Draft Day

The clock is ticking for Sonny Weaver (Kevin Costner), general manager of the Cleveland Browns football team. He’s got the seventh pick in a draft that could dictate the success of his team’s future. With at least one immediate impact player primed to go Number One, Sonny must decide what’s most important: his personal life, his team’s needs, and the power of a splashy trade that might change the balance of power in the League. Read More>>>

Undefeated

Money, O.C., Chavis, and others play for the Manassas High School Tigers, an inner–city football team that has trouble winning a single football game. Plagued by drugs, low test scores, and other low–income travails, the players struggle with self worth as they become the punching bag for the league, a trend their coach, Bill Courtney, wants to reverse. He’s been with Manassas for six years and has seen how a team can spiral down with a single opponent’s score or win. Now, espousing mantras like, “Football doesn’t create character; it reveals it,” Coach Courtney will try to turn Manassas into a winner. Sound like another Hollywood fairy tale? Sure. Except it’s a true story, and Undefeated is a documentary.  Read More>>>

42

Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford), forward-thinking General Manager for the Brooklyn Dodgers, signs Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) of the popular Negro League to play for his team, breaking baseball’s color barrier and changing the sport – and the world – forever.  The movie 42 chronicles the prejudices, threats and dangers Robinson faces from fans, the establishment and his own teammates, as the first African American to play Major League Baseball.  Read More>>>

Family Movie Night Activity: The Game Plan

Joe Kingman is the “king” of football, at the height of his game, literally, and he is livin’ la vita loca! Nothing, it seems, can go wrong until one day an angelic 8 year old shows up at his door claiming to be his daughter.  Adding parenting to his current repertoire seems daunting but a task even the king himself is up to, especially when the little girl steals his heart!   Read More>>>

Playing for Keeps

Former soccer legend George Dryer (Gerard Butler) thinks that maybe it’s time to settle down and be the kind of great father to his young son that he’s never been. So, he starts by coaching his son’s soccer team. Who knew that all the Soccer Mom’s would just make his new grown up life more difficult?






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Chasing Mavericks

Based on the true story of Jay Moriarty, Chasing Mavericks finds the young Jay in difficult circumstances. His Mom is a drunk. His Dad left long ago. He is poor. But surfing gives him a purpose. A neighbor, Frosty, trains Jay to ride dangerous mavericks, giant waves of immense power. Along the way they bond, Frosty becoming the father figure Jay needs to overcome his fears.

 

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Rudy

Will You Cheer for Rudy!?

Rudy Ruettiger (Sean Astin) wanted to reach greater heights than his steel mill town offered him.  With little natural athletic talent but with a determined spirit and tons of heart he set his sights on playing football for the legendary Notre Dame Football team. With only one true supporter behind him to follow his dream, Rudy goes against family wishes and proves  that if there is a will there is a way. 

Blades of Glory

Chazz Michael Michaels and Jimmy MacElroy dominate the male singles figure skating world until they have a brawl and are expelled from competition. Their careers seem over until they find a loophole in the regulations. They can continue skating in couples competition as a men’s pair since the rules don’t specify that couples have to be a man and a woman. Awkwardness and silliness abound.

The Mighty Macs

A Mediocre Slam Dunk!

In the mood for a film set in the 70’s that is based on a true story? A film with morals and values and life lessons? A film about basketball and the will to succeed?  If you answered yes to one or all of these questions then you need to go see The Mighty Macs!  Cathy Rush(Carla Gugino) is a strong willed woman way ahead of her time who gets hired to coach a small all-girls catholic basketball team. 

Miracle

It was more than a Hockey Game

It was a tumultuous time in the world as well as in the U.S., with oil shortages, a poor economy and political discord, U.S. hostages in Iran, and the Soviets invading Afghanistan; America needed something to cheer about and an unlikely man from St. Paul, Minnesota was about to deliver America that shot-in-the-arm. Miracle tells the true story of the of the 1980 Olympic Hockey team in an era before “Dream Teams” took over.  Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell), a former player turned coach, pushes his players to limits they haven’t been pushed to before, in preparation to take on the best hockey team in the world, the Soviet Union.

