Any Given Sunday

As soon as I saw the first poster for this, I wanted to see the movie. I didn't know who was in it, when it was coming out, nothing. I just knew it was a football movie. When I saw that Pacino was going to be the head coach of a team, and that actual NFL stars would have a couple of minor roles, I was really psyched. When the movie began, ... I watched in horror as Major League 3 moved up in my list of favorite sports movies.
The main story of this jaunt is the course of a pro football team's season, on the field and off. The starting QB is knocked out for the season, making way for the new punk kid quarterback. The star of the defense is one hit away from dying. The original owner of the team dies, leaving the team in the hands of his money-minded daughter. The head coach struggles to fight his team (forcing them to cooperate) and the owner (who wants to sell the team or move it). All the while, the media heats every minor situation to a boiling point. What's not to love?!?
For starters, the script is melodramatic and clumsy; there is no good way to deliver a line that was meant to be clever but isn't. The hype on the rookie QB is just a little too quick, too high. And speaking of high, what the hell is Lawrence Taylor doing in movies? Now there's no cocaine left for the rest of Hollywood (in a related story, Courtney Love is moving back to Seattle...). The multiple-camera angle stuff and jerky film worked with JFK, to a certain extent, but Oliver Stone goes overboard on this. The film ends up as more of a comedy as you try to stifle giggles brought on by overacting (i.e. : ESPN the Magazine, Feb 7, p23: - "...it's hard not to laugh when Pacino asks his Sharks, 'Are you willing to die for that inch?' (Uh, no.)").
When it comes down to it, the last football movie I actually remember thoroughly enjoying is still The Longest Yard. But then, what's not to love about a prison guard taking a spiral to the goolies twice in a row? See this on any given Sunday there's not something better to do, like picking up the doggie mines in the yard.

Back to the reviews main page