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All the Right Moves

Where to watch.

Rent All the Right Moves on Apple TV.

What to Know

All the Right Moves is an uncommonly grim coming-of-age drama that overcomes numerous clichés with its realistic approach to its characters and setting.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Michael Chapman

Stefen Djordjevic

Craig T. Nelson

Lea Thompson

Charles Cioffi

Paul Carafotes

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, chaz's journal, great movies, contributors, all the right moves.

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I started on newspapers as a sportswriter, covering local high-school teams. That was a long time ago, and I had almost forgotten, until I saw "All the Right Moves," how desperately important every game seemed at the time. When the team members and the fans are all teenagers, and when a school victory reflects in a significant way upon your own feelings of worth, when "We won!" means that we won, a football game can take on aspects of Greek tragedy.

"All the Right Moves" remembers the strength of those feelings, but does not sentimentalize them. The movie stars Tom Cruise (from the current hit " Risky Business ") as a high-school football player in a small Pennsylvania mill town where unemployment is a way of life. His ticket out of town is a football scholarship to a good engineering school.

The high-school football coach ( Craig T. Nelson ) also is looking for a ticket, to an assistant-coaching job in a college. On the night of the big game, these two people get into a position where each one seems to have destroyed the hopes of the other.

The movie plays this conflict against an interesting background. This isn't another high-school movie with pompom girls and funny principals and weirdo chem teachers. The movie gets into the dynamics of the high-school student body and into the tender, complicated relationship between the Cruise character and his girlfriend ( Lea Thompson ). After all the junk high-school movies in which kids chop each other up, seduce the French teacher and visit whorehouses in Mexico, it is so wonderful to see a movie again that remembers that most teenagers are vulnerable, unsure, sincere and fundamentally decent. The kid, his girlfriend and all of their friends have feelings we can recognize as real.

The plot feels real, too, because it centers around those kinds of horrible misunderstandings. and mistakes that we all remember from high school. A lot of teenagers walk around all day feeling guilty, even if they're totally innocent. Get them into a situation that gives them the appearance of guilt and they're in trouble.

And it is so easy to get into trouble when you are old enough to do wrong but too young to move independently to avoid it. A lot of kids who say they were only along for the ride are telling the simple truth. The movie frames the Cruise character in a situation like that, one we can identify with. And then it does an interesting thing. Instead of solving the problem with a plot twist, it solves it through the exercise of genuine human honesty: Two people finally tell each other the truth. This is, of course, an astonishing breakthrough in movies about teenagers, and "All the Right Moves" deserves it.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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All the Right Moves (1983)

Tom Cruise as Stef

Craig T. Nelson as Nickerson

Lea Thompson as Lisa

Directed by

Michael Chapman

Produced by

Stephen Deutsch

Screenplay by

Michael Kane

Photographed by

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All the Right Moves

Cast & crew.

Stefen Djordjevic

Craig T. Nelson

Lea Thompson

Charles Cioffi

Paul Carafotes

Early Cruise football film set in high school, but mature.

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34 Facts About The Movie All The Right Moves

Written by Maybelle Marley

Modified & Updated: 02 Jun 2024

Reviewed by Jessica Corbett

34-facts-about-the-movie-all-the-right-moves

All the Right Moves is a classic sports drama film that captivated audiences upon its release in 1983. Directed by Michael Chapman, the film stars Tom Cruise in one of his early breakout roles, alongside Craig T. Nelson, Lea Thompson , and Chris Penn. Set in a small Pennsylvania town, All the Right Moves tells the story of high school football player Stef Djordjevic, who dreams of escaping his blue-collar background and making it big in college football. This gripping coming-of-age tale takes viewers on an emotional journey through the hardships , choices, and sacrifices made by the characters as they navigate the pressures of sports, love, and future prospects. As we delve deeper into the movie, here are 34 fascinating facts that shed light on the making of All the Right Moves .

Key Takeaways:

“All the Right Moves” is a classic sports drama film starring Tom Cruise, showcasing the challenges and dreams of high school football players in a small town, resonating with audiences for its authenticity and emotional depth.
The movie’s impact on Tom Cruise’s career, authentic football action, and enduring legacy as a timeless sports drama continue to inspire filmmakers and captivate audiences, making it a must-watch for movie enthusiasts.

Background Information

The movie “All the Right Moves” was released in 1983 and is a sports drama film directed by Michael Chapman.

Starring Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise plays the lead role of Stef Djordjevic, a high school football player striving to secure a college scholarship .

Set in a Small Town

The story is set in the fictional town of Ampipe, Pennsylvania, a small blue-collar community heavily reliant on the local steel mill.

Football as the Main Theme

The movie revolves around high school football and explores the challenges faced by the players on and off the field.

Richard Tanne’s Debut

All the Right Moves” marked the screenwriting debut of Richard Tanne, who later gained acclaim for his film “ Southside with You.

Popularity of the Soundtrack

The movie’s soundtrack, composed by David Campbell , gained popularity for its memorable tracks that captured the spirit of the film.

Iconic Football Scenes

The movie features several iconic football scenes that highlight the intensity and physicality of the sport.

Inspirational Underdog Story

“All the Right Moves” tells an inspirational underdog story that resonates with audiences, showcasing the determination and perseverance of the characters.

Captivating Performances

In addition to Tom Cruise, the film boasts captivating performances by Craig T. Nelson, Lea Thompson , and Chris Penn.

Realistic Portrayal of Small-Town Life

The movie effectively portrays the challenges and dreams of individuals growing up in a small, economically struggling town.

Controversial Themes

All the Right Moves” touches on controversial themes such as socioeconomic inequality, dreams vs. reality, and the sacrifices one must make.

Critical Reception

The film received generally positive reviews from critics and was praised for its authentic portrayal of high school football.

Box Office Success

Despite not being a blockbuster hit, “All the Right Moves” was a commercial success, grossing over $17 million worldwide.

Memorable Quotes

The movie is known for its memorable quotes, including Stef Djordjevic’s line, “Sometimes all the right moves don’t necessarily lead to the right results.”

Impact on Tom Cruise’s Career

“All the Right Moves” was one of the early films that contributed to Tom Cruise’s rise to stardom in the 1980s.

Training for the Roles

The actors underwent rigorous football training to prepare for their roles and make their performances as realistic as possible.

Authentic Football Action

The film’s football sequences were choreographed and shot to accurately capture the excitement and intensity of the sport.

Cinematography by Jan de Bont

The movie’s visually stunning cinematography was handled by renowned cinematographer Jan de Bont, known for his work in films like “Speed” and “Twister.

Themes of Ambition and Sacrifice

“All the Right Moves” explores the themes of ambition and sacrifice, showcasing the tough choices individuals make to pursue their dreams.

Sound Design

The movie’s sound design effectively enhances the on-field action, immersing the audience in the football game experience.

Realistic Portrayal of High School Dynamics

The film realistically depicts the dynamics and social challenges faced by high school students, adding depth to the overall narrative.

Gaining College Scholarships

The central goal of many characters in the movie is to secure college scholarships through their football talent.

Tension Between Generations

“All the Right Moves” explores the tension and conflicts that arise between different generations within a small community.

Emotional Depth

The movie delves into the emotional struggles of the characters, creating a deeper connection with the audience.

John Stockwell’s Performance

John Stockwell delivers a standout performance as Brian, Stef’s best friend and teammate grappling with his own aspirations.

Real-life Football Players in the Cast

The film features real-life football players in supporting roles, adding authenticity to the on-screen football action.

Showcase of Teamwork

“All the Right Moves” emphasizes the importance of teamwork and highlights how it can determine the success or failure of a football team.

Iconic Director of Photography

Jan de Bont’s exceptional skills as a director of photography bring the football scenes to life, capturing the energy and intensity of the game.

Preservation of Football History

The movie serves as a time capsule, preserving the history and culture of small-town football during the 1980s.

Music by David Campbell

The film’s music, composed by David Campbell, perfectly complements the emotional tone of the narrative, enhancing the overall viewing experience.

Influence on Subsequent Sports Films

All the Right Moves” has had a lasting impact on subsequent sports films , inspiring filmmakers to delve deeper into the personal struggles of athletes.

Portrayal of Female Characters

The movie offers a nuanced portrayal of the female characters, highlighting their strength and resilience in a predominantly male-dominated world.

