Two Bits (1995), as Gitano Sabatoni

Two Bits was directed by James Foley and the screenplay writen by Joseph Stefano, and was released on November 22, 1995. The film's title "two bits" refers to the American slang term for a quarter dollar.

Two Bits storyline following the life of Gennaro Spirito, a 12-year old young boy from South Philly in summer day in 1933, where he lives with widowed mom Luisa Spirito, and his grandpa, Gitano.

His grandpa sits outside holding tight to his last quarter, which he's promised to Gennaro and which Gennaro would like to have to buy a ticket to the plush new movie theater. But grandpa's not ready to pass on the quarter or pass on to his final reward: he has some unfinished business with a woman from his past, and he enlists Gennaro to act as his emissary.

Al Pacino appeared in the film as a personal favor to director James Foley because he had a great time working with him on Glengarry Glen Ross (1992).


Cast:

Al Pacino as Gitano Sabatoni
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Luisa Spirito
Jerry Barone as Gennaro Spirito
Andy Romano as Dr. Bruna
Patrick Borriello as Tullio
Donna Mitchell as Mrs. Bruna
Joe Grifasi as Uncle Joe
Mary Lou Rosato as Aunt Carmela

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City Hall (1996) - Mayor John Pappas

New York City Mayor John Pappas (Al Pacino) has grand political ambitions. His next political pursue are the governor's office and the White House. But he is surprisingly found involved in a big scandal. A young boy named James Bone dies from a stray bullet during a shootout between off-duty police detective Eddie Santos and Tino Zapatti, cousin of organized crime boss Paul Zapatti.

Tino Zapatti previously been supiciously given probation by Judge Walter Stern, old friend of John Pappas. Kevin Calhoun, John Pappas idealistic Deputy Mayor, smells something fishy about the incident and starts digging for information. His investigation later found a fact: Mayor John Pappas is the one who put Judge Stern together with Brooklyn politician Frank Anselmo to receive a bribe and leave the Tino Zapatti killed on the street.

City Hall are loosely based on actual New York's political life. The character of Frank Anselmo was based on Queens Borough President Donald Manes, who was caught up in real estate scandals and attempted suicide (but survived) in his car in 1986 by slashing his wrists, and later succeeded in the next suicide attempt by plunging a kitchen knife into his heart. To prepare his role as Mayor John Pappas, Al Pacino spent time with New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and former Mayors Edward I. Koch and David Dinkins.


City Hall DVD/Blu-ray:



Cast:

Al Pacino ... Mayor John Pappas
John Cusack ... Deputy Mayor Kevin Calhoun
Bridget Fonda ... Marybeth Cogan
Martin Landau ... Judge Walter Stern
Anthony Franciosa ... Paul Zapatti
Danny Aiello ... Frank Anselmo
David Paymer ... Abe Goodman
Nestor Serrano ... Det. Eddie Santos
Roberta Peters ... Nettie Anselmo

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Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) - Ricky Roma

Adapted from David Mamet's 1984 play of the same name, Glengarry Glen Rose (1992) was critically acclaimed with highly positive reviews by most of the major critics, although it failed commercially, only making $10.7 million for $12.5 million budget. The film directed by James Foley, produced by Jerry Tokofsky and Stanley R. Zupnik, and starring Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Al Pacino, Ed Harris, and Jonathan Pryce.

The story of the film follows the lives of four salesman in a New York real estate office. They are Shelley Levene (Jack Lemmon), Ricky Roma (Al Pacino), George Aaronow (Alan Arkin), and Dave Moss (Ed Harris). The owner of the office sent Blake (Alec Baldwin) to motivate them by given a strong incentive in a sales contest, with first prize is a Cadillac Eldorado, and second prize is a set of steak knives. A tough competition among them to win the prize led to dishonest tactics to make sales.

Glengarry Glen Ross had its premiere at the Venice Film Festival and opened in regular release on October 2, 1992. Previously, David Mamet's original play opened in 1983 at the National Theatre of London, then at New York's the John Golden Theater on 25 March, 1984 and running for 378 performances. The play won the 1984 Tony Award for Best Play, and the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The title refers to Glengarry Highlands and Glen Ross Farms, two properties mentioned in the movie/play.

