The Best Football Films & Documentaries Every Sports Fan Should Watch (Again)
As we approach the end of football season, we thought it apropos to showcase certain films and documentaries from the BlackCinemadb.com database which emphasizes the strength and mental toughness it takes to play the game – from inspiring and memorable biopics to thought-provoking and compelling documentaries.
1. Remember the Titans (2000)
"If you survive camp, you will be on the team. If you survive."
Director: Boaz Yakin
Writer: Gregory Allen Howard
In 1971, at the desegregated T. C. Williams High School, a black head coach, Herman Boone is hired to lead the school's football team. Boone is assigned to the coaching team under current coach, Bill Yoast, nominated for the Virginia High School Hall of Fame.
2. Undefeated (2011)
Documentary
"You think football builds character. It does not. It reveals character."
Director: Daniel Lindsay, T.J. Martin
This documentary follows the life of three underprivileged students from inner-city Memphis and their volunteer coach who tries to help them beat the odds on and off the field.
NOW STREAMING ON NETFLIX
3. Any Given Sunday (1999)
"We know when we add up all those inches, that's going to make the f**cking difference between winning and losing...between living and dying."
Director: Oliver Stone
Writer: Daniel Pyne, John Logan, Oliver Stone
A behind-the-scenes look at the life-and-death struggles of modern-day gladiators and those who lead them.
4. Jerry Maguire (1996)
"I'll tell you why you don't have your $10 million dollars. Right now, you're a paycheck player. You play with your head and not your heart."
Director/Writer: Cameron Crowe
When slick sports agent Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) has a crisis of conscience, he pens a heartfelt company-wide memo that promptly gets him fired. Desperate to hang on to the athletes that he represents, Jerry starts his own management firm, with only single mother Dorothy Boyd (Renee Zellweger) joining him in his new venture. Banking on their sole client, football player Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.), Jerry and Dorothy begin to fall in love as they struggle to make their business work.
5. Last Chance U (2016)
Docuseries
"Life ain't fair. Football ain't fair. Don't worry about what happens. Just stay focused."
"Last Chance U" follows a group of young men training to become the future stars of the NFL. Based at East Mississippi Community College (EMCC), "Last Chance U" takes us on a journey to understand the real men of the gridiron at one of the most successful, but least known athletic programs. Each player has incredible talent and drive to be the best, but each face their own unique struggles both on and off the field. As their season takes an unexpected turn, the methods of this unconventional team are deeply called into question. With much to lose, they are constantly reminded of the stakes.
NOW STREAMING ON NETFLIX
6. Woodlawn (2015)
"When you play for yourself, you can be great. But when you play for something higher than yourself, that's when something extraordinary can happen."
Directors: Andrew Erwin, Jon Erwin
Writers: Jon Erwin, Quinton Peeples, Todd Gerelds (book), Mark Shlabach (book)
Following government-mandated desegregation in 1973, Tony Nathan (Caleb Castille) joins fellow African-American students at Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, Ala. As violence and anger erupt in the city, Woodlawn football coach Tandy Gerelds (Nic Bishop) allows an outsider (Sean Astin) to speak to his players. His message of hope and love leads to a spiritual awakening that inspires star athlete Nathan, his teammates and other members of the community to overcome the hate that surrounds them.
7. We Could Be King (2014)
Documentary
"We come from humility. We've got mismatched cleats, we go to different schools...difficult situations. But that's not what makes us weak. That's what makes us stronger than everybody else."
Director: Judd Ehrlich
Two schools that have been bitter sports rivals for 40 years are suddenly merged due to budget cuts. Now, their coaches strive to inspire the students to come together and lift one another up. Now streaming on Netflix.
8. Brian's Song (1971)
Director: Buzz Kilik
Writers: William Blinn, Gale Sayers (book), Al Silverman (book)
"Brian's Song" was a 1971 ABC Movie of the Week that recounts the details of the life of Brian Piccolo (played by James Caan), a Wake Forest University football player stricken with terminal cancer after turning pro, told through his friendship with Chicago Bears running back teammate and Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale Sayers.
9. The Express (2008)
"When I'm out on that field, I only think about winning the game. But that doesn't mean I don't know the color of my own skin."
Director: Gary Fleder
Writers: Charles Leavitt, Robert Gallagher
A drama based on the life of college football hero Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy.
10. Radio (2003)
"We do things as a team, Gentlemen. One player doesn't execute the difference between six yards or six points. Honeycutt, let's say we do some updowns as a team so we can appreciate that concept."
Director: Michael Tollin
Writer: Mike Rich
In a racially divided town, coach Jones (Ed Harris) spots a mentally disabled African-American student named Radio (Cuba Gooding Jr.) near his practice field and is inspired to befriend him. Soon, Radio is Jones' loyal assistant, and principal Daniels (Alfre Woodard) happily notes that Radio's self-confidence is skyrocketing. But things start to sour when Jones begins taking guff from fans who feel that his devotion to Radio is getting in the way of the team's quest for a championship. Inspired by true events.
11. Friday Night Tykes (2014)
Docuseries
The circus-like atmosphere of the Texas football program is on full show in this 3-season docuseries.
NOW STREAMING ON NETFLIX
12. Schooled: The Price of College Sports (2013)
Documentary
"It's not right. It wasn't right when I played and it was just hundreds of millions being made...and now it's billions upon billions. And there's no reason the players should be cut out completely.""
Director: Ross Finkel, Trevor Martin
Based on the Taylor Branch book The Cartel: Inside the Rise and Imminent Fall of the NCAA, the film explores the history and business of college sports as well as the treatment of NCAA athletes.
13. Two Days in April (2007)
Documentary
Four college players go for gridiron glory in this behind-the-scenes look at the NFL draft where million-dollar dreams are intercepted by reality.
NOW STREAMING ON NETFLIX