Accurate Football Terminology

The film pays attention to accurate football terminology, adding an extra layer of authenticity to the depiction of the sport.

Enduring Legacy

“All the Right Moves” has built an enduring legacy as a classic sports drama that continues to resonate with audiences.

All the Right Moves is a captivating and iconic movie that explores the challenges, dreams, and determination of young athletes . With a stellar cast, compelling storyline, and powerful performances, this film has captured the hearts of audiences around the world. The movie not only showcases the intensity of high school football but also delves into the complexities of small-town life, dreams of escaping, and the pursuit of success against all odds.

From Tom Cruise’s breakthrough role as the ambitious and talented Stef to Craig T. Nelson’s portrayal of the relentless and controlling Coach Nickerson, every character in All the Right Moves is memorable and brings depth to the story. The film’s powerful themes of perseverance, loyalty, and the desire to break free resonate with viewers and continue to make it a beloved classic.

Whether you’re a fan of sports dramas or simply appreciate compelling storytelling, All the Right Moves is a must-watch movie. Its timeless appeal and universal messages make it a film that will continue to be celebrated and enjoyed for generations to come.

1. When was All the Right Moves released?

All the Right Moves was released on October 21, 1983.

2. Who directed All the Right Moves?

The movie was directed by Michael Chapman.

3. What is the runtime of All the Right Moves?

All the Right Moves has a runtime of approximately 91 minutes.

4. What is the genre of All the Right Moves?

All the Right Moves is a sports drama film.

5. Who stars in All the Right Moves?

The movie features Tom Cruise, Craig T. Nelson , Lea Thompson, and Chris Penn in lead roles.

6. Is All the Right Moves based on a true story?

No, All the Right Moves is not based on a true story. However, it explores common themes and challenges faced by high school athletes.

7. Where was All the Right Moves filmed?

The movie was primarily filmed in Johnstown, Pennsylvania .

8. Is there a soundtrack for All the Right Moves?

Yes, All the Right Moves has a soundtrack featuring music by various artists, including the hit song “All the Right Moves” by OneRepublic.

9. Did All the Right Moves receive any awards or nominations?

No, the movie did not receive any major awards or nominations, but it has gained a strong following and critical acclaim over the years.

10. Can I stream All the Right Moves online?

Yes, All the Right Moves is available for streaming on various platforms like Amazon Prime Video and Hulu.

Was this page helpful?

Our commitment to delivering trustworthy and engaging content is at the heart of what we do. Each fact on our site is contributed by real users like you, bringing a wealth of diverse insights and information. To ensure the highest standards of accuracy and reliability, our dedicated editors meticulously review each submission. This process guarantees that the facts we share are not only fascinating but also credible. Trust in our commitment to quality and authenticity as you explore and learn with us.

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30 years old this week: Tom Cruise's 'All The Right Moves'

Steve Spears

All The Right Moves might be the best football movie of the '80s. Maybe one of the top football movies of any decade, outside of Rudy . Oh, and the one about the field-goal-kicking mule. And Tom Cruise 's opus to high school football turns 30 years old this week.

Released Oct. 21, 1983, All The Right Moves follows Stefen Djordjevic (Cruise), a Pennsylvania steel-town high schooler who's gifted both in the classroom and the gridiron. He has an understanding girlfriend (Lea Thompson) and an impatient coach (Craig T. Nelson), and all of them would love to book the next bus outta town for better opportunities. If Stefen could just put a nice showing in the big Walnut Heights game, he'll be set. Knock on wood.

Sadly, the movie has only a 53 percent "fresh" rating at Rottentomatoes.com. It's criticized for being sugar-coated and cliche-ridden, but if you ask me, it's still one of the most honest potrayals of high school football. Here are five things you probably didn't know about the movie.

5 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT ALL THE RIGHT MOVES:

1. The town of "Ampipe" is fictional (based on the equally fictional American Pipe and Steel Co.), but it's probably based on Ambridge, a real town just northwest of Pittsburgh, which is based on American Bridge Co.

2. The uniforms and team colors of Cruise's team -- the Ampipe Bulldogs -- are the actual uniforms from Ferndale Area High School in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where the film was made.

3. Thompson and Cruise went undercover to high schools to research their roles. Cruise was discovered almost immediately -- he was recognized from the movie Taps . Thompson survived much longer, got asked out on dates and was even caught smoking.

4. The coach of the rival team Walnut Heights was an actual football coach in the area and served as technical consultant on the film.

5. The soundtrack is largely forgettable. The main theme song -- All The Right Moves -- was performed by Jennifer Warnes and Chris Thompson. Warnes is probably best known for Up Where We Belong , her duet with Joe Cocker from An Officer and a Gentleman.

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Product Description

A Pennsylvania steel-town high-school coach tries to spoil a football hero's scholarship dream.

Product details

Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 2.72 ounces
Item model number ‏ : ‎ MFR024543008088#VG
Director ‏ : ‎ Michael Chapman
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Multiple Formats, AC-3, Dubbed, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen, Subtitled
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 31 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ January 5, 2010
Actors ‏ : ‎ Tom Cruise, Lea Thompson, Craig T. Nelson, Charles Cioffi, Gary Graham
Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ French
Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, Spanish
Language ‏ : ‎ English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), Unqualified
Studio ‏ : ‎ 20th Century Fox
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000GAKDAG
Writers ‏ : ‎ Michael Kane, Pat Jordan
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
#671 in Sports (Movies & TV)
#6,439 in Comedy (Movies & TV)
#8,699 in Drama DVDs

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The 21 best football movies of all time

The countdown is on for the super bowl and for our list of the greatest gridiron films ever, including jerry maguire , brian's song , and yes, obviously rudy.

Sure, you can prep for Super Bowl Sunday like everybody else, by stocking up on seven-layer dip, nachos, wings, and overpriced microbrews. Or you can ready yourself the way film fans have been doing it for decades—by digging into Hollywood’s extensive catalog of football movies. Which is where The A.V. Club comes in, by providing you with a handy playbook to guide you through Hollywood’s greatest gridiron offerings. Our list of football films you need to know (and to watch, if you haven’t seen them) includes two titles starring Tom Cruise, a hilarious Adam Sandler comedy, a silent movie classic, and a ’7os TV movie that still makes grown men weep. So before you settle in to watch the actual game—and all those heavily hyped, high-priced commercials—spend some time with these cinematic trips to the end zone.

, a key early stepping stone in Tom Cruise’s path to stardom, finds the future Top Gun hero in the role of Stefan—the star player on his high school football team in small-town Pennsylvania. When an argument with his coach (Craig T. Nelson) derails his chances of using his football career to get out of this dying town, Stefan must figure out a way to get back in the spotlight. It’s interesting to watch Cruise’s mega-wattage charisma in its nascent stages, as the actor adds real depth to his two-dimensional role. Michael Chapman’s solid direction, and a compelling ensemble led by Nelson, help round out a formative film on Cruise’s CV.

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20 Best Football Movies of All Time, Ranked for Cinephiles (2023)

W hat makes the best football movie of all time? They run the gamut from high school, comedy, college, inspirational, and kids football movies. That’s a wide spectrum!

In this post, we’re going to give you a list of the best football movies so that you and your loved ones can watch some of the great movies that make you want to crack some skulls.

Top 10 Football Movies

Great football movie preface.

How do you determine which are the best? I think you have to take a look at the sport first and foremost to understand why people love football. It’s a game of inches where timing is crucial.

Football is one of the only sports where brute force and dexterity can face off with each other, or in certain moments even be combined. It’s one of the only sports where broken fingers isn’t an injury, but rather an expectation. Ever see a basketball player play with a cast on their arm?

A former coach of mine said it best:

“Football is NOT a contact sport. Football is a collision sport. ”

For our ranked list, we’re going to look at the portrayal of the actual gameplay, the inspiration factor, the story and filmmaking.

Sandra Bullock Football Movies

20. the blind side (2009).

The Blind Side is the story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All-American football player and first-round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family.

The Blind Side trailer

The Blind Side was a successful football film because it spoke to a few key audiences and their life experiences. The fact that this happens to be based on a true story makes it even better, but the best part of the film is the story that occurs off the field and how important family can be.

