Any Given Sunday

The Bottom Line:

Any Given Sunday, Oliver Stone's vision of football as populated by he-men (and Cameron Diaz), doesn't win any points for subtlety but it's an entertaining 150 minute film that scurries along and seldom slows down; I don't think it's terribly memorable, but its entertainment value cannot be denied.

3/4

When a devastating hit knocks a professional football legend and quarterback Cap Rooney out of the game, a young, unknown third-stringer is called in to replace him. Having ridden the bench for years because of a string of bad luck stories and perhaps insufficient character, Willie Beaman seizes what may be his last chance, and lights up the field with a raw display of athletic prowess. His stunning performance over several games is so outstanding and fresh it seems to augur a new era in the history of this Miami franchise, and forces aging coach Tony D'Amato to reevaluate his time-tested values and strategies and begin to confront the fact that the game, as well as post-modern life may be passing him by. Wild and outrageous, Any Given Sunday gives you a glimpses into an athletic world not too far from the real thing. This movie proved to be a very enjoyable experience.

This may be the best sports movie I have ever seen.

This movie is special for what it lacks, a specific perspective:
That of the fans. What you see are the atheletes, their families,
the coaches, the press, the doctors, ...basically everybody
associated with the business of football. And what you do not see
are the fans in the stands, and their relationship to the game of
football. And that is what gives this movie a focus that other
sports movies do not have.

An athlete is like a superhero, out in the public eye. But can he
espcape that scrutinity. Does he have a "secret identity"? As in,
if I do the opposite, then maybe I can hide? But in this movie, the
way the atheletes live their lives, is to ignore the fans (the public)
altogether, as if they do not exist. And that is how they stay sane,
by not seeing (or experiencing) the superhero aspects of being
a professional athlete...They play for each other, and the press, whose
careers are as intimately associated with the business (game) of football
as theirs are.

Yet, though the athletes themselves see the game, their spouses (families)
see the business (the money). This represents a conflict of interest in their
relationships with each other on the field, and what they as individuals would
like in their lives. The Cap desires a wife, a family, but she loves the attention
(and privileges) of being a wife in the stands. He realizes he does not have
a family, only The Game. His players could use him as their captain, whilst
he feels a need for...Is football the answer?

Power. Submission. Authority. Three simple words, used by many, but
what do they mean?

A promising athlete has POWER over the scouts who wish to draft him.
Beemer's girlfriend would rather he go to college via an educational
scholarship. But he sees this as her attempting to make him feel insignificant,
illiterate. Whilst others idolize what he can do on the field, make him feel
important. A woman has power over a man who desires her. A gifted athlete
has power over a scout, a coach, or a team, who want him to play, for them.
Hence, he might make demands, or ignore them altogether.

A coach has AUTHORITY over an athlete, if that athlete thinks the coach
can help him with his game, make him a better player. An athlete who desires
to be coached will SUBMIT to that coach. Submission is about being willing
to obey. It is about listening, to the coach. But if an athlete does not, that
relationship is broken, and the coach no longer has authority over that player.
And if an athlete listens, but does the opposite, will the coach who desires that
player not get frustrated and leave? Authority versus Power, is a game that
can get ugly. I need you to do as I say. I want you to help me, not hold me back.

What does a player want? What does a player need?
The game. The business. The family.
Fame. Fortune. Love.

Does a coach care more about a player, or the team?: His career, or another's
life? One of the players might die, but if he manages to stay alive just one more
game, he can retire rich. It is a "tough" decision, made easier because the player
cannot imagine life as a poor man. He figures he will lose his wife and children
if he does not "make it", provide for them, financially. But of spirituality, what food
or clothing, provisions for the body (and not the flesh), can he give his family, he
who would trust in riches? Neither a victim, nor a victimizer be. What would you
do? Let him play? For whether he lives, or dies, his family might be made "better
off".

...Beemer wants to be the Cap. But do his teammates? The team, has power
over Beemer. Because without his teammates, Beemer is "out of steam". And
so the coach isolates Beemer in an attempt to coral him back into the fold. The
teammates will not do as Beemer tells them to do. Because Beemer does not
delegate, does not share the glory, does not have person skills.

In Beemer's personal relationships, he finds that women want to use him. He
does not feel needed by them, like his coach made him feel needed. Maybe
his girlfriend who wanted him to get an education was different. If you love
somebody, would you use that person? Does a coach think, If you guys don't
win, my career will be over? And does a woman who files for divorce, and
expects the courts to award her financial compensation, is she thinking, I
remember when I was "playmate of the month", scoring all those "touch downs",
now I need a "retirement plan", because "the coach" has found another? Some
are born "gifted" while others have a "bad knee".

