In Reel Life: Elliott catches a TD pass with time expired, pulling North Dallas to within one point of Chicago. Seth happens to have a football, and he tosses one last pass to his buddy Phil, who lets it hit his chest and fall to the pavement. Here you will find unforgettable moments, scenes and lines from all your favorite films. Tap "Sign me up" below to receive our weekly newsletter Elliot deduces that Maxwell knew about the investigation the entire time. and the your job. his back. In Real Life: Many of Gent's teammates have said he wasn't nearly as In her review for The New York Times, Janet Maslin wrote "The central friendship in the movie, beautifully delineated, is the one between Mr. Nolte and Mac Davis, who expertly plays the team's quarterback, a man whose calculating nature and complacency make him all the more likable, somehow. "I have always felt that it [the loss] was partly my fault. A satire of American professional football in which a veteran pass-catcher's individuality and refusal to become part of the team family are bitterly resented by his disciplinarian coaches.A satire of American professional football in which a veteran pass-catcher's individuality and refusal to become part of the team family are bitterly resented by his disciplinarian coaches.A satire of American professional football in which a veteran pass-catcher's individuality and refusal to become part of the team family are bitterly resented by his disciplinarian coaches. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time In Real Life: This is similar to what happened in the 1966 NFL Championship game. NEW! When the Bulls management benches Elliot after manipulating him to help train a fellow teammate, Elliot has to decide whether there is more to life than the game that he loves.CREDITS:TM \u0026 Paramount (1979)Cast: Mac Davis, Charles Durning, Steve Forrest, Grant Kilpatrick, John Matuszak, Nick Nolte, G.D. SpradlinDirector: Ted KotcheffProducers: Frank Baur, Jack B. Bernstein, Frank YablansScreenwriters: Ted Kotcheff, Frank Yablans, Nancy Dowd, Rich EustisWHO ARE WE?The MOVIECLIPS channel is the largest collection of licensed movie clips on the web. "Usually by February, I was able to sleep a good eight hours. "North Dallas Forty" and another new release, "Breading Away," seem to have received that salutaruy from of screenwriting in which every crucial conflict is adequately resolved and every conflicting viewpoint is adequately -- and sometimes eloquently -- expressed. Elliott is well aware that he's not made of intimidating, indestructible stuff: He has sustained his carrer by playing with pain and crippling injuries. The murderer is Charlotte's ex-boyfriend and football groupie Bob Boudreau (who is also not in the movie); Boudreau has been stalking her throughout the novel. The depictions of drug use and casual attitudes about sex were still semi-taboo in the film industry at the time, but Gent wrote the 1973 book from experience as a former Dallas Cowboys player with 68 receptions from 1964-68. In a meeting with the team owners and Coach Strother, Elliott learns that a Dallas detective has been hired by the Bulls to follow him. "[9], However, in his review for The Globe and Mail, Rick Groen wrote "North Dallas Forty descends into farce and into the lone man versus the corrupt system mentality deprives it of real resonance. "[13], The film grossed $2,787,489 in its opening weekend. Called into a meeting with the Bulls front office, hes unexpectedly confronted by a representative from the leagues internal investigations commission. And every time I call it a business, you call it a game.. Maxwell understands where his friend is coming from, but urges him to take a more pragmatic approach to his dealings with the coaches and the managers. "[6], The film opened to good reviews, some critics calling it the best film Ted Kotcheff made behind Fun with Dick and Jane and The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz. "The NFL Films showed it from six or seven seasons (more about this later): "One time a neighbor told me, 'Pete, now 6.9 (5,524) 80. What was the average gain when they ran that Maxwell prompts Elliot to turn around and throws a football to him, but Elliot lets it hit him in the chest and fall incomplete as he shrugs and throws his arms into the air, signifying that he truly is done with the game. Loosely based on the Dallas Cowboys team of the early 1970s. course of a high school, college and pro career, an athlete is exposed to all Davis was 78. More Scenes from 1970s. The Packers led the Cowboys 34-20 with a little more than five minutes remaining. In Real Life: Landry stressed disciplined play, but sometimes punished Elliot is slow to get up, every move being a slow one that clearly causes a searing amount of pain. man is just like you, he's never satisfied." In Reel Life: In the opening scene, Phil Elliott (Nick Nolte) is described as last year's "Miss Farm Implements," and she's wearing a Playboy Bunny outfit. Your Ticket Confirmation # is located under the header in your email that reads "Your Ticket Reservation Details". Sex, booze, knocking heads and blood & tears is what make these players happy! Two shots out of that and Hartman is shot to shit, freaked out. In Real Life: Neely says this sequence rings false. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your email. In Reel Life: After the loss, O.W. and points to the monitor. I kept asking why the white players put up with their black teammates Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. North Dallas Forty is available on Netflix Instant and DVD. an instance where a player was made to feel he had to do this where he was put in the position of feeling he might lose his job. ", "In about 1967, amyl nitrite was an over-the-counter drug for people who suffered from angina," Gent told John Walsh in a Feb. 1984 Playboy interview. players when, even though they followed his precise instructions, a play went Kotcheff allows the camera to go a little inert in some scenes, but he's transcended the jittery, overemphatic tendencies that used to interfere with his otherwise vigorous, performance. He says, "No shots for me, man, I can't stand Elliot, at the end of his career and wise to the way players are bought and sold like cattle, goes through the games pumped up on painkillers conveniently provided by the management. North Dallas Forty movie clips: http://j.mp/1utgNODBUY THE MOVIE: http://j.mp/J9806XDon't miss the HOTTEST NEW TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/1u2y6prCLIP DESCRIPTION:Seth Maxwell (Mac Davis) and Phillip Elliot (Nick Nolte) hook up for the final plays of the game.FILM DESCRIPTION:In a society in which major league sporting events have replaced Sunday worship as the religion of choice, North Dallas Forty appears like a desecration at the altar. years went on,' writes Peter Golenbock in the oral history, "Cowboys Have Always Been My Heroes. Bowled Over: Big-Time College Football from the Sixties to the BCS Era. North Dallas Forty is something of a period piece in other ways, too. The Bulls industrialist owner likes to speak of his team as a family, but Phil is beginning to understand that hes really just a piece of meat on the field and a series of numbers on his head coachs computer. By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and I was in what proved to be my final season with the Kansas City Chiefs when Gent's novel appeared. Their pregame psych-up rituals are showstoppers. Genres SportsFictionFootballNovelsHumorUnited StatesMedia Tie In .more 338 pages, Paperback First published January 1, 1973 Book details & editions ", In Reel Life: Delma Huddle (former pro Tommy Reamon) watches Elliott take a shot in his knee. North Dallas Forty streaming: where to watch online? ", In Reel Life: At a team meeting, B.A. great skills and his nerve on the field during a period of time in the NFL By contrast, in the movie version of "Semi-Tough" the same kind of jokes seemed cute and affecred. Smoking grass? Seen this movie a few times on TV and it is a superb football film. Unfortunately, the Cleveland defensive back was in the wrong place. ", In Reel Life: Elliott meets with B.A. The coach sits down in front of Players have not been so thoroughly owned since they won free agency in 1993. trap play last season? them as early as 1962. MovieQuotes.com 1998-2023 | All rights reserved, More Movies with genre: Drama, Comedy, Sport, directed this movie A league investigator recites what he saw while following Elliott during the week, including evidence that Elliott smoked a "marijuana cigarette." Trending. At key moments with the Chiefs, I truly felt "owned," and the 1973 season proved to be my last because I was cut at the end of the players' strike during training camp in 1974. Phils words echo the sentiments that motivated the ill-fated NFL strike of 1974, in which players unsuccessfully demanded the right to veto trades and the right to become free agents after their contracts expired. He last charted with Secrets in 1981. It's not as true a picture as it was 10 to 15 years ago, when it was closer to the truth. Indeed, it might actually resonate more deeply now, in light of all the recent CTE stories and studies. To you its just a business, Matuszak admonishes the coach, but to us its still gotta be a sport.. The characters weren't "real," but collectively they conveyed the brutality, racism, sexism, drug abuse, and callousness that were part of professional footballjust a part, but the part that the public rarely saw and preferred not to acknowledge at all. Directed by Ted Kotcheff, this on-and-off-field comedy/drama stars Nick Nolte as a wide receiver . Hall of Famer Tom Fears, who advised on the movie's football action, had a scouting contract with three NFL teams -- all were canceled after the film opened, reported Leavy and Tony Kornheiser in a Sept. 6, 1979, Washington Post article. He had a short season - just five years. Gent, who was often used as a blocker, finished his NFL career with 68 The next step is expecting real players to live up to those unrealistic standards and feeling cheated when they fail. "If I had known Gent Free shipping for many products! An off-duty Dallas vice officer whos been hired to investigate Phil has discovered a baggy of marijuana in the players home. Though ostensibly fictional, Gents book was to the NFL as Jim Boutons 1970 tell-all Ball Four was to major league baseball a funny-yet-revealing look at the sordid (and often deeply depressing) side of a professional sport. But Davis should be lauded most for his work in North Dallas Forty, which was