Life Affirming
Good Performances
A Bit Hokey
Dull Moments
Less Gameplay

Best Football Movies

Might be higher on the list if the Football was a bit better. The players also get narratively crucified too much.

Will Smith Football Movies

19. concussion (2015).

Concussion is a football movie about an accomplished pathologist, Dr. Bennet Omalu, who uncovers the truth about brain damage in football players who suffer repeated concussions in the course of normal play.

Concussion trailer

Professional football is governed by the economy and by the same power dynamics as any other billion dollar industry. The NFL buried concussion data just as investment bankers hide their drug habits and risky behavior, or the mineral extraction industry hides safety shortcuts.

Unique Take

This football film helps to expose a scandal and educate the viewer so that football can be enjoyed as a sport that tests our athletic abilities while also protecting the athletes.

Old Football Movies

18. the longest yard (1974).

The Longest Yard is a film that shows a sadistic warden asks a former pro quarterback, now serving time in his prison, to put together a team of inmates to take on the prison guards.

The Longest Yard trailer

It’s somehow a deeply profound and terribly shallow football movie. The main character is self destructive and flawed to the core, and yet the viewer will often end up rooting for him until the very end. Is this football film a commentary on the penal system or sports celebrity run amuck? Probably not, but it wasn’t a shameless cash grab either.

Cult Classic
Odd Gameplay

This is a football comedy movie that takes a pampered pro football player and throws him in the slammer. It focuses more on the emotion and the jokes rather than the gameplay, but it’s also a football fan favorite with a lot of 1970s charisma.

The Rock Football Movie

17. gridiron gang (2006).

Gridiron Gang is a story of teenagers at a juvenile detention center, under the leadership of their counselor, that gain self-esteem by playing football together. The movie stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and has a similar story arc to Coach Carter , Hardball , and Dangerous Minds .

Gridiron Gang trailer

Gridiron Gang has some really great gameplay in the film, and it has an affirming message that shows how sports can help young people build friendships and to excel when put on an even playing field.

Good Gameplay
Good Message
Familiar Concept
On the Nose
Oversimplified

Despite some of the oversimplification that takes place in many films about “at risk youth”, the simple fact is that the movie has a positive message and an honest effort to empathize.

Tom Cruise Football Movies

16. all the right moves (1983).

All the Right Moves is a film that shows a high school football player desperate for a scholarship and his headstrong coach clash in a dying Pennsylvania steel town.

All the Right Moves trailer

All the Right Moves is a dramatized version of what many young football players in steel country experience, both today and in the 1980’s. This is a good football movie that serves as a pretty accurate depiction of some high school football experiences on and off the field.

Clear Motivations
Authentic Story
Average Gameplay
A Bit Contrived
Inflated Stakes

Some good football gameplay and earnest storytelling that explores the reality of growing up in the rust belt.

Good Football Movies

15. varsity blues (1999).

Varsity Blues is a story about a back-up quarterback who is chosen to lead a Texas football team to victory after the star quarterback is injured.

Varsity Blues trailer

This football movie tries to walk the line between a serious examination of high school sports and the pressures it creates along side whipped cream bikinis and stripper english teachers. If you have a sense of humor and enjoy a bit of debauchery with your football film, look no further, this movie is for you.

Highly Stylized
Good Football
Fun Soundtrack
Mediocre Acting

Varsity Blues has a decent amount of really good gameplay on screen which elevates the material quite a bit. There is another football movie that deals with similar subject matter from which this football film could have taken a few lessons.

College Football Movies

14. the express (2008).

The Express is a drama based on the life of college football hero Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy. This football movie has some pretty great gameplay in the film.

The Express trailer

This football movie touches on the college players experience, the player/coach relationship, and of course, the tough journey for the first African-American Heisman trophy winner.

Strong Message
Rite of Passage
Weird Pacing

A really good football movie that demonstrates how sports can act as an environment for social progress. The film doesn’t suggest it was an easy road, but one that is worth the fight.

Funny Football Movies

13. north dallas forty (1979).

If The Express is the progressive feel-good movie that tackles race relations, the North Dallas Forty is the corrupted and yet brutally honest cousin that comes crashing through the window hopped up on pain pills.

North Dallas Forty trailer

The football in this movie is pretty mediocre along with some of the filmmaking techniques, but the movie is really funny and full of scenes that many filmmakers would have a hard time making today.

Honest Look
Unique Nostalgia
A Bit Silly

A comical and cynical view of professional football in the 1970s. One of the only films to suggest that, just maybe, football players are not the best role models.

Adam Sandler Football Movies

12. the waterboy (1998).

The Waterboy trailer

How do you compare a movie like Waterboy and some of the other ones on this list? I think you just have to allow the pure enjoyment of the film to stand on its own, and to consider how the movie used the dynamics of football to create the entertainment for the film. Hitting is a huge part of the game of football, so why not have some fun with it?

Funny Scenes
Very Quotable
Average Football

No matter how you feel about Adam Sandler movies, this film has some of the best on screen gameplay so far on this list. It’s also oddly wholesome while simultaneously cynical. It’s the perfect football comedy movie, and a real joy to watch.

Great Football Movies

11. jerry maguire (1996).

Jerry Maguire is a film about a sports agent who has a moral epiphany and is fired for expressing it. Jerry then decides to put his new philosophy to the test as an independent agent with the only athlete who stays with him and his former secretary.

Jerry Maguire trailer

Not only is Jerry Maguire a great football movie, but it’s just a great film in general. Did it move the chains on commercialism in the sporting world? Probably not. Did it realign the souls of sports agents across the globe? Highly doubtful. But that is sort of the point of the film. The high road isn’t easy and it isn’t pretty, but when you make changes to help purify your soul the things that truly matter rise up, and the things that don’t fade.

Strong Characters
Inside Look
Great Directing

10. We Are Marshall (2006)

We Are Marshall trailer

This is a really strong football movie that focuses on an entire team and the spirit of an entire school rather than a single athlete, which gives it a unique quality. The movie has some important lessons on bouncing back and rebuilding when it seems nothing will ever be the same again.

Unique Story
Very Inspirational
Hyper Specific

This football movie does a really good job of inspiring the viewer and communicating an affirming message about continuing with your life after a tragedy. There is also some really good gameplay on display.

9. The Replacements (2000)

The Replacements trailer

Great Acting
Celebratory

The Replacements is another great football comedy movie. It does a great job of mixing the comedy with solid gameplay, and inspiring message about second chances, and features some great acting from Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman.

Recent Football Movies

8. draft day (2014).

Draft Day trailer

Unique View

This is a really great movie for those who love professional football and gives you a dramatized glimpse into how the teams operate behind the scenes. Sometimes you need to do something unique with your football movie.

Famous Football Movies

7. brian’s song (1971).

Brian’s Song trailer

Mature Story
Classic Film
Mediocre Football

Brian’s Song is based on a true story and while it isn’t as fun to watch as many of the other films on this list, it’s very inspirational and shows the power of football.

Denzel Washington Football Movies

6. remember the titans (2000).

Remember the Titans trailer

Remember the Titans is a movie about the power of sports as a unifying force. It teaches us that when we have to endure as a team you quickly forget differences like a person’s ethnicity because your core humanity is exposed and there is nothing left to hide behind. The movie has some really wacky gameplay portrayals, as well as a scene where hydration is seen as a form of weakness, but no movie ages perfectly.

Fan Favorite
Positive Message
Mediocre Gameplay

Remember the Titans seems to capture a specific cross section of football fans that enjoyed The Blind Side , The Express , and Friday Night Lights . The one thing that holds this movie back is the actual on field gameplay.

Mark Wahlberg Football Movies

5. invincible (2006).

Invincible trailer

Strong Gameplay

What sets this football movie apart from many others are the practice scenes. There is a ton of good football gameplay in the film, and it’s an inspiring story that also happens to be true.

Best Football Movies of All Time

4. the program (1993).

The Program trailer

The Program is one of the few football films that is painfully honest about the circumstances surrounding the game. This football movie also shows some of the strategy and inner workings of the game better than most. There are some really great lines and performances in this film.

Strategy Scenes

The Program is a great mixture of a behind the scenes cynical look at football paired with an earnest devotion to the game. There are some very serious moments, some really funny moments, and some very honest storytelling.

