To get readers pumped for the start of the football season, co-editors Natalie Maier and Amira Malcom reviewed classic movies in the drama and comedy genres

Drama:

‘The Blind Side’
He never knew his father. His mother is a drug addict. He has little to no formal education and is living in a world that doesn’t care. Meet Michael “Big Mike” Oher (Quinton Aaron).

Based on an (amazingly) true story, “The Blind Side” is the inspirational story of Oher’s rise to fame after he is taken in by headstrong wife and mom Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) and her family. Leigh Anne goes all out to help Michael achieve success, hiring a tutor, helping him sign up for the football team, even becoming his legal guardian. Slowly but surely Michael raises his GPA and dominates the football field.

Viewers can’t ignore this heartwarming story of love trust, and, more importantly, football. So if you’re looking for a movie that includes the whole family, don’t turn a blind eye to “The Blind Side.”

‘Remember the Titans’
Based on a true story, “Remember the Titans” is a movie that’s about much more than just football. Starring Denzel Washington as Coach Herman Boone, the film documents the first integrated football season for T.C. Williams High School.

Though this movie is often a staple of every Black History Month (often perceived as a bore), “Remember the Titans” features realistic struggles of America’s first years of integration while also including some laughs and a few wins along the way. Through the course of the film you see the Titans become more than a football team and even in the face of tragedy they prevail.

This movie will make you laugh, cry and jump for joy and hopefully after you’ve finished your popcorn, you will definitely “Remember the Titans.”

Comedy:

‘The Longest Yard’
A 2005 remake of a 1974 movie of the same name, “The Longest Yard” stars Adam Sandler and features his signature slapstick humor. Like all remakes, the idea is not exactly original, but Sandler adds a lighter spin to the potentially dark comedy.

Paul “Wrecking” Crewe (Sandler) is a famous former football player, but he turns to alcohol and ends up in prison for driving under the influence. In prison, Crewe meets up with Chris Rock’s character and makes a team, which eventually becomes a success.

As only this cast could manage, “Yard” tackles issues like racism and survival skills in the prison system, but this sometimes comes off as raw and offensive to viewers.

‘Leatherheads’
A film based on the start of professional football in the mid-1920s, “Leatherheads” features a notable cast with George Clooney, Renée Zellweger and John Krasinski.

The movie begins when the captain of a struggling football team, the Duluth Bulldogs, convinces a decorated World War One hero to join the team. The new addition to the Bulldogs creates hope and causes increased attention, especially from a reporter (Zellweger) who becomes the love interest of Clooney’s character.

Although widely a box office fumble, this movie is underrated. It has all the elements of a successful comedy, as well as a good historical perspective on the rise of football in American society.