Great cinematography and sound puts you in the game.

Rating: 8/10 (24 December 1999)

Like "Saving Private Ryan", the opening puts you right on the field of battle. But instead of the beaches of Normandy, you are in a professional football game with casualties mounting. Head coach Al Pacino is down to his third string quarterback, Jamie Foxx, whose first play is to puke in the huddle.
Using the shaky cam and in the face close-ups, you feel part of the action, even if you don't know what going on. But unlike "Private Ryan", this cinema technique does not end with the opening battle. We are in everybody's face for the whole movie and Foxx pukes three more times. Too much of a good thing almost made me want to join him.
What saves this film is Oliver Stone's excellent use of his all-star supporting cast. Dennis Quaid as the aging star quarterback, James Wood as the cynical team doctor, Matthew Modine as his innocent assistant, Ann-Margret as the drunk owner's widow, and Charlton Heston as the godlike rival owner, all did well in familiar roles. Cameron Diaz as the tough general manager, by virtue of being the owner's daughter, at first seems miscast. But in the end we see her inherent innocence used in her character. If Stone really wanted a mean blonde bitch, he could have use Lauren Holly, who give a credible performance as Quaid's not-so-loving wife.
This show should get a oscar nomination for cinematography, and maybe direction and sound. But it should win booby prize for costumes. Designing the uniforms for an entire fictitious football league was certainly a challenge. But those uniforms of the Heston's Dallas Knights, with the Holy Cross in front where the players' numbers should have been, may be symbolic, but "Oh God" it was distracting.
Finally, was that Cuba Gooding, Jr. playing Foxx's agent? Maybe Foxx should have said "Show me the money".
I gave this movie an 8 out of 10, not bad for a year with so many good movies.