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:' eorge Clooney, Renee Zellweger and John Krasinski (of "The Office") lvent ell the
. way hnck kr ihe 1920s fof "Leatherheads," a rornantic comedy (opening Frida!') thaf's
rt \i set in the early days of professional football.
irr,',i Krasinski is an uptight, upright college player recruited by the pros - oniy to frnd
lris team's qLrarterback (Clooney) falling for his girl (Zellweger).
But you don't have to go back that far to find other examples of movie comedies
built around fooi,ball. lt's rough, it's raucous, and watching lumbering giants pound a
quarlerback into the dirt is always funny - unless the quarterback is on your team. Here
are some football follies {rom Tecent vears.
.\ THE LONGEST YARD (1974)
Thq Play: Burt Reynolds is a washed-up
pr0 quarterback trying to quietly do his time
in onsr)r). But a vicious warden obsessed with
the !,anre insists Reynolds organize a team to
.ompete against the guards.
the Scm: One of the rawest sports comedies
evel Millions of teens undoubtedly mimicked
the scene where a quarterback drills a ball into
a rushing player's crotch. Adam Sandler's 2005
remake fumbled by softening the humor to get
a FG-13
HEAVEN CAN WAIT (1978)
The Play: Warren Beatty co-directed and
strrred as a Los Angeles Rams quarterbackMichaelGiltz
snatched up too soon by an overeager angel; he
gets a second chance on Earth
The Score: No one would mind a little pass
interference from the luminous Julie Christie, and
bachelor Beatty realizes that a Super Bowl ring
isn't as desirable as a wedding ring.
.,,i" TH E WATERBOY (1998)
The Play: Bobby Eoucher (Adam Sandler)
seems like a half-wit, but no one's laughing at the
waterboy v{hen tlrey see how hard he can tackle.
Tte ssrc: Eoucher may be nine yards short
of a beautiful mind - but who cares when the
big game is on the line. The top-grossing foolball
movie of alltime. Yep.i\i" WILDCATS (1986)
I The.Play: Heck, track coach Molly lvlccrath
: (Goldie Hawn) knows as nruch about football d
: any guy That doesn't mean it's going to be easy
i to turn a bunch of misfits at Central High into a
i wirrning team
I The score: Hail lviary? Hail coldie For a while
there in the'80s, "Send in Hawn" sce,lrcd a
; can't-miss way of attracting audienccs The then
: little-known duo of Wesley Snipes and Woody
I Harrelson are her key players.
i \ "N-98I1r.94!l,A9LgBIt q_97e)
i lhe Play: Nick Nolte and Mac Davis provide
i a peek into the drug-crazed, sex-filled world of
pfofessional football via a thinly disguised look at
the Dallil Cowboys
TIE Score: Talk about towh football - those
cheerleaders worked even harder off the held
than they did on it. lt's amding the team found
any time to play the game
s MASH (1970)
Tlp Plas Robert Altman's black comedy
about the Korean War climaxes with an anarchic
football game as surreal d the war itself
The scarc: Way offsides when ii comes to
decency and polilrcal correcLncss. The ringers!p.s$tsiidFi44
$}S,ii,is*trSSsS
(Fred williamson) is nicknamed spearchucker.
a lineman casually uses the F-word and
quarterback Johnny Unitas (still playing 0ro lrill
at the time) is seen taking a hit from a joint a
:' eorge Clooney, Renee Zellweger and John Krasinski (of "The Office") lvent ell the
. way hnck kr ihe 1920s fof "Leatherheads," a rornantic comedy (opening Frida!') thaf's
rt \i set in the early days of professional football.
irr,',i Krasinski is an uptight, upright college player recruited by the pros - oniy to frnd
lris team's qLrarterback (Clooney) falling for his girl (Zellweger).
But you don't have to go back that far to find other examples of movie comedies
built around fooi,ball. lt's rough, it's raucous, and watching lumbering giants pound a
quarlerback into the dirt is always funny - unless the quarterback is on your team. Here
are some football follies {rom Tecent vears.
.\ THE LONGEST YARD (1974)
Thq Play: Burt Reynolds is a washed-up
pr0 quarterback trying to quietly do his time
in onsr)r). But a vicious warden obsessed with
the !,anre insists Reynolds organize a team to
.ompete against the guards.
the Scm: One of the rawest sports comedies
evel Millions of teens undoubtedly mimicked
the scene where a quarterback drills a ball into
a rushing player's crotch. Adam Sandler's 2005
remake fumbled by softening the humor to get
a FG-13
HEAVEN CAN WAIT (1978)
The Play: Warren Beatty co-directed and
strrred as a Los Angeles Rams quarterbackMichaelGiltz
snatched up too soon by an overeager angel; he
gets a second chance on Earth
The Score: No one would mind a little pass
interference from the luminous Julie Christie, and
bachelor Beatty realizes that a Super Bowl ring
isn't as desirable as a wedding ring.
.,,i" TH E WATERBOY (1998)
The Play: Bobby Eoucher (Adam Sandler)
seems like a half-wit, but no one's laughing at the
waterboy v{hen tlrey see how hard he can tackle.
Tte ssrc: Eoucher may be nine yards short
of a beautiful mind - but who cares when the
big game is on the line. The top-grossing foolball
movie of alltime. Yep.i\i" WILDCATS (1986)
I The.Play: Heck, track coach Molly lvlccrath
: (Goldie Hawn) knows as nruch about football d
: any guy That doesn't mean it's going to be easy
i to turn a bunch of misfits at Central High into a
i wirrning team
I The score: Hail lviary? Hail coldie For a while
there in the'80s, "Send in Hawn" sce,lrcd a
; can't-miss way of attracting audienccs The then
: little-known duo of Wesley Snipes and Woody
I Harrelson are her key players.
i \ "N-98I1r.94!l,A9LgBIt q_97e)
i lhe Play: Nick Nolte and Mac Davis provide
i a peek into the drug-crazed, sex-filled world of
pfofessional football via a thinly disguised look at
the Dallil Cowboys
TIE Score: Talk about towh football - those
cheerleaders worked even harder off the held
than they did on it. lt's amding the team found
any time to play the game
s MASH (1970)
Tlp Plas Robert Altman's black comedy
about the Korean War climaxes with an anarchic
football game as surreal d the war itself
The scarc: Way offsides when ii comes to
decency and polilrcal correcLncss. The ringers!p.s$tsiidFi44
$}S,ii,is*trSSsS
(Fred williamson) is nicknamed spearchucker.
a lineman casually uses the F-word and
quarterback Johnny Unitas (still playing 0ro lrill
at the time) is seen taking a hit from a joint a