And then there is the daughter who either loves football, or is still trying to please
her dad. But she cannot seem to relate to these males, and their unwritten rules
of conduct. "You know how your dad would have done this...He would have done
it over a beer"...Some rules and regulations are not found in a rule book, such as
the answer to the question, Where is the mess hall? She feels ignored, despised,
not taken seriously, or as an equal, not invited to the game...Why don't they like me?
It is as if the game has power over her, and does not want to submit, to her. Her
lack of authority, frustrates her. Why can they not see my wisdom, my reasoning,
my logic...This, is best, for the team. She is easy on the eyes, has power over men.
But she wants authority too. Where does that leave, the coach? I quit. I want out.
I want, I need, a beer.

Personally, I hate football. And watching this movie, I remember why. It is the drugs
that hide the symptoms but do not cure the disease. It is the threat of spinal chord
injuries. It is the pretense of religion (witness the all-seeing eye team logo) and
family values (witness the character played by James Woods). It is the padded
helmets, covered with a hard shell, verging on metal. It is that paradox, of athletes
who are supposed to be the epitome ("pity me") of physical perfection and good
health, but who seem closer to death than the fans in the stands. Football and video
games are perhaps a way for males who are in a state of "shock and awe" to unplug from
reality and retreat to the safety of "make believe and illusion" where they can continue
their lives, learning nothing important aside from how to throw a ball, or push a button.
Males seek athletic scholarships in fear of the alternative, a life spent in "prison labour
camps" called "work zones and support payments". Yet, How realistic is this movie? Is
football really this bad?

I like this movie, for it demonstrates that football is for sodomites (Note that neither
aggression or passivity are indications that a male is a sodomite): Football is for males
who desire to abuse themselves with mankind, for males who despise the gift of God
(which is woman), and for males who desire to lie down with mankind as with
womankind. A sodomite is a male who is ungodly and wicked: That label covers a lot of
different kinds of behaviour. Males who enjoy playing, or watching, football, are not godly:
They are sodomites. And they seem to be the majority these days...Neither a victim, nor a
victimizer be. I hate football, but I like this movie. If you are an anthropologist, a sociologist,
or a theologian, you might like this movie too.

I really enjoyed this film even though I am not a football fan and have only watched a few games in my whole life, it is obvious Stone is a real fan and made this as his love letter to the sport. It is fun trying to pick out all the real football stars who have cameos in this film, and even Charlton Heston!!!. Pacino's speech about the tradition of football to the young Jamie Foxx is quite inspiring. Foxx really sells his role and convinces me he deserves his star on the hollywood sidewalk. Lawrence Taylor is a lot of fun to watch. The film really covers all the bases and you get to feel what it is like to be in the huddle under stress and trying to spot the receiver through the chaos. My only criticism is that the shaky cam thing was a bit overdone, and I would have liked to have seen fewer jump cuts in the middle of the action, and Cameron Diaz was a bit hard to take. I think it is a 5 star film on balance for what it acheives as a memorial to the sport in all its facets good bad and ugly.

Not "just about Football" This movie ROCKS!! It is always moving, giving you insight to the game of Football and of Life. Great acting: Al Pacino delivers a wonderful performance and all the actors play their parts excellent. Watch this movie you will not be disappointed. I do not even like Football, but this movie was great.

It was great to revisit this classic--hadn't seen it since it was in the theaters almost ten years ago. Stone does a masterful job of rendering caricatures to realistic, if some times slightly cliched, characters. Blu-Ray makes the fooball scenes almost as good as the Dallas mega screen [especially on my 120" projection screen] and anyone following today's NFL scene is reminded that the more it changes the more it stays the same--just more so. Testosterone-soaked, often maudlin,full of intrigue and action--who can resist!

Like the players in American football, Oliver Stone's had his ups and downs. Any Given Sunday is actually one of the director's most accessible works and resonates more with Stone's earlier and mid period work like Wall Street than it does with his work on US presidents. Any Give Sunday works because it's coherent, not left field like the Doors, or rambling like the stylish but disjointed Alexander.

