Any Given Sunday (1999)

A behind-the-scenes look at the life-and-death struggles of modern-day gladiators and those who lead them.

Director:

Oliver Stone

Writers:

Daniel Pyne (screen story), John Logan (screen story)

Stars:

Al Pacino, Dennis Quaid, Cameron Diaz

3 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Al Pacino	...	Tony D'Amato
Cameron Diaz	...	Christina Pagniacci
Dennis Quaid	...	Jack 'Cap' Rooney
James Woods	...	Dr. Harvey Mandrake
Jamie Foxx	...	Willie Beamen
LL Cool J	...	Julian Washington
Matthew Modine	...	Dr. Ollie Powers
Jim Brown	...	Montezuma Monroe
Lawrence Taylor	...	Luther 'Shark' Lavay
Bill Bellamy	...	Jimmy Sanderson
Andrew Bryniarski	...	Patrick 'Madman' Kelly
Lela Rochon	...	Vanessa Struthers
Lauren Holly	...	Cindy Rooney
Ann-Margret	...	Margaret Pagniacci
Aaron Eckhart	...	Nick Crozier

Storyline

When a devastating hit knocks a professional football legend and quarterback Cap Rooney out of the game, a young, unknown third-stringer is called in to replace him. Having ridden the bench for years because of a string of bad luck stories and perhaps insufficient character, Willie Beaman seizes what may be his last chance, and lights up the field with a raw display of athletic prowess. His stunning performance over several games is so outstanding and fresh it seems to augur a new era in the history of this Miami franchise, and forces aging coach Tony D'Amato to reevaluate his time-tested values and strategies and begin to confront the fact that the game, as well as post-modern life may be passing him by. Adding to the pressure on D'Amato to win at any cost is the aggressive young President/Co-owner of the team, Christina Pagniacci, now coming into her own after her father's death. Christina's driving desire to prove herself in a male dominated world is intensified by her focus on the...

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Plot Keywords:

nudity | male objectification | man wearing a jock strap | male in underwear | man wrapped in a towel | 

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Taglines:

Life is a contact sport.

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Genres:

Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language and some nudity/sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 December 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gridiron

Filming Locations:

Joe Robbie Stadium - 2269 NW 199th Street, Miami, Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$55,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$13,584,625, 26 December 1999, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$75,530,832

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$100,230,832

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Ixtlan, Donners' Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

162 min 156 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Edward Burns was originally cast as Nick Crozier.

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Goofs

The Sharks wear home uniforms, even when they are on the road. The home team is allowed to choose which jersey to wear (though it's admittedly unusual to wear the white "away" uniforms at home).

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Quotes

Dr. Harvey Mandrake: Perfect. Fuck. Ok stay here and get... butt fucked by 12 Neanderthals. Bitch

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Crazy Credits

During the end credits, we see D'Amato accepting an award and telling of his future plans with the league.

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Alternate Versions

Although billed as the "Director's Cut" and boasting 6 minutes of added footage, the U.S. DVD version is actually shorter than the U.S. theatrical release, which ran 162 minutes. Even with the added footage, home video versions run a mere 157 minutes. Among scenes/shots cut from the DVD incarnation...

• Some locker room footage during halftime of the first game.
• A voiceover phone call between Cindy and Christina following the first game is re-cut.
• Tony's drunken barroom speech about giving everything for his players, prominently featured in the trailer, is entirely removed.
• The second game is re-cut.
• Game 3 begins with a Kid Rock song in the theatrical version. The DVD opens game 3 with a Black Sabbath song, and the game is heavily edited, with much of the football action rearranged or cut entirely.
• A beach football game between the players and bikini-clad beauties is trimmed.
• A brief bit in which Rooney antagonizes Willie during practice is cut.
• The final game is slightly re-edited, with a new scene of a player losing an eye added, as well as more footage of Caps's comeback montage, but other plays are cut in slightly different ways.

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Connections

References Die Hard (1988)

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Soundtracks

Who You Gonna Call
Written by Missy Elliott, Bink (as Roosevelt Harrell) and Tony McAnaney
Produced by Tony McAnaney, Missy Elliott and Bunk Dog
Performed by Missy Elliott
Courtesy of THE GOLD MIND, INC. / ELEKTRA ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

User Reviews

Loved It!

I think the movie as a whole was excellent. Oliver Stone did a great job, I felt as though I was inside the screen. The almost 3 hours didn't even feel like it, it felt like watching a Football game on Any Given Sunday. Jamie Foxx did a great job, you loved him at times and hated him at times, and he gave you great reason to do either. And of course Al Pacino was the man as always, playing a coach with heart and blowing you away at the end. Cameron Diaz was the best wicked witch, just a hard-core display of a woman of the millenium. All in all, anyone who thinks this movie had no plot, wasn't paying attention. All you have to do is see the change in the characters throughout the movie, and what the game meant to each one of them: from the owner, to the coach, to the players, to the doctors, to the families. Perfect example is the characters of both Ann Margaret and Lauren Holly. There is a lot of meaning in this movie. Kudos!