Ever since Eadweard Muybridge took successive images of a racehorse in full gallop, sports movement have been a part of the moving image. As collegiate and professional sport became more popular, they found themselves the center of attention in films dating back to 1913. Football was a particularly visual game, which made it particularly suited to the big screen. As time went on, more loveable losers and inspirational underdogs made it to the gridiron — and the cinema. As the Buffalo Bills once again descend upon Rochester for Training Camp, experience some of the best examples of the sport on screen.
Dates and Titles:
July 22: The Freshman (Fred C. Newmeyer, Sam Taylor, US 1925, 77 min., 16mm)
July 24: The Longest Yard (Robert Aldrich, US 1974, 121 min., 35mm)
August 15: Friday Night Lights (Peter Berg, US 2004, 118 min., DCP)
August 22: Any Given Sunday (Oliver Stone, US 1999, 162 min., 35mm)
August 29: Remember the Titans (Boaz Yakin, US 2000, 113 min., 35mm)
Events in this Series
Remember the Titans (35mm)
Training Camp Inspired by actual events, Denzel Washington takes the lead in this historical biographical sports tale. As Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia is consolidated, and integrated, head football coach Bill Yoast (Will Patton) is asked to step aside for Herman Boone (Washington), a coach from North Carolina.
Any Given Sunday (35mm)
Training Camp Oliver Stone’s high-octane cinema is brought to bear on America’s most violent sport at the cusp of the high-definition television revolution. In Stone’s eyes, football is no longer a sport but a business, with human warriors as the casualties and cost of commerce.
Friday Night Lights (DCP)
Training Camp Football is everything to the town of Dillon, Texas. At the center of this is the high school football team and its coach, Gary Gaines (Billy Bob Thornton). The entire town shows up for games on Friday nights, with expectations that the team will make it to the state championship, providing pride for the town and long-lasting memories for the players.
The Longest Yard (DCP)
Training Camp Paul “Wrecking” Crewe (Burt Reynolds) has made a lot of mistakes in his life. After getting banned from the NFL for shaving points, he steals his lover’s car, leads police on a chase, and dumps the car in the ocean, earning him eighteen months in state prison.
The Freshman (DCP)
Training Camp In one of his supreme comic masterpieces, the great Harold Lloyd tries anything to be the most popular man on campus, including becoming a tackling dummy for the school football team.