As with most of his best tales, Any Given Sunday presents a battlefield of morality. Every single person in the film - the Coach, the Quarterback, the Hotshot Team owner, etc have to decide what it is they have to do to survive, but also to honour their own integrity. With a star cast that's easy on the eye - Diaz, Quaid, Foxx, and Pacino returning to form, Any Given Sunday may have received mixed reviews but that's because Stone refuses to make a film that's easily classifiable (it's not your typical American football movie nor a serious drama). Nonetheless, for Stone fans, this is undeniably enjoyable and engaging stuff.

Good entertaining flick - good performances from Pacino and Jamie Foxx, good soundtrack as well.

Excellent - the movie arrived earlier than described. i will def buy from seller again

The version of this movie that I saw in a theater was a 4- or 5-star film. But as in so many "director's cuts," this version is flabby and overlong. The football scenes are still great, and the feeling for the game is still there, but the connective tissue is bloated and interferes with the pacing. Dorothy Parker was right about editing: you have to be willing to "murder your darlings," to cut out even the bits you really like if they don't advance the story.
If directors are going to go back and "unedit" their work, then at the very least, the viewer ought to be given the option to see the version that was successful, the film as it was released.

This is a very entertaining movie on several different fronts. First, its about football, but this isn't your typical varsity blues like soppy dramatic silly-ness. This makes you feel like you're on the field with hard hitting, loud professional football. Oliver Stone lends his directorial prowess to turn an otherwise massively overdone genre into an outstanding movie. The camera work is incredible, and the editing is very well done. And the characters are larger than life, in a way that is believably realistic. In particular, Jamie Foxx's evolution from a timid and shy bench warmer to prima donna star is very well done, and is a particularly effective acting performance on his part. I tend to this of this movie as an important evolutionary role bridging him from his Booty Call days to his to come oscar-worthy performances.

This Blu-Ray is a nice upgrade to the DVD, as the colors pop, and there is noticable enhanced sharpness. The film was watched on 42" Panasonic Plasma, and BD35K player. The sound originally came through as DD, I had to hit "audio" and change it to True HD.

The film itself is one of my favorite sports films. The film is unapologetic and the characters are raw and fearless.The film is edgy, and hot, visually. Cameron Diaz, Al Pacino and the rest are perfect for this fast-paced film, and their performances are believable and as well cast.

Definitely worth the upgrade if you're a fan of this flick!

Among Oliver Stone's work includes "Any Given Sunday" (1999), as good and realistic a sports movie as has ever been made. It features an over-the-top performance by Al Pacino as a veteran pro football coach who can still motivate his over-paid, over-sexed, over-drugged, slightly thuggish, mostly black (except for a few White Aryan Brotherhood linemen) mercenaries with a speech that sends Knute Rockne to the bench.
He reportedly is working on the story of the 1934 Republican industrialists who recruited Marine hero Smedley Butler to overthrow Franklin Roosevelt, which was the genesis of "Seven Days in May". We are still waiting for Tinsel Town to take on Kennedy stealing the 1960 election. It could be a long wait. If any producers are reading this, I am offering my services at the Writers Guild minimum.

The game of American Football is, in many ways, a perfect movie sport. First of all, the game progresses in fits and starts, giving plenty of opportunity for dramatic buildup and suspense. Second, the offence and the defense take turns on the playing field, allowing the filmmakers to cut away to active players on the sidelines. Third, and probably most important, football is a sport that closely resembles an ancient battlefield; tight formations of armored men violently advancing and retrieving. This has been the stock and trade of action cinema from Birth Of A Nation to Braveheart.

Oliver Stone's ANY GIVEN SUNDAY is certainly an action film. It throws you right on the field in the very first sequence and keeps you there for a good forty minutes of it's near 3 hours. Yet somehow, you get very little feeling for how the game is actually played. Sure, there's the controlled chaos, the violent hits, and the occasionally acrobatic intensity of the running game... but the game is somehow lost. Too bad because all the elements seem to be there.

Al Pacino plays Tony D'Amato, a legendary head coach of the Miami Sharks. James Woods sinks his sharp little teeth into the team's sleazbag doctor. And Cameron Diaz, somewhat against type, is the bitch-on-wheels team owner. On top of that there's quarterbacks Jamie Foxx and Dennis Quade, Jim Brown, L.L. Cool J, Matthew Modine, and Ann-Margaret in a wonderful cameo. Oliver Stone is the ringmaster, and who could be a better choice? Someone who's both played the game (in college) as well as seen the battlefield (in Viet Nam). ANY GIVEN SUNDAY, unfortunately, is somewhat less than the sum of its parts; failing to live up to its promise as the "ultimate football film".

