Possibly the greatest sports movie of all time!
Added 2/7/2010
Nick Nolte, Mac Davis and G.D. Spradlin are absolutely fantastic in this outstanding film about the business of professional NFL football. This is not a football film--it is a film about the big business of football. Phil Elliot (Nolte) is an aging wide receiver with the mythical North Dallas Bulls (obviously modeled on the Dallas Cowboys.) He is essentially rebelling against the cold-hearted businesslike approach of the team coach (G.D. Spradlin in one of his many great roles!). "None of you is as good as this computer!" screams the coach ungratefully when Elliot deviates from the computerized play and scores the game winning touchdown. The team owner admonishes Nolte with one of the greatest lines in any film: "...seeing through the game is not the same thing as winning the game."
This is a truly great movie. The combination of humor ("lying can be really good for a relationship...!) and the cold-blooded ruthlessness of the team owners and coaches gives this film a gritty authenticity that is difficult to describe. Nolte, Spradlin, and Davis are particularly excellent, but the supporting cast is equally good and propel this film into the ranks of the all-time greats.
I have read the book upon which this film is based, and it is good enough, but the screenplay here did things for the story that give it far more dimension than in the novel; a reversal of the usual state of affairs. This one is not to be missed. Not by anyone. Highly recommended.
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Worth watching
Added 1/8/2010
I saw this movie at the drive-in when it was released in 1979. It was great then, and it's good now. Enjoy!
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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good service
Added 6/22/2009
seller was on time with shipment and product arrived in condition as stated. I would use this seller again
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Great item, great price, great seller!
Added 1/6/2009
I bought and received the DVD the same week. Great packaging and service. I would definitely buy from this seller again. Thanks!
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Pro football exposed
Added 11/9/2008
Phillip Elliot (Nick Nolte), an aging wide receiver who must be injected with pain-killers in order to perform, faces the end of the life he loves as he sees his career slipping away. Aware of his position in a fundamentally corrupt system that demands everything of the players, then discards them when they are used up, he nevertheless puts up with it for the sake of the thrill he gets on the football field every Sunday and the joy of doing what comes naturally to him.
If you're looking for an uplifting sports film with a rousing last minute win against overwhelming odds, look elsewhere. This movie is an expose of pro football as big business in which the players are expendable commodities. There is scarcely any game footage in the film until the very end, and even then it subverts sports movie conventions. Unfortunately, the love story in the film is unconvincing, even though it is intended to serve as a dramatic foil to the dishonesty and manipulation Elliot faces in his professional life. It's not surprising that Dayle Haddon didn't go on to much of a film career following this performance. However, it is surprising that singer Mac Davis didn't make more of a splash on the big screen, since he is so good here.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Possibly the greatest sports movie of all time!
Added 2/7/2010
Nick Nolte, Mac Davis and G.D. Spradlin are absolutely fantastic in this outstanding film about the business of professional NFL football. This is not a football film--it is a film about the big business of football. Phil Elliot (Nolte) is an aging wide receiver with the mythical North Dallas Bulls (obviously modeled on the Dallas Cowboys.) He is essentially rebelling against the cold-hearted businesslike approach of the team coach (G.D. Spradlin in one of his many great roles!). "None of you is as good as this computer!" screams the coach ungratefully when Elliot deviates from the computerized play and scores the game winning touchdown. The team owner admonishes Nolte with one of the greatest lines in any film: "...seeing through the game is not the same thing as winning the game."
This is a truly great movie. The combination of humor ("lying can be really good for a relationship...!) and the cold-blooded ruthlessness of the team owners and coaches gives this film a gritty authenticity that is difficult to describe. Nolte, Spradlin, and Davis are particularly excellent, but the supporting cast is equally good and propel this film into the ranks of the all-time greats.
I have read the book upon which this film is based, and it is good enough, but the screenplay here did things for the story that give it far more dimension than in the novel; a reversal of the usual state of affairs. This one is not to be missed. Not by anyone. Highly recommended.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Worth watching
Added 1/8/2010
I saw this movie at the drive-in when it was released in 1979. It was great then, and it's good now. Enjoy!
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
good service
Added 6/22/2009
seller was on time with shipment and product arrived in condition as stated. I would use this seller again
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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