North Dallas Forty
July 14th 2009 02:27
I first saw this movie in the theater when it was released in 1979. Admittedly, my main reason for wanting to see the film was not a keen interest in football but the stars of the film. I liked Mac Davis, who plays the quaterback Seth Maxwell and my roommate at the time idolized Nick Nolte, who play Phil Elliot.
The movie was made from the semi autobiographical novel "North Dallas Forty" by Peter Gent. Gent was a wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys in the late 1960's and is said to have based the characters in the novel on many of the notable Cowboy players of the era.
The story depicts a wide receiver, Phil Elliot (Nolte) who is at the peak of his career. His body is battered by game injuries, and he is dependent on various pain medications and other drugs prescribed by the team doctors. Mac Davis plays Seth Maxwell, the star quarter back who, unlike Elliot realizes that a key element to keeping his career on top is pandering to the team owners. There is a conflict between the stance the owners take toward recreational drug use among the players and the pills and shots of medication provided by team doctors to keep the players in peak condition. Nolte's character is used by management to convince a reluctant teammate to shoot an injured hamstring full of medication so he can play in a championship game. The results cause Elliot (Nolte) to realize that in the eyes of management the players are as disposable as any other piece of equipment.
Charles Durning turns in a memorable performance as the assistant coach who gulps down liquid antacids while trying to ensure that the team is ready for the championship game.
As I said at the beginning of this post, I watched this movie for the first time because I liked Mac Davis. I outgrew my crush on him but I still watch the movie every now and then on Sunday afternoons. It is a fascinating study of one side of professional football. If you have an interest in American football, this is one you should consider looking up.
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