High School Football Movies

3. friday night lights (2004).

Friday Night Lights trailer

Accurate Portrayal
Great Football
Good Variety

Friday Night Lights is a really well done football film that takes the Texas high school football culture and presents it in a really straightforward manner without the excess and glamour. Great on field gameplay and great storytelling.

Comedy Football Movies

2. any given sunday (1999).

Any Given Sunday trailer

The football movie has the cynicism of The Program. It has the exciting gameplay of The Replacements and Friday Night Lights. It has the behind-the-scenes politics of Draft Day. Top it off with the filmmaking prowess of Oliver Stone and what you get is Any Given Sunday. A truly great football movie.

Best Football Movie

1. rudy (1993).

Rudy trailer

A great sports movie needs to inspire and it needs to show the value of hard work and commitment. Rudy does just that, and it uses one of the great sports programs to do so. There are few films where, by the end, you feel as accomplished for so little playing time, but that’s the beauty of this sports movie and how passion can lead to great things.

Inspirational

Rudy isn’t as flashy as many of the other ones on this list, but it’s a true story that is pragmatic, inspirational, and a testament to the power of tenacity. It has some wonderful acting, great gameplay, and an unforgettable score.

All-Time Best Sports Movies

Now that we've swung at some memorable baseball films, here's a list of the greatest sports movies of all time. Raging Bull , Rocky , and Remember the Titans , are some of the classics that are covered. Take a look through all of them; which ones have you seen?

Up Next: The Best Sports Movies of All Time →

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25 years ago, Tom Cruise starred in the strangest summer movie of all time

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Tom Cruise is now known as an action star and “ savior of cinema ,” but in the late 1990s, the famous actor only worked on two movies: Magnolia , in which he had a supporting role, and Eyes Wide Shut . The latter, Stanley Kubrick’s final movie, is the one that drew people’s attention back then with its mysterious subject matter, prolonged production time, and provocative teasers.

Upon its posthumous release, Kubrick’s final film received mixed reviews and was the subject of innumerable censorship scandals. But 25 years later, Eyes Wide Shut has cemented its status among Kubrick’s lushest, most crowd-pleasing seriocomic masterworks — and as one of Cruise’s finest movies.

A dreamlike mirage

For the uninitiated, the common image of Eyes Wide Shut is a sexually provocative, danger-tinged frightfest – reductive, to say the least. The detail that best helps us to understand the film, which was (very) loosely based on the 1926 Austrian novel Traumnovelle, is its production style. Kubrick, who left America for the U.K. for good in 1961, shot his New York movie on a vast series of sets at London’s Pinewood Studios, eerie doubles for the streets of Kubrick’s birthplace, Lower Manhattan. The supposed Long Island mansion where our protagonist Dr. Bill Harford (Tom Cruise) witnesses a secret society’s grandiose orgy is in fact a composite of Mentmore Towers and Elveden Hall, two English country houses.

Eyes Wide Shut is painted in photorealistic brushstrokes – anyone who’s ever encountered an upwardly mobile and conspicuously rich young Manhattan family will recognize the types and environments on display here. But the film has little connection to reality; it occupies, in fact, a gonzo, baroque fantasyland, fitting for a film based on a book whose title translates to Dream Novel.

Contrasting elements made for public curiosity

One must remember, as well, the fever pitch of cultural intensity around star Tom Cruise and his leading lady Nicole Kidman, who were six years into their marriage and two of the world’s defining screen idols when filming began in November of 1996. (Kidman plays Alice, Bill’s pampered society wife.) Kubrick, who ultimately saw the film as a comedy, bought the rights to the novel in 1968, and over the years envisioned Steve Martin or Woody Allen for the lead role. As it turned out, he only began making the film 28 years later, returning to the screen following a decade-plus-long absence after directing his Vietnam diptych Full Metal Jacket .

The bizarre contrasting elements in the film’s background – a reclusive master auteur directing the world’s hottest mainstream stars, a Woody Allen role recast with Tom Cruise, a director who died during the nine-month postproduction process – created a public relations bonanza. It’s often forgotten that this weird and woolly film was, with its $162 million gross, one of the biggest summer blockbusters of 1999. (Movies it out-grossed that year include more traditional summer fare like Never Been Kissed , South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, and The Iron Giant .)

An aesthetically perfect story of sexual jealousy

And what a blockbuster. Nearly three hours of riveting, gorgeous Christmas-inflected imagery kicked into action by Alice’s admission that she once fantasized about another man, Eyes Wide Shut treats male sexual jealousy not as a small and fleeting emotion but the way it actually feels – ghostly, otherworldly, capable of transfiguration. Over the course of two picaresque December days and nights (mostly nights), Bill explores – but ultimately decides against – prostitution, sex cults, and the hedonistic underbelly of ostensibly dignified old money.

Upon his reunion with his wife, in the reassuring light of day, Kubrick and Frederic Raphael’s brilliant script exposes this colossus of insecurity as a scarecrow as Bill slips seamlessly back into domestic bliss. Hearing the story of Bill’s Gulliverian travails, Alice tells Bill that there’s a simple solution to the mutual distrust that laid the groundwork for his nightmarish adventure. In other words, she puts things into perspective. “There is something very important that we need to do as soon as possible,” she says, her eyes relaxed into Kubrick’s classic frozen lake of expressionlessness. “Fuck.” This is the last line Kubrick ever put on film, and one of the great closers in cinema.

Kubrickisms

Other ubiquitous Kubrick touches? There’s the length of production – 15 months, including Vinessa Shaw’s one-scene hooker role taking two months to film and Alan Cumming, who only appears in a throwaway cameo role, being forced to audition six times.

Every color, every piece of costuming, the warmth of every light (and the lights in this film are very, almost counterintuitively, warm) had to be adjusted to Kubrick’s specifications.

Easter eggs and the ultimate moral

There’s also the Kubrickian Easter egg, a given for his post- The Shining (1980) films. In this case, one of the most famous is the suggestion, in the final scene, that Bill and Alice’s daughter, Helena (Madison Eginton), is kidnapped, without their knowing it, by the very secret society of which Bill earlier run afoul. This is, of course, subjective, happening largely on the periphery of the frame and seemingly a feature of Kubrick’s knowing tendency to give future film students grist to chew on for generations to come.

Whether, in fact, the film is making the point that the Harfords’ obliviousness goes so far as to ignore the well-being of their little girl is ultimately beside the point. The movie is about the magnification of small problems into enormous ones, about the perils of poking your head into a world not your own for no reason other than peevish curiosity and boredom. For all Kubrick’s capacity to evoke existential terror, the message, ultimately, is: “Be satisfied with what you have, you schmucks.” (Actually, in its way, it’s one of the great anti-infidelity movies.)

Critics were split

Critics didn’t uniformly embrace this great work upon its initial release; Martin Scorsese described it as “severely misunderstood.” It didn’t help that Warner Bros.digitally edited several sequences in order to avoid an NC-17 rating, which launched widespread outcry that the film was being altered contrary to its deceased director’s intentions. Ultimately, the changes don’t make too significant of an impact, but the unrated version was released on DVD in 2007 and is still available.

Eyes Wide Shut is a summer classic

At arthouse cinemas across the country, Eyes Wide Shut is considered a Christmas flick, playing alongside other films unconventionally fit for the season like Phantom Thread and Carol. But intentionally or not – the late delivery of the final cut and Kubrick’s premature death screwed things up somewhat – it’s actually, historically, a summer movie, and now is as good a time as any to watch a film that’s as hearty and fulfilling now as it was a quarter-century ago.

Eyes Wide Shut is streaming for free on Pluto TV .

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Holding his breath in ‘Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation’

One of the actor’s most viscerally frightening tricks came in 2015’s “Rogue Nation,” when he held his breath for several minutes underwater while his character dodged spinning metal bars.

Cruise actually trained to hold his breath for an unimaginable six and a half minutes — at the top range of what professional divers are able to do.

“We’re underwater and doing breath holds of six to six and a half minutes,” he told USA Today . “It’s very taxing stuff.”

Climbing the Burj Khalifa in ‘Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol’

At 2,722 feet tall, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is the tallest structure in the world.

Child’s play for Cruise.

In an eight-minute sequence in 2011’s “Ghost Protocol,” the actor slowly ascends the outside of the actual building, hanging only from a wire, and then terrifyingly plummets down.