Now, don't get me wrong, ANY GIVEN SUNDAY is full of fun touches. The performances are uniformly terrific and the action is often spectacular. But the film gets so caught up in cliché that it gets difficult to take by the time it's over. Of course, all sports films rely on a certain amount of cliché; it's really just a part of the package. But do we need to see all of the sports film cliches packed into one film? There's the over-the-hill quarterback looking for one more shot, the young star learning how to be a team player, the evil money-grubbing owner who doesn't give a damn about the players or the integrity of the game, and the idealistic coach trying to hold the team together and to take them to the playoffs, etc, etc, etc.. All this, as always, culminates in the "big game" finale that miraculously solves all dilemmas and resolves all conflicts. The film's biggest surprise (such as it is) comes over the closing credits, by which time I couldn't care less.

Here's a couple more small gripes. One: all through the film everyone is referring to Coach D'Amato as an "old dinosaur". Huh? Who are they talking about? Pacino looks great, not a day over fifty! Compared to some of the geriatric geezers coaching in the NFL now, he's a youngster. Two: not a single field goal is kicked in the entire three hours. Come on! Show one field goal! Just one. How hard is that? Otherwise the European audiences won't understand why the game is called "football".

One of the few "real" football movies out there along with Friday Night Lights and some others. Great acting by both the famous actors to the legends of football. Of course Oliver Stone takes some liberties with his film and one should take that into consideration before viewing. But, If you love football then its a must see, if you love good acting I also suggest it.

One of the best, if not, the best football movie of all time. I loved it!

I am not a football fan however I did find this film entertaining. As you'll read here this film draws mixed emotions from many here who have seen it. Being an Oliver Stone production I guess other felt this film should have had more depth due to him being the Director however my opinion was that maybe Stone for once didn't want to push the whole "message" thing he normally does and instead focused more on entertainment with the flamboyant actors who did fit with what I believe this film tried to project.

On the negative side however I wish they did add to the backstory of Cameron Diaz' character as I feel her role left questions unanswered and more about her character was needed to make sense of her actions. If you pay attention to the subtle background conversations and chatter you'll discover Cameron's character was making some bad calls like losing 3 draft picks for unknown reasons and her secret deal to move the franchise as well as the financial issues of needing a new stadium. Had these things been more thoroughly explained, Cameron Diaz would not have been outshined by LL and LT as an actor as she was in this film. LT for example had a simpler role in this film but outshined Cameron Diaz solely because his character fit him better.

Overall this was a very entertaining film and could be enjoyed provided you accept these weaknesses in the plot and instead enjoy the film for what I believe it's intention was; to be a fast paced action movie with subtle life lessons mixed in. Also, I wouldn't suggest this film for young children as some of the adult content may be disturbing. If not taken seriously, it's a fun film.

Any Given Sunday is a film that everyone love if you're a football fan or not. Oliver Stone direction of the games and actors is some of the best since North Dallas Forty. The cinematography by Andrezj Bartchowizk is very good also. Al Pacnio as the coach and Cameronz Diaz as the team owner both gave oscar worthy performances as do Jamoe Foxx and LL Cool as the quarter back and wide receiver.

All you need to know about this movie is:

Immensely talented cast (except for the always-horrible Cameron Diaz) wasted by incapable director in making the worst sports movie ever.

A film about a failing pro football teams, the Miami Sharks, and the politics of the players, coaches, and management. It's a long film about an aging quarterback and the young hot shot who wants his place. Al Pacino is passionate as a veteren coach whose passed over when the team owner dies in favor of the surviving daughter. Like many of Stone's films, thisis intense and full of detail while getting into lots of the characters lives and motivations. This is a movie for die hard football fans. Otherwise, viewers may get lost in all the information.

This one is a classic. Buy it to see Jamie Foxx become the actor he is now.

Great football movie. My son wanted it for Christmas. Instead of traveling all over town for hours/days to find a non-new release, we clicked it in two seconds on the computer and it was delivered to the house. Very easy!!

1999. Co-written and directed by Oliver Stone. Hysterical editing for this football movie. Drugs, sex and no rock and roll. Avoidable if you're not a fan of the American favorite sunday entertainment.

I only made it about thirty-five minutes into this one, so gave it three stars, accounting for the possibility it gets a lot better. So it gets the benefit of the doubt. In other words, I make the assumption that this movie does not remain in the stink and muck in which it rests during the first thirty-five minutes. I highly doubt it, however.

