Football Movie Trailers, The More They Change The More They Stay The Same

Recently, I was involved in a discussion about movie trailers. Over time, the movie trailer has become an integral part of Americana. Why else would they show 50 of them before the movie that you actually want to see?

Seriously, seeing a kickass trailer for a film that you've been waiting for only increases your want to see it. The clips and music edited together in such a way that you don't mind paying $20 to watch a 90 minute flick(better secure a good line of credit if you want popcorn and a drink). Part of the discussion was about how much better movie trailers have become over the years. Due to advances in technology, and the desire to create a "hook", the movie trailers we see today are vastly superior to those of years past. At least quality wise.

I say quality wise because I believe that content wise certain types of films will always have the same elements. Being that I'm a sportsfan, I brought up the subject of football movies(ones that are more "serious" in nature), and how, while the quality of the trailer may change, the basic content will stay the same. I tracked down three clips, one from the '00's, one from the 90's and one from the 80's to illustrate my point.



The Program Movie Trailer(Click Link)

All The Right Moves Movie Trailer(Click Link)

After watching those three clips, I noticed a few common elements:

1. Coach yelling. Without a coach yelling at some point during the trailer your movie is probably doomed. If he's grabbing facemasks while he's yelling you've probably got a hit on your hands.

2. Partying/drinking. Really, what else do football players have to worry about other than playing their sport? They just show up on Sunday, collect a paycheck and then party like it's 1999. At least that's what people want to see in the trailer.

3. Games/practices in the mud & rain. Somehow this has worked its way into the trailers of many football movies. I guess it shows that the team has had to battle through numerous obstacles to obtain the success that they usually have in the end of the movie. Or it helps mask how crappy the extras are at running routes and making tackles.

4.(optional) Key position battle. This doesn't always make it into the trailer, though it's usually a key storyline in any football movie. One character has held a firm grip on his starting position, but there's a new guy on the team who's battling him for it. This almost always involves either a quarterback or running back.

So there you have it, the elements that I think are universal to any movie trailer you see about the sport of football. Feel free to add any that you've noticed in the comments.