“Somebody said, ‘What if the cable breaks?’ ” stunt coordinator Gregg Smrz told Yahoo Entertainment . “And I said, ‘That’s not an option.’ We actually did the math, and there was enough time of free fall for him to text me on the way down, and for me to receive it!”

Driving a motorcycle off a cliff in ‘Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One’

An iconic moment of “The Spy Who Loved Me” shows super spy James Bond skiing off a cliff and opening a Union Jack parachute. But it was a stuntman — not actor Roger Moore — taking his life in his own hands.

Well, Cruise one-upped 007 by driving a motorcycle himself off a mountainside and then parachuting down to Earth in 2023’s “ Dead Reckoning Part One .”

More than that, he performed the incredible maneuver on the first day of filming.

“Well, we know either we will continue with the film or we’re not. Let’s know day one!” Cruise told Entertainment Tonight . “Let us know day one what is going to happen: Do we all continue or is it a major rewrite?”

Rock climbing in ‘Mission: Impossible II’

“Dead Reckoning” was hardly Cruise’s first cliff.

Twenty-three years earlier in “Mission: Impossible II,” the actor gave audiences a taste of the badassery to come when he climbed a rock ledge with his bare hands — supported, as usual, by just a cable.

“I was really mad that he wanted to do it, but I tried to stop him and I couldn’t,” director John Woo told Entertainment Weekly . “I was so scared I was sweating. I couldn’t even watch the monitor when we shot it.”

'It Wasn't Shocking': The Acolyte Star Reflects on Having All Lines Cut From Top Gun: Maverick

Manny Jacinto already has a considerable filmography but his role in The Acolyte arguably propelled his career. The actor gave fans a good reason to rewatch Top Gun: Maverick by confirming he initially had a more prominent role in the film.

The Acolyte wrapped up with shocking reveals that prompted a petition for a follow-up season. The show had a handful of standout characters, but Manny Jacinto's The Stranger / Qimir was a surprise fan favorite; was nondescript in the initial episodes but he turned out to be the main antagonist. His performance earned critical praise, which hopefully opens new doors for his career (he already has a sizeable filmography with appearances in Bad Times at the El Royale and Nine Perfect Strangers ). In an interview with GQ Magazine , he revealed he also could have had a more significant role in Top Gun: Maverick .

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Keen-eyed fans can spot Jacinto's brief appearances in Top Gun: Maverick 's beach football scene, duking it out with other recruits and with Tom Cruise's Pete Mitchell. Jacinto confirmed he also filmed speaking parts as Lieutenant Billy "Fritz" Avalone, but those sequences were cut and he became a background character in the final edit. The actor said he already anticipated the shift while filming his scenes. "It's flattering that there was a little bit of an outcry, but it wasn't shocking to me," he confirmed. "There was this sense of where the film was going [on set], like I can see them focusing the camera more on these [other] guys and not taking so much time on our scenes."

"It kind of fuels you, because at the end of the day, Tom Cruise is writing stories for Tom Cruise."

Jacinto only learned his screen time was drastically reduced in the film when Top Gun: Maverick premiered in theaters. He recalled how he leveraged the news as fresh motivation. "It kind of fuels you, because at the end of the day, Tom Cruise is writing stories for Tom Cruise," he continued. "It's up to us — Asian Americans, people of color — to be that [for ourselves]. We can't wait for somebody else to do it. If we want bigger stories out there, we have to make them for ourselves." Despite the letdown, he confirmed that the mere opportunity to be cast in the film was a privilege. "Fortunately, it still was a great experience — you get to see this huge machine at work, see how Tom Cruise works, and you get to be a small part of this huge franchise," he added.

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Top Gun: Maverick Was a Tremendous Success

Top Gun: Maverick 's grossed almost $1.5 billion internationally, and its success also boosted Miles Teller and Glen Powell's careers. Teller already earned his stripes in films like War Dogs , Whiplash , and the Divergent movies; Powell went on to headline Anyone But You , Hit Man , and Twisters . Jacinto could reprise his role in The Acolyte if a second season is greenlighted; he also stars in upcoming films The Knife , Balestra , and the Freaky Friday sequel . A sequel to Top Gun: Maverick is currently in development.

The Acolyte is streaming on Disney+. Top Gun: Maverick is streaming on Prime Video and Netflix.

Top Gun: Maverick

After thirty years, Maverick is still pushing the envelope as a top naval aviator, but must confront ghosts of his past when he leads TOP GUN's elite graduates on a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those chosen to fly it.

Director Joseph Kosinski

Release Date May 27, 2022

Studio Paramount Pictures

Cast Val Kilmer, Miles Teller, Ed Harris, Monica Barbaro, Jay Ellis, Lewis Pullman, Bashir Salahuddin, Charles Parnell, Tom Cruise, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Connelly, Glen Powell

Writers Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, Christopher McQuarrie

Rating PG-13

Runtime 130 minutes

Main Genre Action

Genres Drama, Action

Franchise Top Gun

Prequel Top Gun

Cinematographer Claudio Miranda

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, David Ellison

Production Company Skydance Media, Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films

Budget $170 Million

United States Navy Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell and Tom "Iceman" Kazansky are back, 30 years after the original Top Gun, for Top Gun: Maverick. The film sees Maverick leading a new group of TOPGUN graduates, reuniting with his former girlfriend Penny Benjamin and becoming a true team leader.

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Rebel wilson hires scrappy litigator bryan freedman for defamation battle with ‘the deb’ producers, breaking news.

‘Twisters’ Star Anthony Ramos Says Tom Cruise “Was Losing His Mind” Watching Sequel’s Premiere

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“He keeps hitting me because he’s excited about different moments, and he’s laughing. He’s just laughing out loud the whole entire film. He wasn’t afraid to express himself. I was super grateful about that,” he added.

Ramos said he and Cruise “hugged it out” after the movie, adding, “He’s like, ‘Yo, bro, good man, good stuff.’ So shout out to Tom Cruise, man. It was really cool.”

Cruise previously posed for a photo with Powell in the audience. “Fun night with friends, watching a movie!!” he captioned the post . In a video of the moment, Ramos and his brother can be seen attempting to photo-bomb the duo.

Twisters , which premieres Friday, July 19 in theaters, stars Powell as Tyler, a reckless social media star known for storm-chasing. The sequel to 1996’s Jan de Bont-helmed Twister also stars alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones and Ramos as competing storm chasers Kate and Javi.

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Everyone knows Glen Powell is the next big movie star. Right?

He’s been hailed as the next McConaughey. He considers Cruise a mentor. Glen Powell is primed for the A-list, but he isn’t taking anything for granted.

AUSTIN — Glen Powell gestures to the asphalt where his dreams were almost crushed. He was 13 years old, playing pickup basketball on this very portion of the Austin Studios lot with fellow child actors from the third Spy Kids movie, when he accidentally knocked one of his co-stars to the ground. They were taking a break from filming the popular children’s franchise, on which Powell, whose character is simply referred to in the credits as “long-fingered boy,” was only working for the day. This was his first acting gig. Would he ever be allowed on a film set again?

The other kid was fine. So, it turned out, was Powell. As he relays this memory on a May afternoon, it seems ludicrous he ever worried about such a mishap derailing his acting career. But Powell has always been farsighted. He knows that what you do in the present can determine your future. This apparently manifested as anxiety during his childhood. As an adult, it became business acumen.

Which might help explain why Powell, 35, seems to be everywhere this year. He appears on the covers of glossy magazines. He sneaks into all your social media feeds. He shows up on daytime talk shows, where he tells Gayle King that he isn’t chasing love but will accept it if it “hits me in the face.”

Not only has Powell gained credibility among critics by becoming a regular weapon in Richard Linklater’s arsenal — most recently in the action-comedy “Hit Man,” which the actor co-wrote — but he might also be on the verge of reliable blockbuster stardom. After an attention-grabbing supporting role in the massively successful “Top Gun: Maverick,” Powell stars in the disaster film “ Twisters ” (opening Friday), Lee Isaac Chung’s sequel to Jan de Bont’s 1996 smash hit featuring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton.

