I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Simply Perfect

Horrible, fascist and poorly acted

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

I'm not interested in football, so I expected to be bored by this film. Moreover, 1968 was a year of spectacular events world wide, from human cultural evolution to political revolution, so why should some football game between two private elitist universities matter? But wow! -- what a riveting and unforgettable story! The story of the game is recalled by the players on both sides -- many of whom are highly articulate, interesting characters to watch. We get the "7-Up" effect (only the age jumps between, say, 21 and 56) where we can see in the older men the same distinct personality and character of the young men they are remembering. For example, we see Brian Dowling, the demigod-like undefeated Yale QB, remind the audience, with visible irritation, that the 29-29 game was not a defeat but a tie -- he's still attached to his undefeated status all those years later. It's hard to describe why the story of this one football game feels so archetypal and earth-shattering. I felt like I'd just seen a remake of the Trojan War, or something on that epic and mythic scale, where the warrior heroes are reflecting back on battlefield highlights. No exaggeration.

Watching Harvard Beats Yale 29-29 is like watching the greatest college football game you could ever imagine, and getting to know the players as it's happening. Even if you already know the final score, the process of getting there is spell-binding for anyone who enjoys watching sports (or has a pulse).But it's much more than just an amazing football game. Through interviews with the players - now older and wiser - the film evokes the background of the times - 1968, perhaps the most tumultuous year in modern American history.The players represented both sides of the political spectrum. Like other young people, many were war-protesters. Yet other players despised the protests - at least one was a proud Vietnam vet, who came to the Ivy Leagues after experiencing Khe Sanh.But on a cold November day, the players and the fans throughout New England put aside these political differences to celebrate the drama of The Game. Through the interviews, we learn that Yale was very heavily favored (thus a tie was considered a "win" for Harvard). We learn about the different personalities - which Yale players knew George W. Bush, which Harvard guy roomed with Al Gore, who dated Meryl Streep, who was the inspiration for the football-player character in Doonesbury, etc.But as the film progresses, these interviews slowly give way to a closer focus on the game itself. It's now late in the 4th quarter with the seconds ticking away. Harvard is still down by 16 points, and you are on the edge of your seat wondering how they are going to pull off this inspirational "victory", making everyone forget - at least for a brief moment - the darker battles then raging in America.

I don't know how the person in front of me is writing a bad review on this. This movie was hilarious and entertaining. I'm a football lover and even i wasn't excited about seeing this, until i saw how amazingly entertaining all of the characters are. You really get to see inside the minds of these players, and what it was like to be part of such a great game. The players are all very entertaining, (except Tommy Lee Jones) and some of them you love, some of them you hate. Great movie, great story, a great time. These players are funny, and quick to make fun of themselves and each other. I don't know how anyone could not love it. Maybe not great for girls, but anyone else is going to love it.

Saw this at T.I.F.F. last year. It takes about 20 minutes to get rolling as you become familiarized with the 'cast'. Surprisingly Tommy Jones is well down the list of interesting interviews. The context of the times and the great archive footage make this a must see for any football fan or for the Doonesbury culture of Ivy League academia. The quotes from the ex-players are often very funny. Director Rafferty was at the actual game but unlike his father and grandfather, not a Harvard football player. The director managed to get most of the key players in the game. Unfortunately Calvin Hill, the only black player on Harvard and perhaps the most successful in the NFL of those playing in that game declined to be interviewed. Still, this film is very entertaining, captivating and suspenseful (despite knowing the final score) with the final minutes of the game providing a fitting climax to the film.