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Review by Susan Granger
3½ stars out of 4
It may be the classic story of the aging coach on a losing
streak, the meddling owner, the injured veteran quarterback, and the
rookie punk who's itching to be a stadium star - but Oliver Stone adds
a high-charged adrenaline rush and a few new twists. Al Pacino plays
Tony D'Amato, longtime coach of the Miami Sharks; he's sacrificed his
wife and kids to his job and now he realizes he's not relating to the
younger guys on the team, particularly an amazing third-string
quarterback, Jamie Foxx, who's so nervous that he barfs on the
field. "This game's about more than winning," D'Amato passionately
insists, yet he's antagonized by Cameron Diaz, as the team's ruthless
owner. Her father left her the franchise and she's determined to prove
she's tough enough to run it. While sweet-talking the league
commissioner (Charlton Heston), she even tries to blackmail Miami's
mayor (Clifton Davis) into building her a new stadium. Dennis Quaid's
the aging quarterback and LL Cool J's a wide receiver with gridiron
greats Lawrence Taylor as the top linebacker and Jim Brown as
defensive coordinator. James Woods and Matthew Modine are the team's
battling team physicians. Once again, women in Oliver Stone's movies
turn out to be boozers (Ann-Margret), bimbos (Elizabeth Berkley), or
bitches (Lauren Holly). This testosterone-laden football drama spews
visual and auditory barrages. Sometimes the split-screen holds two,
three, even four images, and there's chaotic, rapid-fire cutting
throughout. Rock and rap songs blare, almost masking the formulaic
pigskin cliches, penned by Stone and John Logan. On the Granger Movie
Gauge of 1 to 10, Any Given Sunday is a stylish, hyperkinetic 8, a
manic, visceral cacophony of sights and sounds - and as close as
you're ever gonna get to playing pro football.
Copyright © 2000 Susan Granger
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