Paxton, admired for grounding big-budget productions with palpable humanity, is a hard act to follow. Skeptics raise an eyebrow at Powell, who has been described as the next Matthew McConaughey because of his wide grin, chiseled look and Texan geniality. He is already set to expand his résumé with a diverse slate of film and television projects — plus a potential Broadway musical — and keeps a notebook full of advice from the likes of Tom Cruise. But does that translate to trajectory? Is Powell the next McConaughey or Cruise? Could he become a Paul Newman or a Robert Redford, earning artistic respect on par with his jawline and smile wattage?

If you call up the experts — say one, or two, or eight people who have worked with Powell sometime in his 22-year career — they’ll tell you this isn’t a flash in the pan. Powell is one of the hardest-working actors around, they say. He gets to know every person on a set. He’s the real deal.

But in Hollywood, as Powell himself has long been aware, nothing is guaranteed.

“There’s been a lot of talk, and I’ve had to answer, ‘Is Glen a movie star?’” Linklater says. “Anyone who’s worked with Glen in the past 10 years knows he’s a f---ing movie star. That’s not really a question. Does the culture even have a place for a new movie star is the bigger question.”

The Hollywood Reporter recently deemed Powell a member of “ the new A-list ” thanks to “the one-two punch” of festival darling “Hit Man” and the romantic comedy “Anyone But You,” which grossed $220 million worldwide — numbers unheard of for the genre these days. But in this age of superhero franchises and obscure streaming algorithms, the traditional definition of a movie star — someone who can carry an opening weekend — seems almost extinct. Though Netflix claims “Hit Man” performed well by landing in its “Global Top 10” list three weeks in a row , Powell is not yet a proven leading man at the box office. Universal is positioning “Twisters” as a tentpole movie, betting on the combined effect of its stars and spectacle.

The film’s fate could help determine Powell’s.

L ast year, Powell found a valuable business partner in Sydney Sweeney, his “Anyone But You” co-star. He went along with her idea to lean into (false) dating rumors as a way to keep making headlines during the lead-up to the rom-com’s release. That part of the plan worked out, but the film was still a slow burn at the box office. (After making just $6 million in its opening weekend, it became a global hit.) Writer-director Will Gluck naturally attributes the word-of-mouth momentum to audiences falling “in love with Syd and Glen,” which required the very pretty human beings to seem, well, relatable.

“When you have someone who looks like Glen, you need a character who is kind of self-effacing as well,” Gluck says. “It’s hard to pull off. I had long talks with Glen about how I’d want him to play it. ‘How far are you willing to go to take the shine off your penny?’ He was 100 percent game.”

While some actors might shy away from rom-coms, afraid to be typecast or not taken seriously, Powell acknowledges their staying power. He was raised on the genre in northwest Austin, where he grew up as the middle kid between two sisters, Lauren and Leslie. The Powell siblings watched, then rewatched, movies such as “10 Things I Hate About You” and “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.” They quoted “Legally Blonde” to one another. At Austin Studios, Powell earnestly argues that rom-coms are “the most universal film language” because “we all share the desire to love and be loved.”

Of course, love tends to be imperfect and messy — and rom-coms only work if the central characters also reveal themselves as such. As a leading man in the genre, Powell says, “you’re there to look stupid and you’re there to have fun and you’re there to be vulnerable. That’s it.” There isn’t much room for pride or ego. You’ve got to be in on the joke, or the joke is on you.

Powell broke out with another romantic comedy: the 2018 Netflix film “ Set It Up ,” in which he and Zoey Deutch play overworked assistants who try to lighten their workloads by tricking their temperamental bosses into falling for each other. Powell’s character is a bit of a finance bro. Screenwriter Katie Silberman says the actor’s “inherent warmth” allows him to thrive “when he’s playing a jerk — at the beginning, at least — because you care about him so much that you want him to get what he wants.”

Think of Tom Hanks in “You’ve Got Mail,” she says. Why else would you root for the big-box villain?

“There’s a saying: To play dumb you have to be really smart, and to play mean you have to be really kind,” Silberman continues. “There is such a deep, undeniable joy and warmth in [Powell] that allows you to take that and run with it in whatever direction you’re going.”

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This quality is an asset in any genre, including disaster films. While casting the “Twisters” role of Tyler Owens, a self-described “tornado wrangler” whose storm-chasing antics have amassed a substantial YouTube following, Chung (“Minari”) looked for a performer with a “deep well of empathy and seriousness and goodness in them” to balance the cockiness. He wasn’t sure whether Powell was that guy. Then, Chung stumbled upon one of Powell’s morning show appearances.

Powell had brought along his parents, Glen Sr. and Cyndy, who have long supported his acting career — to the extent that they have even cameoed in his projects. (Cyndy, a stay-at-home mom who served as her son’s manager early on, appears as an adult spy in the Spy Kids film, for instance; years later, she and Glen Sr. played unsuspecting airplane passengers in a gag from “Anyone But You.”) Watching Powell goof around with his parents, Chung realized what the actor could bring to “Twisters.”

“I suddenly saw this side of him that really reveals who he is as a person — his upbringing and his relationship to his family,” Chung says. “Underneath it all, he has this deep humanness.”

P arents love to brag about their children, but Cyndy brings the receipts. Powell’s kindergarten teacher once told his parents he had a remarkable presence and “was either going to be an actor or president,” she says. (Maybe he’ll be both, the way everyone talks about this guy. He is 35.) After Powell turned in a middle-school poetry assignment, his teacher suspected him of plagiarism because, she said, “there is no way a sixth-grader could have written this.” She called his parents in and asked him to respond to a writing prompt while seated in their view. The teacher read his work and said, as Cyndy recalls, “I really have to apologize to you and Glen.”

The family motto has always been to “advance on all fronts,” Cyndy says. When the kids showed an interest in something new, she and their father, an executive coach for corporations, encouraged them to try it out. Powell was an athletic child, but he also ran around with a video camera. After he landed an agent and was cast in “Spy Kids 3-D,” Cyndy accompanied him to Austin Studios, where he hovered around various crew members, unofficially shadowing them.

“If I couldn’t find him on set, he was with the DP or behind a cameraman,” she says.

Powell has returned to the studio lot to work with the Austin Film Society, which Linklater founded. The day after he gives me a tour of what he remembers from working on “Spy Kids 3-D” — the site of the basketball incident is a highlight, as is the green screen where he shot his scene — the actor is inducted into the Texas Hall of Fame. His parents join him on the red carpet, trolling their son with signs that read, “Stop Trying to Make Glen Powell Happen” and “It’s Never Gonna Happen.”

Also present at the ceremony? Powell’s high school teacher F.J. Schaack, who says Powell was “the only one writing screenplays” in his creative writing class. Schaack texts me a few photographs of Powell’s assignments from back then. They are unmistakably the work of a teenage boy. A screenplay excerpt describes a county jail inmate mooning a woman from inside his cell. A written ode to Christopher Walken admires how the actor is “flawed to the point of perfection.”

Schaack was the one to introduce Powell to Linklater’s body of work, including “Dazed and Confused” (1993) and “Before Sunrise” (1995). Soon after, Powell landed a tiny role in Linklater’s 2006 adaptation of the nonfiction bestseller “Fast Food Nation.” But it wasn’t until he auditioned to play a cheerfully pompous baseball player in the sports comedy “Everybody Wants Some!!” nearly a decade later that he left a real impression on the director. “He came in swaggering as this charming, charismatic, good-looking, smoldering, young-adult man,” says Linklater, who recalls thinking to himself, “Holy s---, when did Glen Powell get so crazy smart and funny?”

During the pandemic, Powell emailed Linklater to discuss a 2001 Texas Monthly article he read about Gary Johnson, an unassuming man who posed as a professional hit man while working with the Houston police. He wore a wire to collect evidence to use in court against the people ordering hits. Linklater said something like, “Great. I’ve been obsessed with that for years. Here’s why I don’t think it works as a movie.” The events were too repetitive. There was no clear story arc.

Linklater credits Powell with having the idea to use the Texas Monthly piece as a jumping-off point. “I was like, ‘You can do that?’” the director says. The article ends with a story about Johnson helping a woman seek therapy and safe shelter — as opposed to ensnaring her — after learning she was a victim of abuse. Powell wondered what might have happened from there. Did Gary regret his decision to help her? What might their relationship have looked like?

