North Dallas Forty vs. Any Given Sunday

Any Given Sunday and North Dallas Forty, made over 25 years apart, are two of the most famous football movies ever made. Both of these movies focus on an examination of American values as seen through the lens of a professional sport, both on and off the field. Any Given Sunday and North Dallas Forty do indeed have many striking similarities. Furthermore, it seems that both movies try to give a detailed depiction on the corporate mentality of modern day professional football; while at the same time, still working to deliver a traditional, likeable sports flick. Though there is a large time gap between the two films, they have similar messages and much in common.
In Any Given Sunday, Oliver Stone takes on professional football, a sport, whose delicacy proves to be a good match for his filmmaking style. The film is basically the story about a fictional professional football team, known as the Miami Sharks. Tony D'Amato, the head coach of the Sharks, won back-to-back championships and is used to success. However, the young, new owner, Christina Pagniacci, has little enthusiasm for the finer points of the game and is concerned only with the bottom line. Stone stages the game footage like combat, showcasing the pure brutality of the sport and the physical toll the athletes put on their bodies. Behind the scenes, he examines the influence of drugs, both prescribed and not, groupies, football wives, the sponsors and advertisers, the media, and the players' own raging egos.
Likewise, North Dallas Forty, is very critical of the professional sport of football and is filled with cynicism. In addition, just like Any Given Sunday, the film is devoted to showing what untamed beasts football players can be, especially away from the football field and how it affects their bodies and lives. It tells the story of how the game is changing and effected deeply by the media spotlight, drug dependency, egos, and player exploitation. The film revolves around wide receiver, Phil