North Dallas Forty, 1979.
Directed by Ted Kotcheff.
Starring Nick Nolte, Mac Davis, Charles Durning, Dayle Haddon, Bo Svenson, John Matuszak, Steve Forrest, G.D. Spradlin, Dabney Coleman, Savannah Smith Boucher.
SYNOPSIS:
One of the greatest football movies, if not sports movies, of all time, North Dallas Forty returns to Blu-ray with a new 4K scan courtesy of Kino Lorber. The comedy/drama lays bare a sport that was much more brutal in the 1970s, when it was made, but isn’t necessarily a whole lot better today. Kino Lorber also ported over a batch of extras that include a commentary track and a pair of featurettes.
At the beginning of the commentary track for North Dallas Forty, screenwriter Daniel Waters notes that he once had a conflict when a film showing and the Super Bowl were scheduled for the same day and time. He adds that he’s one of the few cineastes who’s also a football fan, and I have to point out that I’m in that group too.
Are you? Even if you’re not, you can likely appreciate the way this film takes a look at the brutality of a sport that puts its players through a grinder before dumping them when they no longer have any value.
They’re a depreciation on a tax return, as Nick Nolte’s character, Phil Elliott, says during the film’s no-holds-barred climactic scene. His character is a beat-up wide receiver who used to be a starter but now mostly rides the bench, despite his brilliant plays when he gets on the field.
Phil’s confidant is starting quarterback Sam Maxwell (Mac Davis), an even-keeled guy who just wants to have a successful career and bask in the adulation of the fans and the team’s owner. If some people get hurt along the way, such as a poor woman who’s manhandled by the star offensive lineman during a party, well, that’s too bad.
The story, based on a novel by ex-player Peter Gent, takes place mostly between the fictional North Dallas Bulls’ last game, a win punctuated by Phil catching the game-clinching touchdown, and their next one, which is a pivotal contest in their season. Phil relies on painkillers, alcohol, and all kinds of shots from the team’s doctor to keep a variety of ailments at bay so he’s ready to get out on the field when called upon.
Phil also indulges in relationships with multiple women, including Joanne Rodney (avannah Smith Boucher), who’s betrothed to the team’s owner’s brother, played by Dabney Coleman in the kind of slick, oily role he was known for.
However, Phil finds himself intrigued by Charlotte Caulder (Dayle Haddon), who he saves from that aforementioned star offensive lineman during a party. She’s quiet and literate, and Phil seems to connect with that as a way to create a lifeline to get away from a sport that has turned him into a bitter man.
The story culminates in that aforementioned climactic scene, which puts the film’s themes on display. Anyone who has preconceived notions about North Dallas Forty because of its risqué poster should give the movie a chance; it’s not just a fun party movie celebrating a sport that’s now the top one in the United States.
This new Blu-ray from Kino Lorber sports a new 4K scan of the film (there’s a 4K Ultra HD disc available too, of course), along with a nice batch of extras ported over from a previous disc.
Director Ted Kotcheff filmed an introduction to the movie and pops in occasionally during the commentary track, although he clearly wasn’t recorded with Daniel Waters and Daniel Kremer, a pair of screenwriter/directors who have plenty to say while watching the film. They digress into other subjects several times, and Kotcheff doesn’t show up as much as I’d like, but it’s still a worthwhile track.
Kotcheff is the subject of the final two extras, Hit Me With Those Best Shots and Looking to Get Out. The former runs a little over five minutes and features the director reading from a prepared script as he looks back on the making of the film. The latter is a 19-minute video essay by Kremer that explores the theme of people trying to get out of a place and/or situation that runs through most of Kotcheff’s films.
The film’s trailer rounds out the platter.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★★★★ / Movie: ★★★★
Brad Cook
Originally published March 26, 2024. Updated April 22, 2024.
