Stone's latest isn't his worst, but it's still a mess.
Any Given Sunday (1999)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:116
Fresh:56
Rotten:60
Average Rating:5.5/10
Consensus: Sometimes entertaining, but overall Any Given Sunday is a disappointment coming from Oliver Stone.
Synopsis: Oliver Stone delves into his love-hate relationship with pro football in this high-impact film, thriving on the game's adrenaline rush while revealing its ultimate corruption. When legendary Miami... Oliver Stone delves into his love-hate relationship with pro football in this high-impact film, thriving on the game's adrenaline rush while revealing its ultimate corruption. When legendary Miami Sharks quarterback Cap Rooney (Dennis Quaid) is badly injured in a game, coach Tony D'Amato (Al Pacino) is forced to reach deep into his bench for Willie Beamen (Jamie Foxx). The third-stringer's injury-plagued career and difficulty with maintaining focus make him a dubious commodity at best. But Beamen, aware of what this opportunity could mean, starts playing at a much higher level than ever before, planting championship hopes in the minds of Miami fans. The extraordinary success of Beamen, an athlete whose flamboyance contradicts everything the Lombardi-like D'Amato believes about the game, makes the coach wonder whether his time is passing. To add to his problems, Christina Pagniacci (Cameron Diaz), a young woman who has inherited ownership of the team from her late father, is pressuring him to win now, and at any cost. Will D'Amato be able to pull the team together for a final run at the championship? The film conveys a vivid sense of the atmosphere of pro football and features a finely modulated performance by Pacino. [More]
Starring: Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid, Jamie Foxx
Starring: Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid, Jamie Foxx, LL Cool J, James Woods, Matthew Modine, Ann-Margret, Bill Bellamy, Elizabeth Berkley, Jim Caviezel, Aaron Eckhart, Charlton Heston, Lauren Holly, John C. McGinley, Lela Rochon, Lawrence Taylor
Director: Oliver Stone
Director: Oliver Stone
Screenwriter: Oliver Stone, John Logan
Producer: Dan Halsted, Lauren Shuler Donner, Oliver Stone, Clayton Townsend
Composer: Richard Horowitz
Reviews for Any Given Sunday
On a purely cinematic level, the film is indeed triumphant, with wildly inventive player-perspective footage that brilliantly conveys the rush of game-time action, and an expert's grasp of multilayered storytelling.
Any Given Sunday is content to document, observe and convey. While it does all these things well, a little more passion would not have gone amiss.
Stone makes the mistake of heightening the already over-the-top phenomenon of pro football. It's a shame, because inside Stone's overly aggressive style and inflated running time, a good two-hour movie is struggling to breathe free.
The sensation we get from the blizzard of images and teeth-jarring sound effects is of having our head used as the football.
The film is restless to the point of distraction, and the audio is so pumped up that about a third of the dialogue is unintelligible.
Any Given Sunday has the dubious distinction of being the very first football picture to treat the audience like it's the football.
Football fans rejoice, this film is tailor-made for you. Everyone else, uhhmm......
Any Given Sunday is director Oliver Stone’s epic look at the world of professional football, and there is not one cliché, archetype or silly sports movie moment that he forgets to include.
Yes, it's that kind of a movie, and if you know what you're getting into, it's unlikely you'll be bored.
After two hours of shoving our noses into the most unsavory portrayal of professional sports ever filmed, Stone actually conjures up some faith and optimism.
Probably the most predictable -- and blatantly commercial -- movie [Oliver Stone's] ever directed.
Latest News for Any Given Sunday
July 15, 2005:
LL Cool J Finds a Multi-Pic Home at Lions Gate
The Hollywood Reporter brings news of a deal between actor/rapper LL Cool J and Lions Gate Films. Although the exact numbers have not been released, Mr. J (born as: James Todd... More...
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