On N List of Movie Reviews
(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)
Necessary Roughness (1991)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
1/05, 2/07, 6/20
2/07:
Remember...Andre does not eat raw meat 'cause Andre is a vegetarian.
Texas State University is located in San Marcos, but the name didn't exist in 1991. The first opponent for
Necessary Roughness is Southwest Texas State Unversity which was actually renamed Texas State University twelve
years later.
Today, it remains the only university in the state of Texas to graduate a U.S. President (Lyndon Baines Johnson).
The school that infamously received the so-called death penalty was Southern Methodist University. But today, it's no longer
applicable, no matter how egregious the crimes are, because the NCAA officials are too fucking weak and blind by money to try to.
College, professional, or somewhere in between, Necessary Roughness is probably the funniest football picture I've
seen. I still remember many scenes and characters to this day. There are a number of moments that are absurd, but
I assure you they're true today as far as cheating goes. Hence, it's why The Program is a
perfect illustration of what actually goes on in the big-time college football world.
The best part is the collection of performances from many actors including Scott Bakula, Héctor Elizondo, Robert Loggia, Larry
Miller, Sinbad, Peter Tuiasosopo, Rob Schneider, Jason Bateman, Duane Davis, Kathy Ireland, and Michael Dolan. My favorite
scene is when Robert Loggia gave a halftime speech before proceeding to tear off his clothes and then getting everybody to
pray together afterwards.
The other is the busload of felons who have come to play a scrimmage game against Texas State (really North Texas
University), and they include Dick Butkus, Tony Dorsett, Herschel Walker, Earl Campbell, Evander Holyfield, Roger Craig, Ed
"Too Tall" Jones, Jim Kelly, Jerry Rice, Randy White, and Ben Davidson who changed football history when he made an
absolutely dirty play. Then, they beat the shit out of the college players before the guard let out a shotgun blast.
There are great lines such as "You're hurt. You're tired. You're bleeding. I'm gonna make you a promise. We get into
that endzone, you're not gonna feel any pain," "If I wanted a big brother, I wouldn't have killed mine," "I don't feel so
good. I think I swallowed a finger," "Okay, show us the arm, son," "Don't throw it to stone hands!," "Boy, you and me gonna
party!," "If this wasn't friggin' astro-turf, I'd dig a grave for myself," and "Welcome to foot, BALL!"
Speaking of games, which is supposed to be ten in all, I only got to see the first, the penultimate, and the final.
Wow, how about more, pretty please? I love the final play which ties a wide receiver with the dummy at the beginning of
the film by their identical jersey number.
All in all, as clichéd as the picture is, Necessary Roughness is entertaining from start to finish.
6/20:
Necessary Roughness is still the funniest football picture I've seen.
My favorite two lines are: "We'll be the laughingstock of college football" and "What do you think we are now?"
My thoughts, exactly. Memorable characters, strong script, plenty of laughs, and solid acting are the key ingredients to
make the film a winner. Many are excellent: Scott Bakula, Héctor Elizondo, Robert Loggia, Peter Tuiasosopo, Sinbad,
and Tom Whitenight, among others. The funniest is Michael Dolan as Eric "Samurai" Hansen.
Harley Jane Kozak and Larry Miller pair up again after appearing in The Favor while Andrew
Bryniarski and Duane Davis did The Program. It's a rare chance to see Rob Schneider acting
normal, and he has good lines, too. Another favorite of mine is the random scrimmage game with a team of convicts that's made up
of many all-time great NFL players: Jim Kelly, Roger Craig, Earl Campbell, Dick Butkus, Herschel Walker, Ben Davidson, Jerry Rice,
Randy White, Ed "Too Tall" Jones, and Tony Dorsett. Oddly, the only non-NFL player among them is Evander Holyfield.
All in all, Necessary Roughness is still one of the best football pictures made.