Glengarry Glen Ross had three weeks of rehearsals and was shot over 39 days, almost entirely in sequence, single takes, and then cut up in editing to try to replicate the theatrical flow and cadence of the dialogue. Filming began in August 1991 on location in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn and at the Kaufman Astoria Soundstage in Queens, New York. Al Pacino was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his work in the film but did not win. Instead, he won the Best Actor Oscar for Scent of a Woman in the same year (1992).

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The Local Stigmatic (1990) - Graham

The short film, 52 minutes long The Local Stigmatic is a drama film with the story follows Graham (Al Pacino) and Ray (Paul Guilfoyle), two sociopaths, nihilist working-class British friends who spend their free time walking and discussing greyhound track racing, and read gossip column on the papers. They eventually engaging in brutal acts of violence against random victim (a film star who they've read about in gossip column).

The Local Stigmatic is directed by David Wheeler, produced by (and starring) Al Pacino, written by Peter Brynmor Roberts based on a stage play by Heathcote Williams, and was filmed and edited during the late 1980s.

Al Pacino began shooting exteriors for the film in London in 1984, for only 9 days filming time. For the role, Pacino and Paul Guilfoyle studied and examined the play for four years and spent four months rehearsing before it was finally shot. They avoid making the film look too cinematic. Instead, the film made like a stage play.

The Local Stigmatic eventually released on DVD as part of "The Al Pacino Box Set" in June 2007 (with Looking for Richard and Chinese Coffee), but was never released theatrically. Previously, in 1990 Al Pacino donated a copy of the film to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City with the stipulation that it can only be screening with his permission.


Cast:

Al Pacino ... Graham
Paul Guilfoyle ... Ray
Joseph Maher ... David (as Joe Maher)
Brian Mallon ... News Vendor
Michael Higgins ... Drunk man

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The Devil's Advocate (1997) - John Milton

The Devil's Advocate adapted from the novel with same name by Andrew Neiderman. The story of the film centers on Kevin Lomax, a young lawyer from Gainesville, Florida, who has never lost a case, get an offer to work with high salary on - and eventually joins the world's most powerful law firm: Milton, Chadwick & Waters.

Lomax begins spending his time at work, leaving his wife depressed and abandoned. However, He discover that John Milton, his boss, has freaky personality and his wife starts witnesses demonic apparitions. Kevin Lomax face a dilemma, and he start find out about the grand scheme his boss is running.

The Devil's Advocate directed by Taylor Hackford. Al Pacino plays John Milton, Kevin Lomax' boss and mentor, and the head of the New York law firm Milton, Chadwick & Waters. Keanu Reeves play as ambitious young defense attorney Kevin Lomax. Lomax wife, Mary-Ann Lomax, was played by Charlize Theron. Another casts including Connie Nielsen as Christabella Andreoli, Jeffrey Jones as Eddie Barzoon, and Craig T. Nelson as Alexander Cullen.

The Devil's Advocate has some allusions to John Milton's classic epic poem, The Paradise Lost. Even the name of Pacino's character in the film, John Milton, was named after the author's name. Milton's famous quotation "Better to reign in Hell, than to serve in Heaven" says by Lomax in Milton's office was quoted from Book I Line 263 of the same work.

The Devil's Advocate was filmed in some notable locations, including Trump Tower, Goldman Sachs building, and Bergen County Courthouse in Hackensack, New Jersey.

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Heat (1995) - Lt. Vincent Hanna

When Heat was released in December 15, 1995, the film created much hype since it is the first film to ever feature both legendary actors Al Pacino and Robert De Niro shared the screen together. Even the advertising material for Heat promoted the film as a De Niro/Pacino "showdown". They both previously starred in The Godfather Part II (1974), but never acting together.

The result was great: Heat was well-received by movie critics, as well as commercially success by gaining worldwide gross revenue $187,436,818 for $60,000,000 estimated budget. The film also listed as the 38th greatest film in history in Empire's 2008 list of the "500 Greatest Movies of All Time".

