The 6 best football movies — all based on a true story
Football season is almost over, and for the first time since the beginning of September, there will not be an NFL game this weekend for fans to enjoy.
The conference championships wrapped up Sunday with the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers advancing to the Super Bowl, which will be played on Feb. 11.
Both teams now have a bye week to use to prepare for the big game, while other top players in the NFL participate in the Pro Bowl in Orlando.
If you need more than a flag football game between Pro Bowlers for entertainment, consider watching a football movie this weekend. These generally heartwarming films feature players overcoming the odds, and some of the best football movies are based on true stories — albeit some more loosely than others.
Here are six football films based on true stories to watch this weekend:
1. ‘Home Team’ (2022)
This football comedy is one of my favorite movies of all time. “Home Team” will have you laughing the entire hour and a half. This film is loosely based on a true story, emphasis on loosely.
After being suspended for a year from the NFL for “Bountygate,” then-New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton (Kevin James) is approached by the coach (Taylor Lautner) of his estranged middle school-age son’s football team to help coach the winless and hopeless team. He agrees, much to his son’s dismay, and tries to turn the team around and rebuild his relationship with his son.
The team’s mishaps and hilarious quips carry the movie. Viewers should keep an eye out for the real Sean Payton’s cameo appearance.
Rating: PG “for crude material, language and some suggestive references,” according to IMDb.
Where to watch: Netflix.
2. ‘The Blind Side’ (2009)
Due to recent news, this film’s reputation may be soured, but I still consider it a must-watch and heartwarming film.
For those who don’t know, “The Blind Side” is the less-than true story of former NFL player Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) who is taken in by Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullock) and Sean Tuohy (Tim McGraw). In this Oscar-winning film, the Tuohys help the homeless teen tap into his football potential and to achieve a future greater than he could have ever imagined.
Rating: PG-13 “for one scene involving brief violence, drug and sexual references,” according to IMDb.
Where to watch: Fubo and Hulu.
3. ‘We Are Marshall’ (2006)
In 1970, a plane crash kills almost the entire football team and coaching staff of Marshall University. One of the players (Anthony Mackie), who wasn’t on the plane because he was injured, and the student body convince the university to restart the football program. They hire a new coach (Matthew McConaughey), who is tasked with recruiting an entire team that can live up to the legacy of the previous team and make the town and university proud while the weight of the tragedy still hangs in the air.
Rating: PG “for emotional thematic material, a crash scene, and mild language,” according to IMDb.
Where to watch: Rent from Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV+.
4. ‘Remember the Titans’ (2000)
In the 1970s, Black football coach Herman Boone is hired as a member of the football coaching staff at a desegregated high school. Boone is then promoted over the current head coach to “placate rising racial tensions,” according to IMDb. Boone must help his players come together as a team despite racial differences and field a winning team after he is later informed that he’ll lose his job if the team loses one game.
Rating: PG “for thematic elements and some language,” according to IMDb.
Where to watch: Disney+ and available to rent from Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV+.
5. ‘80 for Brady’ (2023)
This movie is definitely not the best football movie, but it will make you laugh. “80 for Brady” is a film based off a true story of a group of four friends and longtime New England Patriots fans (played by Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Fields) in their 80s, who decide they’re finally going to watch their favorite team and player, Tom Brady, play in the Super Bowl in person. But nothing goes as planned for the friends as they try to make it to the big game.
Brady produced and appears in the film alongside former teammate Rob Gronkowski.
Rating: PG-13 “for brief strong language, some drug content and some suggestive references,” according to IMDb.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video and Paramount+.
6. ‘American Underdog’ (2021)
“American Underdog” is the story of NFL Hall of Famer Kurt Warner (Zachary Levi) and how he went from working at a small-town grocery store to getting a shot in the NFL. The story also follows how the quarterback meets his now-wife Brenda (Anna Paquin) and how the two navigate the early years of their relationship with young kids as Kurt tries to chase his football dreams.
Rating: PG “for some language and thematic elements,” according to IMDb.
Where to watch: Hulu and available for rent on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+.