When Powell moved to Los Angeles, he paid the bills by working on screenplays. But “Hit Man” — on which he and Linklater are credited for the screenwriting and journalist Skip Hollandsworth for the original story — is his first feature to make it across the finish line. He admires actors who have “these real writer sides” to them, listing George Clooney and Matt Damon as examples.

“You can be an actor for hire, and that is a worthy profession,” he says. “You don’t have to be at the keyboard. But I do think you have to be a fan of good writing — and to understand why you engage with good writing — to stay in the game. Otherwise, once you get on set, it’d just be luck.”

T hough “Everybody Wants Some!!” and “Set It Up” put Powell on the map, his biggest movie to date is “Top Gun: Maverick.” In the long-awaited sequel — which was the second-highest-grossing film of 2022, raking in nearly $1.5 billion worldwide — he plays an arrogant Navy fighter pilot with the call sign “Hangman,” referencing his willingness to “leave you out to dry.”

Tom Cruise’s character puts an end to all that, teaching the young folks how to support one another. The actor himself shared a great deal of advice with Powell, who scribbled it down in the notebook he keeps full of wisdom from industry elders. Powell learned early on to make the most of proximity to greatness. After Denzel Washington cast him in the 2007 film “The Great Debaters,” the then-teenager met Washington’s big-shot agent, Ed Limato, who helped discover stars such as Richard Gere and Kevin Costner. Limato urged Powell, then a freshman at the University of Texas, to move out to Los Angeles — which he took as gospel. (Powell notes that Limato, who went on to sign him, is also the one who discovered McConaughey, whom Powell later befriended through Linklater.)

He began the notebook on the set of the 2014 ensemble film “The Expendables 3,” when Sylvester Stallone, who co-wrote the screenplay, taught his co-star about how to adapt elements of older genres, such as westerns, for a modern audience. But it’s Cruise whose advice could fill chapters, Powell says, most of it gathered on the “Top Gun: Maverick” set. “There’s not one part about that movie that felt small,” Powell adds of the blockbuster production, but Cruise reminded the cast that “every frame in this movie is an emotional frame. It’s all about the story, and all has to be driven back there.”

Few understand the movie business the way Cruise does . He knows what people want from him and works overtime to deliver. At the European premiere of “Twisters,” which he attended in support of Powell, Cruise could even be seen showing him how to pose with popcorn.

Listening to Powell describe his own approach to selecting projects, it’s clear which of Cruise’s lessons resonates most. (Hint: It isn’t the popcorn pose, which he didn’t quite master.) “It’s like, if I can keep audience trust over the course of my whole career, or if I can just continue to make good movies, then [I] keep getting to spin the roulette wheel,” he says, sipping a Celsius energy drink he’s grabbed from an office fridge.

Powell had wanted to be a part of “Twisters” since he learned that Joseph Kosinski, his director on “Top Gun: Maverick,” was developing the disaster film’s story. The actor brought a Cruise-like energy to the set. The first scene he shot was Tyler’s introduction, in which the character arrives to Oklahoma in a tricked-out pickup truck. He hoots and hollers and sticks his head out the window while yelling, “If you feel it,” to which a crowd of fans screams back the rest of the fictional YouTuber’s catchphrase, “Chase it!” Chung says he didn’t give the background actors any specific directions. They just responded to Powell’s energy. “And I knew we had a movie,” he adds.

“Twisters,” like the original film, is ambitious in its use of special effects. At one point, Tyler and Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones), the scientist who chases storms with him, drive into the eye of a tornado. And that’s when Cruise’s reminder comes to mind.

While working on the film, Powell shared a childhood story about witnessing a destructive tornado near his aunt’s house in East Texas. “He had this line where he said he didn’t know he was supposed to be scared until he looked at her,” Chung remembers. “And I put that into the movie … because our movie is so much about the emotion of fear, and what you do with fear.”

It’s the kind of relatable detail that cultivates the broadest audience but also serves the story. “That’s where I want to play,” Powell says. “Making a movie of that size for people to collectively experience in a theater is the hardest thing to do. … I watched Cruise nearly destroy himself trying to bring ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ to life. I watched it every day, and I was like, ‘This is worth my time.’”

E arlier this year, Powell moved back to Austin after growing tired of Los Angeles. “It’s turned into a bit of a TikTok influencer town,” he says, “which for someone like me, right now, is kind of my biggest nightmare.” Living in Austin means he’s closer to family. Plus, he never finished his undergraduate degree in radio, television and film at the University of Texas, which he would like to work on between projects, aiming to graduate in the spring.

Powell is the sort of guy to learn the rules so he can bend them. Most people wouldn’t skip town as their career begins to soar, but he seems determined to make it work. And why not, when even industry leaders are throwing spaghetti at the wall?

As we near the end of our time at Austin Studios, Powell mentions the advocacy work he has done to encourage Texas legislators to implement certain tax incentives as a way to lure productions to the state. (Last year, he appeared in a promotional video alongside other famous Texans such as McConaughey, Woody Harrelson and Dennis Quaid to urge residents to support the cause.) Even if Powell doesn’t end up emulating Redford as a marquee star, he just might as a determined businessman.

But as long as theater marquees exist, and regardless of whether they remain a barometer for movie stardom, Powell will aim to grace them. Soon after we chat, he hops on a plane to South Africa to shoot the A24 revenge thriller “Huntington.” He has already been cast in Edgar Wright’s Paramount-backed take on Stephen King’s “The Running Man” and John Lee Hancock’s Netflix legal drama “Monsanto” and is co-creating “Chad Powers,” a Hulu comedy series about college football. J.J. Abrams is reportedly “ eyeing ” him to star in his next movie.

Then, there’s that Broadway musical curveball. Powell is concocting the unnamed stage show with Ryan Murphy, who cast him in the satirical comedy series “Scream Queens” nearly a decade ago after getting to know him on the set of “Glee.” (Powell wasn’t in the musical TV series but used to hang around with his pal, cast member Chord Overstreet.) Murphy says the actor had star appeal back then — even co-stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Niecy Nash pulled their boss aside to ask, “Who is this? Where did you find him?” — and continues to surprise him. Without divulging specifics, Murphy notes that the musical was Powell’s idea. “That’s an interesting thing, that someone who’s done Top Gun would want to do a Broadway musical,” Murphy says.

Powell, ever the movie-biz theorist, says that’s exactly the point.

“I think where actors go wrong is they forget about their past,” he says. “To give audiences the same flavor over and over and over is a bad thing. McConaughey gave me this advice. He says, ‘When they think you’re going to zig, you gotta zag.’”

A previous version of this article incorrectly said Glen Powell starred in "The Expendables." He was in "The Expendables 3." The article has been corrected.

All Tom Cruise Movies

Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, and Ralph Macchio in The Outsiders (1983)

1. The Outsiders

Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay in Risky Business (1983)

2. Risky Business

3. All the Right Moves

6. The Color of Money

Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man (1988)

7. Rain Man

8. Cocktail

Tom Cruise in Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

9. Born on the Fourth of July

10. Days of Thunder

11. Far and Away

Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, and Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men (1992)

12. A Few Good Men

13. The Firm

Tom Cruise and Kirsten Dunst in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)

14. Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles

15. Jerry Maguire

16. Mission: Impossible

Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, Philip Baker Hall, Jason Robards, and Jeremy Blackman in Magnolia (1999)

17. Magnolia

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

18. Eyes Wide Shut

Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible II (2000)

19. Mission: Impossible II

20. Vanilla Sky

21. Minority Report

22. The Last Samurai

23. War of the Worlds

Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible III (2006)

24. Mission: Impossible III

Tom Cruise, Robert Redford, and Meryl Streep in Lions for Lambs (2007)