Forever Strong

A Feel Good Movie Just Short of Strong

Based on actual events, Forever Strong is an inspiring story of Rick Penning(Sean Farris), a young rugby player who after two DWIs gets sent to a juvenile school in Utah.  Shortly after arrival, he’s asked to play on the Highland Rugby team where he is one of the star players but off the field he has a poor relationship with his father and a bad attitude in general.  Rick is faced with the opportunity to take a good look at what he has become and with the help of his coach and team he learns the value of honoring himself, his peers, and his family.

Moneyball

This is the true story of Billy Beane, a General Manager for the Oakland A’s baseball team. Faced with the loss of his three best players and a shortage of money in a small market, Billy turns to a new tool to recruit a team on a budget: computer statistical analysis. When the analysis tells him to sign scratch and dent players nobody wants, he runs afoul of the traditionalists and naysayers, but Billy’s approach would change the Oakland A’s and eventually the way baseball teams recruit players.

Warrior

Two men, with disparate reasons for entering the ring, train and enter the world’s largest mixed martial arts (MMA) competition. The real pull for the movie, however, is their back-story and family relationships, which increases the empathy in what could have been an ordinary sports tale.

Soul Surfer

Soul Surfer is the retelling of the true story of Bethany Hamilton, a young surfer who lost an arm to a shark attack just as she was at the cusp of beginning her career. A strong young woman, Bethany is determined to get back in the water despite her injury, but as difficulties mount, she finds that her career, her family, and her faith are tested to the breaking point.

The Fighter

In The Fighter, Mark Wahlberg plays promising boxer Micky Ward, being used as fodder in low–end matches to support his family. His family, led by a forceful mother (Melissa Leo), coked–out brother (Christian Bale), and a Greek chorus of sisters, bristles when his new girlfriend (Amy Adams) suggests Ward could — and should — be taking matches that could propel him to a championship.

Family Movie Night Activity-Remember the Titans

Remember the night you watched The Titans!

When players and coaches alike are forced together through high school integration, no one is sure the team will ever be cohesive, let alone successful. Watch and see how this team pulls together to play a season to remember, make changes that matter and create friendships that last a lifetime. Cheer for the Titans on and off the field with this edition of Family Movie Night Activity.

You can also use some of these ideas for your Super Bowl party coming up.

Remember the Titans

A Re-Watch to Remember

Pride, Unity, Courage, Respect, Victory; these are the feelings that you'll inevitably feel when you are watching the classic film-Remember the Titans. Based on the true story, Remember the Titans takes place in 1971 when the school board in Alexandria, Virginia mandates an integration between a White and an African-American school, T.C. Williams High School. Coach Boone (Denzel Washington) is assigned the task of being the first African-American football coach for the T.C. Williams High School. As the team learns to see each other as people and not color, they become unbeatable as a team, and a community.

Goosebumps. I had goosebumps throughout the entire movie! I had forgotten how phenomenal Remember the Titans is! DenzelWashington of course, had me hanging on his every word--is he amazing or what?? But Denzel wasn't the only one that gave a stellar performance; the football players had me IN the movie with them! They captured the whole feeling of the rising tension and the emotional unrest of this small community. I literally felt like I was experiencing the sadness, frustration, pride and elation that every person must have felt during that time. "Trust the soul of a man rather than the look of a man," that is just one of the many quotes that will inspire you throughout the movie. The film ended and I was filled with gratitude for all of those who struggled during the early 1970's , that we could learn the priceless lesson of seeing a person for his/her character and not his/her color. If you haven't already, Remember the Titans is a movie that you'll definitely want to add to your home library.

Motherly Advice: Remember the Titans is squeaky clean as far as sexual content is concerned. ClearPlay filters out a handful of expletives and one homosexual kissing scene (which was actually more of a goading act then romantic). Also, some fighting occurs and of course, there is the rough football playing. Lastly, there are a LOT of intense racist attitudes and comments, so you may want to prepare your younger kiddos. With that said, I would recommend this movie for ages 10 and up.