Heat is Michael Mann's remake and cinema version of his own 1989 television film L.A. Takedown. The main attraction of the film to moviegoers, of course, duo stars Robert De Niro who plays Neil McCauley, a professional thief, and Al Pacino who plays Lt. Vincent Hanna, veteran LAPD homicide detective.

Neil McCauley leads a team of criminals who carry out armored car heist, stealing US$1.6 million in bearer bonds from Malibu Equity Investments. After the robbery, McCauley meets Nate who suggests selling the bonds back to Van Zant (the owner of the bonds) for 60% of their value instead of laundering them at 40% cost.

Lt. Vincent Hanna, who investigating the armored car heist, learns that McCauley and his crew are planning to steal precious metals from a warehouse. He and his LAPD team hiding inside a parked truck, but accidentally exposed. McCauley and his crew abandon the robbery plan, and Hanna allows them to escape since he cannot arrest them unless they have stolen something.

McCauley then vows revenge to Van Zant who try to ambush him, and kill Waingro, his new crew member who makes the robbery complicated with his impulsive actions, and later betray him. But the pursuit finally led him to his death. After executes Wainbro and begins his escape, Lt. Hanna shoots him, and he dies moments later.

Along with Pacino and De Niro, the film stars Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Danny Trejo, Ashley Judd, and Natalie Portman. Heat is based off a real-life confrontation between Chicago police officer Chuck Adamson and professional robber Neil McCauley. The real Neil McCauley was killed during a robbery of a grocery store by Adamson's team.

Many real former police officer serve as consultant or technical advisor to the film, including Dennis Farina, a former Chicago police officer, and Tom Elfmont, a former L.A.P.D. detective, and Chuck Adamson - also former Chicago police officer - whom had been working with Michael Mann since his film Thief (1981).


Cast:

Al Pacino ... Lt. Vincent Hanna
Robert De Niro ... Neil McCauley
Val Kilmer ... Chris Shiherlis
Tom Sizemore ... Michael Cheritto
Jon Voight ... Nate
Diane Venora ... Justine Hanna
Ashley Judd ... Charlene Shiherlis
Natalie Portman ... Lauren Gustafson
Amy Brenneman ... Eady
Mykelti Williamson ... Sergeant Drucker
William Fichtner ... Roger Van Zant
Wes Studi ... Detective Casals
Ted Levine ... Bosko
Tom Noonan ... Kelso

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The Insider (1999) - Lowell Bergman

A Vanity Fair magazine article by Marie Brenner; "The Man Who Knew Too Much" led Michael Mann to produced and directed The Insider (1994), a film that tells the true story behind the broadcast of a controvertial CBS "60 Minutes" episode on malpractices in the tobacco industry. The episode originally aired in November 1995 in an altered form because CBS' parent company Westinghouse and the owner, Laurence Tisch, objected, and was later aired on February 4, 1996.

The Insider took a viewpoint through the eyes of Jeffrey Wigand, a former tobacco company executive who decided to appear on the 60 Minutes show to revealed the infamous secret that the tobacco industry was not only aware that cigarettes are addictive and harmful, but deliberately worked on increasing that addictiveness. For his appearance in 60 minutes, Wigand comes under personal and professional attack. Big tobacco company hire PR firm to initiates a smear campaign against him. He also receive death threats, e.g. one where he finds a bullet in his mailbox with a threatening note.

Al Pacino, who had worked with Mann previously in Heat (1995), was Mann’s only choice to play "60 minutes" producer Lowell Bergman, as well as Christopher Plummer who selected to play Mike Wallace. Both did not have to audition to cast in the film. On the other side, Russell Crowe was the second choice for the role of Jeffrey Wigand after Val Kilmer. For the role, the 33-years old Crowe transform himself into mid-50s Wigand apperance by shaved back his hairline, put on 35 pounds for the role, and listened repeatedly to a six-hour tape of Wigand's voice to resemble the man’s voice and how he talked.