loosely based on the Dallas Cowboys and forever changed the way we look at the NFL. In Real Life: The use of the term "John Henry" to refer to this Just leave us a message here and we will work on getting you verified. Maxwell: You know Hartman, goodie-two-shoes is fidgeting around like a one-legged cat trying to bury shit on a frozen pond, until old Seth fixes him a couple of pink poontang specials. We may earn a commission from links on this page. In Real Life: Gent says he was followed throughout the 1967 and 1968 North Dallas Forty 1979 Directed by Ted Kotcheff Synopsis Wait till you see the weird part. "North Dallas Forty," the movie version of an autobiographical novel written by former Dallas Cowboy receiver Pete Gent, came to the silver screen in 1979. We wont be able to verify your ticket today, but its great to know for the future. In the novel, Charlotte was a widow whose husband was an Army officer who had been killed in Vietnam; Charlotte had told Phil that her husband had decided to resign his commission, but had been killed in action while the request was being processed. He confides to Charlotte, a young woman who soon becomes his potential solace and escape route: "I can take the crap and the manipulation and the pain, just as long as I get that chance." Gent on the Cowboys. The site's critical consensus states: "Muddled overall, but perceptive and brutally realistic, North Dallas Forty also benefits from strong performances by Nick Nolte and Charles Durning. ", In Reel Life: Elliott gives a speech about how management is the "team," while players are just more pieces of equipment. Gent. Neither is a willingness to endure pain. They leave you to make the decision, and if you don't do it, they will remember, and so will your teammates. Please click the link below to receive your verification email. 1979. There even were rumors around the time of the movies release that Hall of Famer Tom Fears and Super Bowl XI MVP Fred Biletnikoff both of whom served as advisors on Forty were blackballed from the NFL because of their involvement. Gent shares screenwriting credit with director Ted Kotcheff and producer Frank Yablans, and this admirable distillation makes a few improvements on the novel: including lighter bouts of doping and orgying and the invention of a witty new conclusion to the last game played by the protagonist, flanker Phil Elliott. His teammates include savvy quarterback Maxwell (Mac Davis) and lunk-headed defensive lineman Jo Bob Priddy (Bo Svenson), who deal with the impersonality and back-biting of the game through off-field diversions. So, did that mean that Meredith was a dope-head? Cinemark We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your account. 'It was In Reel Life: North Dallas is playing Chicago for the conference championship. From the novel by former NFL player Peter Gent. Someone breaks open an ampule of amyl nitrate to revive him. The coaches manipulate Elliott to convince a younger, injured rookie on the team to start using painkillers. critical section of the male anatomy dates to the late 19th century, ", NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle denied any organized blacklist, but told The Post, "I can't say that some clubs in their own judgment (did not make) decisions based on many factors, including that they did not like the movie. Phil finds it harder to relate to the rest of his teammates, especially dumbfuck offensive lineman Joe Bob Priddy (Bo Svenson), whose idea of a creative pickup line is Ive never seen titties like yours! Joe Bobs rapey ways are played for laughs in the film during a party sequence, he hoists a woman above the heads of the revelers, peeling off her clothes while Chics Good Times booms in the background. - Conrad Hunter: There's one thing I learned early on in life. Football fans will likely find it fascinating. He played football at Notre Dame in the late 1960s and for the Kansas City Chiefs in the early 1970s. Dan Epstein on how the 1979 football-movie classic rips a pre-free agency, pre-Kaepernick league a new one, Mac Davis, left, and Nick Nolte, right, in 'North Dallas Forty. Played by Mac Davis in his bare-chested, curly-topped prime, Maxwell a character clearly based on flamboyant Dallas Cowboys star Dandy Don Meredith is firmly dedicated to enjoying whatever life throws him, whether its a last-minute victory drive or a three-way with a teammate and the wife of a prominent local businessman. He was one tough SOB. "The Cowboys initially used computers to do Comedy, "I talked to several doctors who told me it basically didn't do any damage; it speeded up your heart and pumped a lot of oxygen to your brain, which puts you in another level of consciousness. yells, "Elliott, get back in the huddle! But North Dallas Forty holds together as a film despite directorial crudity and possible bewilderment because Nick Nolte has got inside every creaking bone, cracking muscle, and ragged sigh marking Phil . You know, that crazy tourist drink that I fix for stewardesses? That's always a problem. BestsellerThe Barista Express grinds, foams milk, and produces the silkiest espresso at the perfect temperature. Dayle Haddon may also be a little too prim and standoffish to achieve a satisfying romantic chemistry with Nolte: Somehow, the temperaments don't mesh. See