I noticed someone's praise of the camera work. I've seen this in quite a few movies lately - It's really not all that innovative. I'm sure it's been done years ago in some movie I've seen. I probably didn't notice because I was paying too much attention to good acting. Seriously- quit jerking off and put the damn camera back on the tripod. Woo the audience with some substance. What with the jerky camera work and the hip-hop soundtrack, it's no small wonder audiences weren't having seizures and beat-boxing simultaneously.

I did not rent this, I am proud to say. It was on one of the movie channels I was fortunately not wasting any money on(a poor, misguided roommate paid for it). I decided to give it a try. This I did, despite being aware that Hollywood spews out one of these football movies at least once a year. Guess I was feeling a little masochistic.

Well, what I saw reminded me of every other football movie I've seen. Admittedly, I haven't seen too many, and most of those I probably haven't seen in their entirety. Still I deem my impression an educated one. Oh the intensity, oh the corruption, oh the steroids, etc.

Oliver Stone has, of course, made some great films, but in his later years(since Natural Born Killers, perhaps) it seems he has been digging deeper and deeper into his dirty trunks in search of ideas.

It's hard to know where to start with this movie. Should one begin by saying, "Poor Al Pacino" or "Poor Oliver Stone." ... Two talents, notably wasted.

Let's start with Al. ...

Where have you gone, Al Pacino? A nation turns its lonely eyes to your lonely eyes. I think it was in "And Justice For All" that you started *lecturing* us. There you are, standing in front of an actor, usually a group of actors, and holding forth on this, that or the other thing. But this isn't acting, Al baby, it's pontificating. It's the writer, actor and director lecturing us. Worst of all, it's out of character; it's Al Pacino informing us "about life" -- in this case, football as a metaphor for life, Hollywood style.

That might not be so bad, but this movie you're in, "Any Given Sunday," has absolutely nothing to say. Zero. Nada. Zilch! Moreover, it's cynical, mean-spirited and distasteful. This seems to me to be one of Oliver Stone's "Uh-Oh-He's-Taken-One-Too-Many-Drugs" films.

Stone, as director, co-writer and bit actor in the movie, wants it both ways. On one hand, he hauls out every cliché, every truism, every shallow intellectually impoverished "insight" about football - that it uses up bodies and spirits; that it represent corporatism-gone-wild; that it's no longer anything near a "game" but instead a cutthroat business. All of which Stone, too, pontificates about. But at the same time, he wants it the other way -- he takes every opportunity to show us the blood-lust of professional football, the spectacular hits, the macho strutting, along with all the worst aspects of human nature.

Come on, Ollie, make-up-yer-mind! You can't have it both ways, bubi.

It's not that there aren't talented people involved in the movie. Like so many other pieces of Hollywood crap, there is a great deal of talent in front of and behind the cameras. But to what end? To say what?

Here's Oliver Stone making "JFK" in which he postulates that JFK was bumped off by, among others, the military-industrial complex. And yet in offering us "On Any Given Sunday," he makes no meaningful, no insightful, no first-order connection between football and the brutality of American militarism; football and the corporatization of America; football and "The American way of life." ... Any attempts to do this in the movie are cursory and embarrassingly weak.

Consider Oliver Stone's "take" on 9/11; the ridiculous movie he made about the heroes of 9/11. Say, Oliver, think there might be just a *tad* of evidence that 9/1l was perhaps "allowed to happen" -- or worse? That there is, in fact, a truckload of information, evidence and "background context" that has been systematically ignored by the Establishment, and that maybe a talented filmmaker such as yourself can shed some light on. ... But wait a second, there I go mistaking you for someone other than a status quo-defending Establishment mainstay. (As they used ot say when they ran movies all day long: "This is where I came in."

Anyways ... getting back to the movie. The funniest part of the movie, albeit completley unintential, is the quick-cut, still-photo reference to Al Pacino's character as a quarterback star in days gone by. Oh, please, Lord have mercy! (And, note: I'm an agnostic.) Al Pacino as a quarterback?! Okay, folks, it's LYAO time. I'm old enough to remember when some quarterbacks were short, e.g., Eddie LaBaron and Bobby Layne in the 1950s, but please -- Al Pacino as a quarterback? He'd have to bring a ladder to the line of scrimmage every time he threw a pass.

As previously noted, the movie is packed with talented craftsman, Stone and Pacino included among them. But what are they toiling at? Answer: A pretentious piece of violent, frenzied, cynical, intellectually addled nonsense.

Cameron Diaz shows that she should be in quality movies. So when is THAT gonna happen???