The Insider was nominated for seven Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director (Michael Mann), Best Cinematography (Dante Spinotti), Best Actor in a Leading Role (Russell Crowe), Best Editing, Best Sound, and Best Adapted Screenplay (Eric Roth and Michael Mann), but the film won nothing. However, The Insider gave Roth and Mann the Humanitas Prize in the Feature Film category in 2000. Russell Crowe's performance as Jeffrey Wigand ranked #23 in 2006 Premiere list of the 100 Greatest Performances of All Time, and Christopher Plummer won awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the National Society of Film Critics.

Despite gaining much critical praises, The Insider was in fact a box office flop. It only make a total of $60.3 million worldwide for the $90 million budget. The film fail to catch attention of younger audiences.

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Carlito's Way (1993) - Carlito Brigante

Carlito's Way is a fictional story of Puerto-Rican ex-gangster Carlito 'Charlie' Brigante who just released from prison with the help of his lawyer, and pledges to stay away from his past criminal life and lead on to a better life. The film directed by Brian De Palma, with screenplay by David Koepp, based on Judge Edwin Torres' novels After Hours, but took the title from his previous novel, Carlito's Way, to make it not to be confused with Martin Scorsese's film After Hours.

Carlito's Way story was similar to Brian De Palma's previous film, Scarface (1983), and it is considered to be a companion piece of sorts to Scarface, as both using the same Greek tragedy approach (It was criticized by many for re-treading old ground). However, Carlito Brigante character seems to be more human than Tony Montana in Scarface. Tony Montana devote his entire life in evil side, and his stubbornness bring him to his downfall.

Unlike Tony Montana, Carlito Brigante tries to change his fate and stay away from criminal activities. But both meet the same fate: their criminal past won't let them change their life to be a nice guy, and they will never see heaven. They ends up being dragged back into the same evil way.

Carlito's Way stars Al Pacino as Carlito Brigante, Sean Penn as Carlito's lawyer David Kleinfeld, Penelope Ann Miller as Gail (Carlito's girlfriend), and Viggo Mortensen as Lalin, Carlito's gangster friend who secretly recording their conversation at the night club in order to gain evidence against him, as it is the only way he could stay out of prison.

The film was released on 3 November 1993. It premiered with $9 million opening weekend box office. For their roles as lawyer David Kleinfeld and Carlito's girlfriend Gail, Sean Penn and Penelope Ann Miller both received Golden Globe nominations.

The prequel of Carlito's Way was filmed and released direct-to-video in 2005, under the title Carlito's Way: Rise to Power. The prequel film stars Jay Hernandez as Carlito, Mario Van Peebles as Earl, and Michael Joseph Kelly as Rocco.


Cast:

Al Pacino ... Carlito Brigante
Sean Penn ... David Kleinfeld
Penelope Ann Miller ... Gail
Viggo Mortensen ... Lalin
John Leguizamo ... Benny Blanco
Luis Guzmán ... Pachanga
Joseph Siravo ... Vincent 'Vinnie' Taglialucci
Adrian Pasdar ... Frankie Taglialucci

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Looking for Richard (1996 Documentary Film) - Richard III

Looking for Richard is the first film directed by Al Pacino. He also plays himself and the title character (Richard III). Pacino originally wanted to make a straight film, not a documentary, but he discovered that he wouldn't be able to top Laurence Olivier's 1955 version.

As a documentary movie, Looking for Richard is both a performance of scenes of William Shakespeare's Richard III, and an examination of Shakespeare's relevance in popular culture by adding interviews with ordinary people, and in-depth analysis with Shakespeare scholars. In addition, Pacino also features many actors ever performing Shakespeare's, including Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh, and Vanessa Redgrave.

Along with Pacino, several actors act out scenes from the play, including Alec Baldwin (as Duke of Clarence), Aidan Quinn (Richmond), Penelope Allen (Queen Elizabeth), Winona Ryder (Lady Anne), Kevin Spacey (Earl of Buckingham), and Harris Yulin as King Edward (previously, in 1983 Yulin was Pacino's opponent when he played the infamous corrupt Miami police detective Mel Bernstein in Scarface).

Looking for Richard was featured at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival and was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.