25. Lions for Lambs

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COMMENTS

All the Right Moves (1983)
All the Right Moves: Directed by Michael Chapman. With Tom Cruise, Craig T. Nelson, Lea Thompson, Charles Cioffi. An ambitious young football star is trapped in a dying mill town--unless his gridiron skills can win him a way out.
All the Right Moves (film)
Nickerson realizes he was wrong for blackballing Stefen. He has accepted a coaching position on the West Coast at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and offers Stefen a full scholarship to play football there where is the best engineering school in California, which he accepts. Cast. Tom Cruise as Stefen Djordjevic; Craig T. Nelson as Coach Vern Nickerson
Jerry Maguire (1996)
Jerry Maguire: Directed by Cameron Crowe. With Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., Renée Zellweger, Kelly Preston. When a sports agent has a moral epiphany and is fired for expressing it, he decides to put his new philosophy to the test as an independent agent with the only athlete who stays with him and his former colleague.
All the Right Moves
He has everything at stake. He can't afford to lose. He has to make all the right moves. Tom Cruise, Craig T. Nelson, and Lea Thomson star in All the Right M...
All the Right Moves (1983)
Richard Friedman. ... sound effects editor (as Dick Friedman) Robert Gravenor. ... sound mixer (as Bob Gravenor) David M. Ice. ... sound effects editor.
All the Right Moves 1983 Trailer HD
All the Right Moves 1983A high school football player desperate for a scholarship and his headstrong coach clash in a dying Pennsylvania steel town.Director:...
All the Right Moves
Chris A Decent 80s movie. Tom Cruise turned out to be a weirdo but he does make decent movies. This is a fall movie. Trying watching then. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/19/23 Full ...
All the Right Moves movie review (1983)
means that we won, a football game can take on aspects of Greek tragedy. "All the Right Moves" remembers the strength of those feelings, but does not sentimentalize them. The movie stars Tom Cruise (from the current hit "Risky Business") as a high-school football player in a small Pennsylvania mill town where unemployment is a way of life. His ...
Jerry Maguire
Jerry Maguire is a 1996 American sports comedy-drama film directed and written by Cameron Crowe.It was produced by Crowe and James L. Brooks for Gracie Films and distributed by TriStar Pictures.It stars Tom Cruise as the sports agent Jerry Maguire, alongside Cuba Gooding Jr., Renée Zellweger, Kelly Preston, Jerry O'Connell, Jay Mohr, Bonnie Hunt and Regina King.
Amazon.com: All the Right Moves : Tom Cruise, Lea Thompson, Craig T
The only way football star Stefan Djordjevic (Tom Cruise) will avoid a life in the blast furnaces of his bleak Pennsylvania hometown is by winning a college scholarship. Even his coach (Craig T. Nelson) dreams of parlaying a winning team into a college job far away from this graveyard of the American Dream.
Watch All The Right Moves
All The Right Moves. A high school senior decides the only way out of his small town is to win a football scholarship, while his head coach is looking to advance his career. Their paths collide in this realistic drama. 504 IMDb 6.0 1 h 30 min 1983. R. Drama · Romance · Sports · Fun. This video is currently unavailable. to watch in your location.
All the Right Moves
All the Right Moves. The only way football star Stefan Djordjevic (Tom Cruise) will avoid a life in the blast furnaces of his bleak Pennsylvania hometown is by winning a college scholarship. Even his coach (Craig T. Nelson) dreams of parlaying a winning team into a college job far away from this graveyard of the American Dream.
34 Facts about the movie All the Right Moves
The movie "All the Right Moves" was released in 1983 and is a sports drama film directed by Michael Chapman. Starring Tom Cruise. Tom Cruise plays the lead role of Stef Djordjevic, a high school football player striving to secure a college scholarship. Set in a Small Town
Official Trailer
Theatrical trailer of "All the Right Moves" by Michael Chapman. Starring Tom Cruise, Lea Thompson, Craig T. Nelson, Charles Cioffi, Gary Graham, Paul Carafot...
30 years old this week: Tom Cruise's 'All The Right Moves'
All The Right Moves might be the best football movie of the '80s. Maybe one of the top football movies of any decade, outside of Rudy.Oh, and the one about the field-goal-kicking mule. And Tom ...
Amazon.com: All the Right Moves : Tom Cruise, Lea Thompson, Craig T
A Pennsylvania steel-town high-school coach tries to spoil a football hero's scholarship dream. ... Even if you not a tom cruise fan still a great movie to watch about a small town boy trying to get out. Read more. Helpful. Report. Ian. 5.0 out of 5 stars I made All the Right Moves by buying this movie! Reviewed in the United States on May 27 ...
All the Right Moves (1983)
For old-fashioned movie-making and salt-of-the-earth values, this drama has all the right elements. Tom Cruise is an ambitious teen trapped in a dying mill town--unless his football skills can bring him a college scholarship. His chances look good, but will a clash with coach Craig T. Nelson ruin his dreams? A stirring story, laced with realistic gridiron action and romance.
All the Right Moves (1983) Revisited: An Underrated Tom Cruise Flick
We revisit one of Tom Cruise's most underrated movies, 1983's football drama, All the Right Moves, co-starring Lea Thompson. ... the film told the story of a high school football player, played by ...
The best football movies of all time
The 21 best football movies of all time ... Jerry Maguire is equal parts sports movie and Billy Wilder dramedy. Tom Cruise's Jerry Maguire is a slick sports agent struggling with his ...
The 20 Best Football Movies of All Time
Tom Cruise Football Movies 16. All the Right Moves (1983) All the Right Moves is a film that shows a high school football player desperate for a scholarship and his headstrong coach clash in a dying Pennsylvania steel town. All the Right Moves trailer.
All 46 Tom Cruise Movies in Order
1. Endless Love ( 1981 ) We'll start off this list with the movie that was the debut of Tom Cruise's amazing career. Endless Love is about David and Jade, two teenagers in love whose relationship is filled with turbulence and misdemeanors. Tom portrays the character of Billy, one of David's friends.
25 years ago, Tom Cruise starred in the strangest summer movie ...
Tom Cruise is now known as an action star and "savior of cinema," but in the late 1990s, the famous actor only worked on two movies: Magnolia, in which he had a supporting role, and Eyes Wide ...
All the Right Moves (1983)
Tom Cruise is the young football star, Craig T. Nelson his coach and Lea Thompson his girlfriend. Cruise, Nelson and Thompson were obviously destined for bigger and better things. ... Continuing my plan to watch every Tom Cruise movie in order, I come to to his third and final movie of 1983, All The Right Moves. Plot In A Paragraph: A high ...
Tom Cruise risks life hanging off a plane, more 'Mission: Impossible
Daredevil Tom Cruise, 62, who's famed for performing his own death-defying stunts in movies, has added another astounding feat to his risky resume. The action star was spotted Monday filming a ...
'It Wasn't Shocking': The Acolyte Star Reflects on Having All Lines Cut
Keen-eyed fans can spot Jacinto's brief appearances in Top Gun: Maverick's beach football scene, duking it out with other recruits and with Tom Cruise's Pete Mitchell.Jacinto confirmed he also ...
Anthony Ramos Says Tom Cruise Loved 'Twisters'
Anthony Ramos reveals Tom Cruise is a fan of 'Twisters' after the movie's London premiere. Kevin Winter/Getty Images/Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures Anthony Ramos has found a new ...
Everyone knows Glen Powell is the next big movie star. Right?
He's been hailed as the next McConaughey. He considers Cruise a mentor. Glen Powell is primed for the A-list, but he isn't taking anything for granted.
All Tom Cruise Movies
All the Right Moves. 1983 1h 31m R. 6.0 (21K) Rate. 62 Metascore. An ambitious young football star is trapped in a dying mill town--unless his gridiron skills can win him a way out. Director Michael Chapman Stars Tom Cruise Lea Thompson Craig T. Nelson. 4. Legend.

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34 Facts About The Movie All The Right Moves

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Background Information

Starring Tom Cruise

Set in a Small Town

Football as the Main Theme

Richard Tanne’s Debut

Popularity of the Soundtrack

Iconic Football Scenes

Inspirational Underdog Story

Captivating Performances

Realistic Portrayal of Small-Town Life

Controversial Themes

Critical Reception

Box Office Success

Memorable Quotes

Impact on Tom Cruise’s Career

Training for the Roles

Authentic Football Action

Cinematography by Jan de Bont

Themes of Ambition and Sacrifice

Sound Design

Realistic Portrayal of High School Dynamics

Gaining College Scholarships

Tension Between Generations

Emotional Depth

John Stockwell’s Performance

Real-life Football Players in the Cast

Showcase of Teamwork

Iconic Director of Photography

Preservation of Football History

Music by David Campbell

Influence on Subsequent Sports Films

Portrayal of Female Characters

Accurate Football Terminology

Enduring Legacy

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