The 90s Al Pacino Football Drama You Have to See If You’re Tired of Ted Lasso

Contrary to popular belief, movie critics don't always get it right. Sure, they can sniff out a masterpiece from miles away and aren't afraid to call out mediocrity, but even their sharp eyes can miss the mark. And this Al Pacino football drama is an excellent proof of that.

The movie we're going to talk about sits at just 52% on Tomatometer, yet the audience absolutely adores it. The film earned over $100 million worldwide, and a solid score of 72% on Popcornmeter.

And when it comes to deciding who to trust, we are always leaning towards the audience, because they're the ones buying the tickets and keeping the movie industry alive. Critics might analyze every frame and dissect every line of dialogue, but us, regular folks? We just want to be entertained, moved, or maybe, if we're lucky enough, both.

And this time we got very lucky!

Any Given Sunday Is an Emotional Story About Football Industry

Directed by Oliver Stone, this sports drama stars Al Pacino as Tony D'Amato, a veteran coach struggling to keep his team together in a world where football has become more about money and politics than the actual game.

And oh boy, does Pacino deliver! Some fans even consider his speech the best motivational speech in movie history. As one Redditor wrote:

“One of the best speeches ever, as a former Squaddie this resonates with me more than you would know! Gets me fired up and emotional all at the same time!!”

We would also like to point out the great cinematography. It makes you fully immersed. The camera work is disorienting, chaotic, and brilliant. The game sequences are intense enough to make you feel like you're right there on the field.

The cinematography helps to bring out the darker side of football business. As Redditor JoeN0t5ur3 wrote:

“I'll argue this movie actually resulted in a more critical eye being placed on the league and players and the NFL from that perspective has improved as a result of the movie. Literally I can't remember another movie this early talking about concussions and having to play because you f– off all your loot.”

And that's a great take! The movie was well ahead of its time. Any Given Sunday raised some questions that we are really talking about now, 26 years later.

Any Given Sunday is special. It wraps everything in this incredibly entertaining package. You've got Pacino being Pacino (which is always a win), Cameron Diaz killing it as the team owner, and Jamie Foxx showing early signs of the superstar he'd become.

You just have to sit back and enjoy the movie. Any Given Sunday streams on Fandango at Home, Amazon Prime and Apple TV+.