radio | 2003 | Drama | True story, with Cuba Gooding, Jr. as a challenged young man who aids a football coach. |
| Friday Night Lights | 2004 | Drama | Based on a true story about Texas high school football. |
| The Longest Yard | 2005 | Comedy | Remake of the 1974 film of the same title, with Adam Sandler. |
| Two for the Money | 2005 | Drama | Al Pacino in story about football gambling. |
| Code Breakers | 2005 | Drama | ESPN film on 1951 West Point cheating scandal, starring Scott Glenn. |
| Invincible | 2006 | Drama | Biopic of bartender Vince Papale (played by Mark Wahlberg), who gets to play for the Philadelphia Eagles. |
| We Are Marshall | 2006 | Drama | Matthew McConaughey in true story of college team's 1970 plane crash and aftermath. |
| Facing the Giants | 2006 | Drama | Christian-themed story of a high school coach. |
| Gridiron Gang | 2006 | Drama | Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, as man who creates team at juvenile detention center. |
| The Comebacks | 2007 | Comedy | Spoof of sports movies, featuring football coach "Lambeau Fields." |
| The Game Plan | 2007 | Comedy | Pro quarterback (The Rock) discovers that he has a daughter. |
| Leatherheads | 2007 | Comedy | George Clooney in fictional story of 1920s pro football. |
| Harvard Beats Yale 29-29 | 2008 | Documentary | Alumni (including Tommy Lee Jones) recall a memorable 1968 Ivy League game. |
| The Express | 2008 | Biographical | Factual account on the life of Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis. |
| The Longshots | 2008 | Comedy | Based on a true story of first girl to play in Pop Warner league. |
| The Band that Wouldn't Die | 2009 | Documentary | Made for TV as a part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. Explores the history of the Baltimore Colts, the team's controversial move to Indianapolis, and the NFL's return to Baltimore, through the common thread of the Colts marching band. |
| The Blind Side | 2009 | Biographical | High school career and recruitment of Michael Oher. An Oscar for Sandra Bullock. |
| The Legend of Jimmy the Greek | 2009 | Documentary | Made for TV as a part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. Explores the life of Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder, from his start as a Las Vegas bookmaker through his tenure at, and eventual firing from, The NFL Today. |
| Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL? | 2009 | Documentary | Made for TV as a part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. Follows the rise and demise of the 1980s United States Football League, highlighted by an interview with team owner Donald Trump. |
| The U | 2009 | Documentary | Made for TV as a part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. Chronicles the rise and dominance of the University of Miami program in the 1980s and 1990s. |
| The Best That Never Was | 2010 | Documentary | Made for TV as a part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. Examines the 1981 recruitment of Mississippi high school superstar Marcus Dupree and his injury-prone college and professional career, and how his recruitment changed the recruiting process. |
| Run Ricky Run | 2010 | Documentary | Made for TV as a part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. Examines the life and career of Ricky Williams, focusing on his 2004 departure from the NFL. |
| Straight Outta L.A. | 2010 | Documentary | Made for TV as a part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. Explores the relationship between the Raiders and the minority fan base during the team's 1982–1994 stint in Los Angeles. |
| The 5th Quarter | 2011 | Drama | Based on the story of Jon Abbate and the surprising 2006 season of Wake Forest University. |
| The Marinovich Project | 2011 | Documentary | Made for TV as a follow-up to ESPN's 30 for 30 series. Chronicles the rise and fall of former USC and NFL quarterback Todd Marinovich, focusing especially on the complex relationship between him and his father. |
| Pony Excess | 2011 | Documentary | Made for TV as a part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. A history of football at Southern Methodist University, focusing especially on the 1987 scandal that shut down the program for two years and on SMU football's struggle to rebuild. |
| Roll Tide/War Eagle | 2011 | Documentary | Made for TV as a follow-up to ESPN's 30 for 30 series. Explores the Iron Bowl, the intense rivalry between the University of Alabama and Auburn University, and how a devastating tornado and a destructive act of vandalism helped to place the rivalry in perspective. |
| Undefeated | 2011 | Documentary | Chronicles the 2009 season of Manassas High School, a longtime doormat of Memphis football attempting to pick up its first playoff win in history. Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. |
| Ghosts of Ole Miss | 2012 | Documentary | Made for TV as a part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. A 50-year retrospective on 1962 at the University of Mississippi, marked by an undefeated football season against the backdrop of violence over the school's integration. |
| Elway to Marino | 2013 | Documentary | Made for TV as a part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. A 30-year retrospective on the six quarterbacks selected in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft, focusing specifically on John Elway, the first of the six to be selected, and Dan Marino, the last. |
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Famous quotes containing the words american and/or football:
“Property as compared with humanity, as compared with the red blood in the American people, must take second place, not first place.”
—Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924)
“People stress the violence. That’s the smallest part of it. Football is brutal only from a distance. In the middle of it there’s a calm, a tranquility. The players accept pain. There’s a sense of order even at the end of a running play with bodies stewn everywhere. When the systems interlock, there’s a satisfaction to the game that can’t be duplicated. There’s a harmony.”
—Don Delillo (b. 1926)