But, again, what in the world is this movie trying to accomplish? Even if the movie only aspires to be "entertaining," it's totally ridiculous on the face of it -- the only entertainment value it can have is for the audience to laugh out loud at its shallowness and pomposity.

Enough, Oliver, with these nanosecond, wink-of-an-eye, hyperactive montage cuts. You're a grown man, now, Oliver, an MTV central nervous system is not for you, my boychick. You may have been in an altered state when you shot these quick-burst, "hey-look-quick-was-that-Lee-Harvey-Oswald-on-the-sidelines" shots, but please, some of us haven't yet developed REM (rapid-eye-movement) syndrome.

Sports movies are always difficult to pull off, but for my money one of the best sports/football movies - in fact, maybe the ONLY quality football movie - was "North Dallas Forty" starring Nick Nolte. Better yet, know what" -- read the book. Although after you watch "On Any Given Sunday" you may want to give your eyeballs 6 months to calm down and return to normal.

No, Oliver Stone, no-no-no, you get the *minimum* number of stars: one star, una stella. And be forewarned, pal, that one star I'm giving you, I have an option on with Paramount that I may want back.

In short: seek help, Ollie, bubi baby, before it's too late. Let the camera linger next time, you know, maybe, like, for three-quarters of a second. Study the way Vittorio DeSica used his camera.

And, Al, Al Pacino -- my paisan, my cumpare! ... How did it comes to this? I want all inquiries made. I want no acts of vengeance. These goofy, nonsensical movies you're making, one after another after another, $$$ba-da-bing ba-da-bing$$$ ... ALL THIS MUST END!

This movie has all the right pieces - memorable characters, hard-hitting action, a bit of philosophy and wisdom. But unfortunately, the bits just don't add up.

For some reason, it seems like the movie should've been able to thrive on just a few of these elements alone: Al Pacino and Camron Diaz play very memorable characters. Al Pacino is an old rugged loud-mouthed football coach, while Camron Diaz, the new team-owner, is a young and stylish, forward-looking businesswoman. The two actors are great, and when they're both on-screen, they have a sort of dissonance that has the potential to drive a great film. Their characters are further mirrored in the football team's old-timer and rookie stars. The old and the new are contrasted throughout the film, constantly shifting as the characters develop and the plot thickens. Add some intense football action, and how could you possibly go wrong?

Well, apparently you can go wrong. The film's pace is clunky and inconsistent. The football scenes are shot and edited with the sort of intensity that you might see in Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan when they're invading the beach. However, these scenes just never end, it's as if Stone is simply trying to top previous sports films by pushing the envelope just a bit more - more sound, crunching, blood, yelling, aching, quick cuts, claustrophobic close-ups. He even goes so far as to use tiger growls for the athletes' grunts, and to make the injuries just all the more gory. After a while it's simply a mess - like listening to heavy metal for hours, it might be heavy stuff, but eventually it all starts sounding the same.

In the end, the movie doesn't even really capture the excitement of football. I mean, he has animal noises coming out of players' mouths for godsake. Every now and then, a scene will address the strategy of the game. But overall, you never really see what makes Al Pacino such a great coach.

And this is why the movie never quite holds together. It's more concerned with the hyper-realism of its football games than with its character development. Ultimately, the style is innovative, but movies don't thrive on just style alone - it has to serve a larger purpose. The pacing is simply lousy; it's as if the speed of plot development in Any Given Sunday is inversely proportional to the speed of the camera-shots on the football field.

Overall the film simply has no vibe. Between the hyper-realism of the football scenes and the slow and pensive pace, the movie takes itself so seriously that you'd think you were watching a war-movie. But this is not from the characters being too devoted to the game; it's a result of poor choices when it came to screenwriting and editing.

coach D'amato (pacino) speech is worth the money paid and the time spent. superb act by the greatest Al Pacino. superb job by Stone by putting together such an amazing cast.

AL Pacino, Cameron Diaz, and Jamie Foxx are excellent in this movie. I love football flicks. this is in my top 5.

Any Given Sunday is about the Miami Sharks football team and their struggle to make it to the top. The team is owned by Cameron Diaz, in quite possibly her fiercest role, as she takes no prisoners and is just as willing to hit her players as hire them. The coach is Al Pacino in a stereotypical Pacino role complete with scratchy voice, alcoholic tendencies, and volatile temper. Dennis Quaid plays the first-string quarterback who has spearheaded the team through so many good seasons that, even though he's injury plagued like Humpty Dumpty the team just keeps putting him back together again. When he's injured at the beginning of the season, the Sharks call out their second-string quarterback who is immediately injured too, and then they go to the bench for Willie Beamen (Jamie Foxx). Beamen is so used to warming the bench that he barely knows the plays they're calling and he gets nauseated the first time he steps on the field. Still, after a few games he finds his stride and becomes the team's golden boy--nausea or no. Eventually he gets a bit big for his britches and starts talking down the defense, putting more powder up his nose than on it, and thinking that he doesn't have to listen to the coach, which Pacino hates of course.