production, box office & company info, Sneak Previews: More American Graffiti, The Amityville Horror, The Muppet Movie, The Wanderers, North Dallas Forty. Sports News Without Fear, Favor or Compromise. (Nanci Roberts, credited as "Bunny Girl") is lined up for Jo Bob. The screenplay was by Kotcheff, Gent, Frank Yablans, and Nancy Dowd (uncredited). Movie Three Days . It's easier for nonplayers to sustain heroic fantasies in which anything is possible. By Paul Hendrickson. "According to Landry's gospel, the Cleveland defensive back who He also hosted a TV variety show and worked on Broadway. As I got of screen action to back up the assessment. The novel ends in apocalypse when, after having been dumped by the Bulls, Phil drives into the country to begin a new life with Charlotte, the woman who can heal his life, only to find her murdered for living with a black man on her farm. However, like that movie and The Last Boy Scout, it did deliver a gritty message. We plan for em. Coming Soon. The screenplay was by Kotcheff, Gent, Frank Yablans, and Nancy Dowd (uncredited). Widely hailed as not only one the best American football movies, but one of best sports movies of all time, North Dallas Forty continues to score touchdowns with film audiences and it's winning more fans thanks to its debut Blu-ray release from Imprint Films in Australia, limited to 1500 copies. depicted in the scene, but the system, in Gent's opinion, wasn't as objective [14] After 32 days from 654 theatres, it had grossed $19,010,710[14] and went on to gross $26,079,312 in the United States and Canada. playoff game against the Browns. awry. "The only way I kept up with Landry, I read a lot of Terms and Policies Strothers (G.D. Spradlin), and Conrad Hunter (Steve Forrest) have final words for the North Dallas Bulls before the game, followed by a prayer from the Father.FILM DESCRIPTION:In a society in which major league sporting events have replaced Sunday worship as the religion of choice, North Dallas Forty appears like a desecration at the altar. Copyright Fandango. Good, fun all round film with great thought put into the story especially when entering Nolte's problems with team management/owners. The novel opens on Monday with back-to-back violent orgies, first an off-day hunting trip where huge, well-armed animals, Phil's teammates O. W. and Jo Bob, destroy small, unarmed animals in the woods, then a party afterward where the large animals inflict slightly less destructive violence on the females of their own species. "We were playing in the last drive of the game the Cowboys got to the Packers' 2-yard line with 28 seconds left. Later, Stallings is cut, his locker unceremoniously emptied. Which is why North Dallas Forty still resonates today. Staggering into the kitchen, he finally locates a couple of precious painkillers, washing them down with the warm dregs of one of last nights Lone Stars. [8] Newsweek magazine's David Ansen wrote "The writers -- Kotcheff, Gent and producer Frank Yablans -- are nonetheless to be congratulated for allowing their story to live through its characters, abjuring Rocky-like fantasy configurations for the harder realities of the game. Your AMC Ticket Confirmation# can be found in your order confirmation email. Hes confident that he still has the best hands in football, but the constant pain is wearing him down and so, too, is the teams rigid head coach. All rights reserved. ", Though sometimes confused by Landry, Gent says he admired the man: "Over the catches for 898 yards and four TDs. It was directed by Ted Kotcheff and based on the best-selling 1973 novel by Peter Gent. In the scene, Matuszak gets into an argument in the locker room with a coach following a loss. North Dallas Forty 1979 R 1 h 59 m IMDb RATING 6.9 /10 5.6K YOUR RATING Rate Play trailer 3:00 2 Videos 75 Photos Comedy Drama Sport A satire of American professional football in which a veteran pass-catcher's individuality and refusal to become part of the team family are bitterly resented by his disciplinarian coaches. Instant replay review isnt a thing yet. Strothers (G.D. Spradlin). there was anything wrong with them. ", "Maybe Ralph can't remember," Gent responds in his e-mail interview. e-mail interview: "I was shocked that in 1964 America, Dallas could have an CAPTION: Picture, Nick Nolte in "North Dallas Forty". In this film, directed by Ted Kotcheff (The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz), the National Football League is revealed to be more about the money than the game. When the coaches provoke a fight in practice, Elliott is the only member of the North Dallas Bulls watching calmly from the sidelines. A brutal satire of American professional football in which a veteran pass-catcher's individuality and refusal to become part of the team "family" is bitterly resented by his disciplinarian coaches.. In the final game of the season, Elliot catches a touchdown pass with no time left on the clock to get North Dallas to within one point of division rival Chicago, but the Bulls lose the game due to a mishandled snap on the extra point attempt. Or as Elliott says, "The meanest and the biggest make all the rules. The coach responds that players are hired to do a job, and Matuszak delivers the signature quote of the movie: Every time I call it a game, you call it a business. in "Heroes." The parlor game when the novel first appeared was to match fictional Bulls to actual Cowboys. 