The film, along with Chinese Coffee and The Local Stigmatic, released on June 2007 as a part of a three-movie boxed set called Pacino: An Actor's Vision.



Cast:

Al Pacino ... Himself/Richard III
Alec Baldwin ... Himself/Duke of Clarence
Kevin Spacey ... Himself/Earl of Buckingham
Winona Ryder ... Lady Anne
Harris Yulin ... Himself/King Edward
Penelope Allen ... Herself/Queen Elizabeth
Vincent Angell ... Himself/Grey

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The Godfather Part III (1990) - Don Michael Corleone

The final part and epilogue of the saga after The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974), The Godfather Part III is completes the story of Don Michael Corleone, aging mafia boss who tries to legitimize his business to atone for his guilt.

Michael has abandoned many of mafia activities, selling the Las Vegas casinos, and leaving the Corleone family's criminal interests in the hands of Joey Zasa, the remaining criminal wing of Corleone family.

Michael returned to New York City from Lake Tahoe, restore his reputation via numerous acts of charity, creates the Vito Corleone Foundation which he has endowed with $100,000,000 to use for the betterment of Sicily.

The Godfather Part III also fictionalized the death of Pope John Paul I (1978) and the Papal banking scandal (1982), and links both with the affairs of Michael Corleone. Michael has recently bought up stock in International real-estate holding company Immobiliare to gain majority control of the company's board of directors, and now makes a tender offer to buy the Vatican's 25% interest in the company by offers to pay $600,000,000 to the Vatican Bank - which has run up a massive deficit - in exchange for the shares. But he later realizes that the deal was a conspiracy to swindle him out of his money.

The Godfather Part III features veteran actors from its prequels: Al Pacino (Michael Corleone), Diane Keaton (Kay Adams), and Talia Shire (Connie Corleone). It also stars Andy García (Vincent Mancini), Joe Mantegna (Joey Zasa), George Hamilton (as B.J. Harrison, the next Corleone family consiglieri after Tom Hagen), Bridget Fonda, and Sofia Coppola (Francis Ford Coppola's daughter who plays as Michael's daughter, Mary Corleone).

Although received a generally positive responses, The Godfather Part III is widely considered to be the weakest film of the trilogy. It was the only film in the trilogy not to have Al Pacino nominated for Best Actor, the only film in the trilogy not to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, and the only film in the trilogy not selected for preservation by the National Film Registry. Instead, Sofia Coppola won a Golden Raspberry for worst supporting actress for her role as Mary Corleone.

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Dick Tracy (1990) - Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice

Dick Tracy based on the 1930s comic strip character of the same name created by Chester Gould. Al Pacino plays as Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice, the leading crime cyndicate boss whose aggressively taking over small businesses in the city (for his performance, Pacino received Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor). The film produced and directed by Warren Beatty, who also starred as the main character, Dick Tracy.

Dick Tracy film rights were initially owned in 1975 by Michael Laughlin, who gave up his option from Tribune Media Services. In 1977, Floyd Mutrux and Art Linson purchased the film rights from the Tribune Media Services. They took the property to Paramount Pictures, whose brought in Universal Pictures to co-finance its production.

Walter Hill then came on board to direct with Joel Silver as producer. Hill approached Warren Beatty for the title role. Beatty reportedly wanted $5 million plus fifteen percent of the box office gross, and Universal refused to accept.

The film rights then reverted back to Tribune Media Services. Beatty decided to option the Dick Tracy rights himself. Dick Tracy production resurfaced with Beatty as director, producer and leading role.

The financing for Dick Tracy came from Disney's Touchstone Pictures, Silver Screen Partners, and Mulholland Productions (Warren Beatty's production company). The film reach $47 million production cost and $54 million additional marketing campaign cost. Walt Disney comics also released "Dick Tracy: The Tommy Guns and Truehearts Trilogy" as part of marketing campaign, which explained the back story leading up to the movie.

Alongside Beatty and Pacino, Dick Tracy features supporting roles from Madonna as Breathless Mahoney, Glenne Headly Tess Trueheart, and Charlie Korsmo as The Kid.

