Any Given Sunday was like a sports commentator covering the same story over and over – the film was entertaining, but the message was beaten to death. The story begins on the field of a Sharks game coached by long-time Miami Coach Tony D’Amato.  An aging, but beloved Joe Montana-like quarterback, Jack “Cap” Rooney (Dennis Quaid) is injured, creating an opportunity for Willie Beamen (Jamie Fox), an unknown third stringer to shine. Beamen ignores the plays and runs the game his own way and no one cares, except Coach D’Amato, because the losing team starts winning again. Then the obvious happens – Beamen becomes a big sports star with a head and ego too big for his body. Meanwhile, Sharks’ owner Christina Pagniacci (Cameron Diaz) runs the team like a Fortune 500 company while making morally questionable power plays to prove she can fill her daddy’s shoes. At the center of it all is Coach D’Amato who loves the opportunistic battle for the win on the field, but hates what it’s become – a circle jerk power struggle. From the onset, Stone creates an environment where you can’t deny the comparisons between athletes and gladiators, a field to a Coliseum, and the money hungry team owners to the corrupt royalty of ancient Rome. Stone practically beats you over the head with these analogies with cuts to battle scenes from Ben-Hur and an appearance from Charlton Heston, the original Judah Ben-Hur, as the sports commissioner. Despite the pushiness of the gladiator message, there are some really great dramatic scenes between Pacino and Fox, and the film overall is one of the better modern sports films I’ve seen. Stone once again demonstrates that selfish and aggressive pursuits of money, power, and politics can push the human spirit to dark, lonely places.
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Any Given Sunday was like a sports commentator covering the same story over and over – the film was entertaining, but the message was beaten to death.

The story begins on the field of a Sharks game coached by long-time Miami Coach Tony D’Amato.  An aging, but beloved Joe Montana-like quarterback, Jack “Cap” Rooney (Dennis Quaid) is injured, creating an opportunity for Willie Beamen (Jamie Fox), an unknown third stringer to shine. Beamen ignores the plays and runs the game his own way and no one cares, except Coach D’Amato, because the losing team starts winning again. Then the obvious happens – Beamen becomes a big sports star with a head and ego too big for his body. Meanwhile, Sharks’ owner Christina Pagniacci (Cameron Diaz) runs the team like a Fortune 500 company while making morally questionable power plays to prove she can fill her daddy’s shoes. At the center of it all is Coach D’Amato who loves the opportunistic battle for the win on the field, but hates what it’s become – a circle jerk power struggle.

From the onset, Stone creates an environment where you can’t deny the comparisons between athletes and gladiators, a field to a Coliseum, and the money hungry team owners to the corrupt royalty of ancient Rome. Stone practically beats you over the head with these analogies with cuts to battle scenes from Ben-Hur and an appearance from Charlton Heston, the original Judah Ben-Hur, as the sports commissioner.

Despite the pushiness of the gladiator message, there are some really great dramatic scenes between Pacino and Fox, and the film overall is one of the better modern sports films I’ve seen. Stone once again demonstrates that selfish and aggressive pursuits of money, power, and politics can push the human spirit to dark, lonely places.

3 Notes/ Hide

  1. brieflynoted posted this