1 hr 59 min. Were the equipment. If you prefer the DVD, rent it; the disk is pricey and includes nary an extra beyond English subtitles and scene selection. Best of 2022 Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Top 250 TV Shows Most Popular TV Shows Most Popular Video Games Most Popular Music Videos Most Popular Podcasts. Ultimately, Elliott must face the fact that he doesn't belong in the North Dallas Bulls "family." Suddenly, Jo Bob and O. W. burst in with shotguns blazing, and the novel's opening scenes proceed to play out. On the other hand, John Matuszak showed himself to be much more than just a jock. The man known as Tooz was a defensive end for the Oakland Raiders from 1973-81, playing for a pair of Super Bowl champions. Elliot informs him that he quit, prompting Maxwell to ask if his name came up in the meeting. She's a fictional character who appeared in Gent's second novel, "Texas Celebrity Turkey Trot.". North Dallas Forty movie clips: http://j.mp/1utgNODBUY THE MOVIE: http://j.mp/J9806XDon't miss the HOTTEST NEW TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/1u2y6prCLIP DESCRIPTIO. They just depreciate us and take us off the goddamn tax returns!. Were not the team, Phil rages at his head coach, as the Bulls owner and executives grimly look on. In Reel Life: As we see in the film, and as Elliott says near the end, I played professional football, but I was stunned by the violence of the collision. Fans at the time had never seen the violence of football up so close. was that good, I would have thrown to him more," said Meredith, perhaps tongue-in-cheek, after reading the book. But worst of all, so will you -- what if the team loses and you might have made the difference? Similarly, we're allowed to accumulate contradictory impressions about the pro football fraternity. When you are young, you think you And he can't conform in the frankly opportunistic, hypocritical style perfected and recommended by his sole friend and allyu on the team, the star quarterback Seth Maxwell (played by Mac Davis) who advises: "Hell, we're all whores anyway -- why not be the best?" Are you kidding me? Phil responds. I'm fidgeting around like a one-legged cat trying to bury shit on a frozen pond * cause it's NFL . bears some resemblance to Tom Landry, who coached [2], The NFL didn't take kindly to those who participated in the making of "North Dallas Forty." in their game. More importantly to this story, neither is free agency. North Dallas Forty is excessive, melodramatic, and one-sided. When the alarm goes off, he drags his scarred, beefy carcass into the bathroom, where he removes some stray cartilage from his nostrils, pops a couple of pills, rolls a joint and eases himself painfully into a hot tub. Meredith was one of those players. because many thought the unflattering portrait of pro football, Dallas Cowboys-style, was fairly accurate. Despite his lingering affection for the same and the joy he still feels when performing well, there's not enough of that satisfaction left to make playing worthwhile. The movie ends with Phil leaving the Bulls' corporate offices and bumping into Seth who, as always, knows everything that's happened and has taken care to protect himself. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. In Real Life: B.A. coach called that play on the sideline or if Maxwell called it in the huddle. He was hurting, too, but he has the guts to do what it takes when we need him You cant make it in this league if you dont know the difference between pain and injury! Huddle acquiesces. Unsurprisingly, the league refused to have anything to do with a film that took such a pro-labor stance, and which portrayed the organization as treating its players as little more than cannon fodder. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time However, this subtler, reserved Nolte is an appealing heroic figure. "On any play you got no points for doing your job, you got a Rudely awakened by his alarm clock, Phil Elliott (Nick Nolte) fumbles blindly for the prescription drug bottles that line his nightstand. I have always suspected Lee Roy (Jordan) as the snitch who informed the Cowboys and the league that I was 'selling' drugs (because), as he says so often in the press, 'Pete Gent was a bad influence on the team.' Muddled overall, but perceptive and brutally realistic, North Dallas Forty also benefits from strong performances by Nick Nolte and Charles Durning. ", The full list of our Top 20, plus explanation of the voting, Page 2's Top 20 Sports Movies of All-Time, Closer Look: Lost in a 'Field' of imagination. If you nailed all the ballplayers that smoked grass, you couldnt field a punt return team! (Indeed, the officers report conveniently overlooks the fact that the victim was seen sharing a joint with the teams star quarterback. Coach Strothers is an eloquent spokesman for the authoritarian way, and thanks to Spradlin, we can feel the emotional need behind his pursuit of perfect execution and obedience. In fact, Boeke played another season for the Cowboys before being Gent exaggerated pro football's dark side by compressing a season's or career's worth of darkness into eight days in the life of his hero, Phil Elliott.