Common Sense Media Review
By Alistair Lawrence
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Hard-hitting football drama has strong language, sex, drugs.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Any Given Sunday
What's the Story?
In ANY GIVEN SUNDAY, Tony D'Amato (Al Pacino), head coach of an American football team, must deal with both the team's demanding owners alongside his high-maintenance players.
Is It Any Good?
This sports movie boasts a strong cast delivering committed performances. Any Given Sunday feels like a love letter to professional football by director and co-writer Oliver Stone. In addition to celebrating football, it attempts to show how its male-dominated world often marginalizes women and how African American players are kept from positions of power. Predating football's "Rooney Rule" by four years, the last point is particularly poignant.
After a strong start, it does however start to slow. The last 30 minutes resembles a more conventional sports movie telling a more crowd-pleasing story. At two hours and 42 minutes, it's runtime is perhaps too long. But it's hard to begrudge a movie whose makers clearly love the sport and Pacino's final locker room speech is a worthy climax. Its frenetic, on-field sequences broke new ground at the time and today still connect like a crunching tackle from a linebacker.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Any Given Sunday. Does the fact that a lot of the blood and gore take place on the football field make it less or more shocking? Does the movie change how you feel about football? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?
Discuss the strong language used in the movie. Does it seem necessary or excessive? What does it contribute to the movie?
Discuss the racism in the movie and how race is still a major topic in the world of sport today. Did what the players in the movie say about race resonate with you? Talk about some of the protest movements that have taken place in sport. How effective have they been? What more could be done?
How are drinking and drug use portrayed? Are there consequences? Why is that important?
How is sex depicted in the movie? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 22, 1999
- On DVD or streaming : September 1, 2000
- Cast : Al Pacino , Jamie Foxx , Cameron Diaz
- Director : Oliver Stone
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Warner Bros.
- Genre : Drama
- Character Strengths : Communication , Courage , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Run time : 162 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong language and some nudity/sexuality
- Last updated : February 15, 2023
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