Any Given Sunday is fast-paced, hectic, and dramatic in the way that only Oliver Stone could make it. Cameron Diaz is my favorite character because she's so incredibly fierce that I can't believe she gets away with treating the people she does without any consequences. Jamie Foxx is perfect as the arrogant, cocky quarterback who of course can't be bothered to remember his humble days as a benchwarmer. One of the most hilarious moments of the film involves a commercial he films for MetRx complete with his own song, "My name is Willie (Beamen)," make sure to look out for it. Some of the supporting players include Lawrence Taylor as a defensive player who's been hit a few too many times, Ann-Margret as Diaz's liquored-up mother, and Lauren Holly as the first string quarterback's trophy wife who refuses to let her husband go down as a has-been. Overall, the cast is stellar and the direction is superb. Any Given Sunday is a must-see for anyone who enjoys sports movies that are fast-paced and dramatic without being sappy or overblown.

Good Actors,Awesome Drama and "Smashmouth" Football Action. This is how a Football movie should be. Throughout the whole movie there wasen't a scene that u can't forget,Oliver Stone really QuaterBack this movie brilliantly. Highlighting the politics,medical issues and internal team chemistry problems that pretty much ALL NFL teams experience today,it's no doubt why american football is regarded as one of most extreme sports in the world.Not only on the field it's extreme but off it as well which Oiver Stone touches upon quite realistically.

There is also a second disc which has deleted scenes which were sadly left out of the movie,but luckily recovered and unedited a good addition.The BOTTOM Line I think is not only "Any given Sunday" is a qreat and relistic football movie these 2 DVD's are worth the money and the entertainment for a lifetime. "Where A LIFETIME away here"- Al Pacino shouted in the last play of the final game.

Can an extremely realistic portrayal of a football game, directed by no less an icon than Oliver Stone, ever match the sheer joy of an actual NFL game? No. Does it matter? No. Is the total lack of subtlety in Oliver Stone's work appropriate for a football movie? Of course. Damn fine movie. Real. The celebrity life of the pro football player isn't real. That's here, too. Why am I such an obsessed sports fan? I still don't know. But I do know this is a very cool movie. My lovely Australian non-sporty wife found it educational, but not gripping enough to watch all 150 minutes. She stopped at 90. But I think she'll agree with me when I recommend it. It's a good movie, with especially fine performances by Al Pacino (of course) and Jamie Foxx. Plus, many NFL stars for those of us who would notice that sort of thing.

Favorite Movie, Purchased for my grandson who loves football, he really enjoys watching It, over and over and over again. Thanks


Rabs6

"Any Giving Sunday" in my opinion, is an excellent movie, in-your-face-football drama! I thought that Christina (Cameron Diaz) was indeed a market savvy pro-football team owner. When Cap (Dennis Quaid) got hurt I got really scared. I wish he would of slap his wife back he has a right to not play football if he wants to! Whenever Tony (Al Pacino) team plays I always cheer them own. I can't believe they showed a male penius in the football shower room. Jamie Foxx played a good character being the new quarterback he took over the fame and let it get to his head.

"On this team,we fight for that Inch,
On this team,we tear ourselves and everyone
else around us to pieces for that inch.
"We CLAW with our fingernails for that inch,
because we know when we add up all those
inches thats gonna make the f***ing difference
between winning and losing.
Between livin' and dyin'!
"I tell you this:In any fight,its the
guy whos willing to die whos gonna win that Inch"
Tony D'Amato (Al Pacino)
ANY GIVEN SUNDAY

One of my favorite scenes ever,and a speech that moves me every time I hear it.Oliver Stone's big,loud and undeniably flawed football epic may be dismissed as a shallow celebration of masculinity.However,look closer at an ambitious exploration of pride,greed and passion.Oliver Stone may require an aquired taste,and he certainly doesnt seem to let some moments speak for themselves,but like he said himself
"they say im unsubtle,
but above all we need theatre that wakes us up,
nerves and heart"
Backed up by incredible photographic imagery,cinematography,and a thumping soundtrack accompanying the chaotic and war-like football scenes,Any Given Sunday certainly makes an impression,nomatter what way you look at it.
Defiently a must for Al Pacino and Oliver Stone fans,whose similiarly over the top and manic ways of expressing themselves blend like a fiery dream.Jamie Foxx also stars in his first great performance as a 'serious' actor.