Trisha-Remembering What a CLASSIC Movie Remember The Titans Is. What other classics do YOU love?

Invictus

Nelson Mandela (played by Morgan Freeman) takes the reins in South Africa and feels that there is one thing that can bring together the racially divided country: rugby. He lays down the challenge to the national rugby captain (Matt Damon) to win the World Cup. As unlikely as that scenario sounds, the movie (based largely on fact) does a great job of setting up the conflict.

ClearPlay In Action!

You’d think a movie about racism and really large athletes brutally knocking heads in would be laced with all sorts of profanity and violence. There’s surprisingly little, though ClearPlay handily trims about 15 instances of language. Younger audience members may get antsy as there’s more talking than rugby. And rugby rules are never fully explained, so to borrow another sport’s reference, that’s two strikes against it. But teens and older should find the drama engaging.

Does Invictus have an ‘unconquerable soul’?…

Invictus borrows its title from the stirring poem by William Ernest Henley, a paean to pride and strength. Director Clint Eastwood, 79 and still going strong, brings its ideas to life with inspirational storytelling and great performances. The movie may not be as populace-pleasing as Remember the Titans or Hoosiers, but it’s solidly crafted entertainment nonetheless.

Marty Nabhan—ClearPlay Captain of my Fate

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.; 134 min; Directed By Clint Eastwood

The Blind Side

Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) is a good-hearted, tough as nails Christian woman. When she finds a homeless Michael Oher walking alone in the cold night, she doesn’t hesitate to invite him into her luxurious home. What starts as a temporary offer of help evolves into a long process of change for both Leigh and Michael as he learns about family, football, and belonging and she confronts a world of poverty and depravity she’s never known.

ClearPlay In Action!

ClearPlay filters a few religious exclamations and some obscenities, as well as some sexual dialogue that occurs when Michael returns to his roots in the rough side of town. With filtering in place, this is a good movie for the family.

Will this Open My Eyes?…

Sandra Bullock won a Best Actress award for her role as the plucky, compassionate Leigh, and deservedly so. The story is touching and inspiring, and while it has elements of sports films, the focus remains on the characters, not the game. Based on the life of professional football player Michael Oher, The Blind Side is valuable because it shows the power of family, sacrifice, and good Christian charity in shaping a better world, and movies like that are in tragically short supply. Recommended.

Brian Fuller—ClearPlay Left Tackle

Rated PG-13 for one scene involving brief violence, drug and sexual references.; 129 min; Directed By John Lee Hancock

Whip It

In Whip It, a small town high school girl (Ellen Page), tired of the pageant circuit her mom espouses, finds a rebellious outlet at a local big-city roller derby match. When she learns that the team is having auditions, she tries out and lands a spot. It’s a rough-and-tumble new world that she finds dangerous and exciting … as long as she can keep it from her parents (Marcia Gay Harden, Daniel Stern).

ClearPlay In Action!

As you can imagine, the world of roller derby can be filled with decadent partying and a raucous lifestyle. Though Whip It earned a PG-13 rating for “sexual content including crude dialogue, language and drug material,” the ClearPlayed version is much tamer. About 30 instances of profanity and a number of dialogue references to sex and anatomy are edited, as are some scenes of crude behavior. The irreverence and attitude still come with the territory.

Will Whip It make me want to strap on the skates?…

Having teenage girls myself, about the last thing I wanted to see was a movie about a disobedient teen girl drawn to anarchy. Nevertheless, this debut directorial outing by Drew Barrymore is infectious, with fun, likable characters, and is by far the best movie ever about roller derby. Ellen Page is appealing as a petite girl among tough roller derby pros, and a strong supporting cast (including Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis and Jimmy Fallon) adds to the charm. Due to pervasive rebelliousness, I’d still be careful which kids I included in screening it.

Marty Nabhan—ClearPlay Jammer

Rated PG-13 for sexual content including crude dialogue, language and drug material.; 111 min; Directed By Drew Barrymore