'North Dallas Forty' (79)

'North Dallas Forty' (R) (79) ****

Writers: Peter Gent based on his novel. Uncredited: Nancy Dowd, Frank Yablans
Director: Ted Kotcheff
Starring: Nick Nolte, Mac Davis, Bo Svenson, John Matuszak, Dabney Coleman, G.D. Spradlin, Charles Durning, Guich Koock

Just in time for Super Bowl weekend I had to revisit the next best football movie next to the original "Longest Yard". This 1979 movie might seem a little dated but only in clothes and the absence of expansion teams. I tied to think of football movies and I realized that this movie is not dated at all and is actually still topical to what is going on now in Pro Football. The movie concerns a pro Dallas team (not the Cowboys but based on that team) and their goal to win a championship. There is a rag tag group of players including a cocky quarterback played by Mac Davis and his star receiver played by Nick Nolte. The rest comprises of a huge, crazy defensive tackle on steroids (John Matuszak) and his defensive buddy (Bo Svenson). All these actors have no problem looking the part and the football scenes are some of the more realistic. There are realistic talks about steroids, shots, broken bones and concussions. What is also realistic and actually is scary is the parallels of this movie to today's pain in the NFL. Players get concussions and still play, they break bones and receive shots and still play. What is scary is that now the NFL and greats like Mike Ditka are trying to make football fans aware of the head traumas and damage to bodies that retired players are experiencing now. I would look back at this movie or see it for the first time and I swear you will be sobered and thinking. Did I forget to mention that the movie is damn funny? This is as funny as "Slapshot" and "Caddyshack" in a lot of parts. The characters are all well written, Mac Davis proved he could act and Svenson and Matuszak are a great comedy duo giving coach Charles Durning grief. There is also a classic unfeeling villian coach in great evil actor G.D. Spradlin. There are real, crunching bones, great comedy and the movie mixes the drama with that comedy well. In fact the ending is very sad and powerful! When the Dallas owners and that prick coach bring in Nolte and are about to release him because of his age, the film becomes poignant. Nolte tells them "You don't care about the players unless they make you money and then you dump them when they aren't of use anymore." Think about that when you watch the game Sunday and you think about all those retired players that were given no help and died at young ages. I will remind you that this movie is hilarious also and it is never preachy.