Football has changed drastically as technology improves. You cannot watch a televised game without incredible computer graphic wipes, morphs and play recreations, all of it feeding through your stereo system with a high definition video signal.

With his use of cutting edge film editing and different photographic stocks, it seems only appropriate that Oliver Stone would 'tackle' the subject. The result is a very entertaining film, but never a good film. The story line(s) go on and on to make the film come in shy of three hours. They aren't boring, just trite, overdone and pointless. Some of the performances, particularly Al Pacino and comedian Jamie Foxx stand out in a sea of unispired superstar casting and cameos.

Stone himself effectively plays a commentator with a voice and mind for the game. Stone must know and love the game so he knows what the audience wants. The biggest payoff happens midway through the closing credits so if you made it through the end of the film, stay seated a couple extra minutes. So, the film is a hodge podge of ideas with a hodge podge of characters and a hodge podge of techniques. That sounds like Stone's usual playbook. unfortunately, he won't make the playoffs with this.

The Widescreen DVD is great but, ironically, the film might benefit from the pan and scan version (as that is how most televised football games are currently seen...)

As my title indicates, I'm not the biggest football fan; however, I found Oliver Stone's film to be totally engrossing, due mostly to the outstanding performances from all involved. That, along with the movie's entertaining musical soundtrack, makes this film a must-see for all.

In regards to the acting, "Any Given Sunday" shows a variety of talent, experience, along with stars-in-the-making. Jamie Foxx is an example of the latter. His performance as brash, young, third-string-quarterback "Willie Beaman", brought into the limelight after injuries sustained by veteran Dennis Quaid, is the perfect showcase for the actor's emerging skills. It is no wonder that Foxx won an Oscar this year and he deserved a nomination for AGS.

Cameron Diaz, as the general manager of the fictional Miami Sharks, is quite good as a woman in charge of a male-dominated position. She holds her own with the more seasoned performers that populate this dynamic film.

Quaid gives another underrated performance as the washed-up quarterback with one more good game to play. James Woods, one of the best character actors today, delivers another flawless job as the seedy team doctor. Matthew Modine, L.L. Cool J, and Aaron Eckhart match him in other supporting roles.

Though her role is small, Lauren Holly gets some points for her performance as Quaid's supportive and determined wife.

Actor/songwriter Clifton Davis (one of the stars of the 80's sitcom "Amen" and composer of The Jackson Five's "Never Can Say Goodbye") has a moment in the sun as the mayor of Miami.

Football legends Jim Brown and Lawrence Taylor are effective in their roles of assistant coach and veteran linesman, respectively.

Smaller roles are assayed by legends Ann-Margret (cast as Diaz's mother and widow of the team's former owner) and Charlton Heston as the football commissioner. As a tribute to the actor, as well as providing a fitting comparison between football's modern-day gladiators to those of ancient times, a montage of scenes from "Ben-Hur" are intertwined between events unfolding in the film's story.

But the movie belongs to Al Pacino, an actor of unparalleled talent that immerses himself in the role of the "old school" coach that must make deal with a changing sports world and the traditions that he holds so dearly. When his "Tony D'Amato" cries, so does the audience. When he is frustrated at the team's loss, the audience feels that frustration. When he experiences joy, that feeling is shared by all.

If Stone hadn't had such a mixed track record of hits and misses, an Oscar might be on Pacino's shelf, for he surely deserved one for this film.

I can't put my finger on why, but I didn't really care for this movie (and I usually like all kinds). The game sequences seemed like they were taken from ESPN's "Best Of" compilations. And Al Pacino (as great as he is) was unconvincing as a professional football coach. You didn't really see him as a coach character, but as "Al Pacino."

There were some decent performances from some big-name actors, but the foul language overshadowed much of the enjoyment that could have been had from watching a good sports film. It is simply unnecessary.

I found this movie to be awful! The pace could've been kicked up, enabling the movie to flow together more cohesively. The scenes seemed to be disjointed, one minute here, the next minute there, but it didn't alleviate the drag of the story line. While it did capture the feel of the NFL, the uniforms, the people working on the sidelines, the coaches etc. the movie floundered when it attempted to get an important point across. This could've been put together so much better!