For his role, Al Pacino designed Big Boy Caprice's make-up himself and completely re-imagined the character. John Caglione Jr., make-up designer who's his final design of Big Boy Caprice matches the intended design conceived by Al Pacino, then became Pacino's personal make-up man in all of his rest films. In Dick Tracy, Al Pacino also co-stars with James Caan, who previously played Sonny Corleone in The Godfather (1972).

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Donnie Brasco (1997) - Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero

Donnie Brasco based on the late 1970s real event of FBI undercover agent, Joseph D. Pistone (under the alias name Donnie Brasco) who successfully infilitrates the New York City's Bonanno crime family. Pistone (Johnny Depp) posing as a jewel thief from Florida. He eventually becomes accepted as an associate by the other family members.

Pistone befriends Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero (Al Pacino), a low level family member and hit man who having spent 30 years of his life in the Mafia and killing 26 people, but was hopeless about his own future. However, the longer Pistone infilitrates the family and plays role as Donnie Brasco, he finds himself identifying more with the mafia life. He also has come to regard Lefty as his close friend.

Donnie Brasco was directed by Mike Newell, starring Al Pacino (Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero), Johnny Depp (Joe "Donnie Brasco" Pistone), and Michael Madsen (Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano). The screenplay written by Paul Anastasio, adapted from FBI agent Joseph D. Pistone's book. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

In real life, Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero was arrested by the FBI and was sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit murder, extortion, distribution of a controlled dangerous substance, and running an illegal gambling operation. He died of lung cancer in 1994, two years after received early parole in 1992.


Cast:

Al Pacino ... Benjamin "Lefty" Ruggiero
Johnny Depp ... Donnie Brasco / Joseph D. "Joe" Pistone
Bruno Kirby ... Nicky
Michael Madsen ... Sonny Black
James Russo ... Paulie
Anne Heche ... Maggie Pistone
Gerry Becker ... Agent Dean Blandford FBI
Rocco Sisto ... Richard "Richie" Gazzo
Zach Grenier ... Dr. Berger

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Scent of a Woman (1992) - Frank Slade

Scent of a Woman was an adaptation from the novel Il buio e il miele (Italian: Darkness and Honey) by Giovanni Arpino, and the 1974 screenplay by Ruggero Maccari and Dino Risi (of the Italian movie Profumo di donna, directed by Dino Risi). The film stars Al Pacino, Chris O'Donnell, James Rebhorn, Gabrielle Anwar, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. It was directed by Martin Brest, and the screenplay by Bo Goldman.

Scent of a Woman tells the story of Charlie Simms, a preparatory school student needing money and takes a job as an assistant to a blind and medically retired Army officer Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade.

Slade takes Charlie along to accompany him for the ride to New York City for the weekend, with a special plan involves stay at a luxury hotel (Waldorf-Astoria), eat at an expensive restaurant, fine wine, and make love to a beautiful woman.

At the Golden Globe Awards, Scent of a Woman won Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Motion Picture - Drama. At the Academy Awards Al Pacino won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

As preparation for his role as Frank Slade, Al Pacino was helped by a school for the blind. He made himself appear blind by not allowing his eyes to focus on anything. For his dance scene with Gabrielle Anwar, two choreographers, Jerry Mitchell and Paul Pellicoro, guided them. Both rehearsed their tango for 2 weeks for the scene that took 3 days to shoot.

Portions of the movie depicting all male boarding school actually were filmed on location at the Emma Willard School, an all-girls school in Troy, New York, and at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York City.

Scent of a Woman combine both positive critical reception and commercial success. It earned $134,095,253 worldwide, with 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.


Cast:

Al Pacino ... Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade
Chris O'Donnell ... Charlie Simms
Gabrielle Anwar ... Donna
Philip Seymour Hoffman ... George Willis, Jr. (as Philip S. Hoffman)
James Rebhorn ... Mr. Trask
Bradley Whitford ... Randy
Richard Venture ... W.R. Slade

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Any Given Sunday (1999) - Tony D'Amato

Any Given Sunday is a drama film depicting a fictional professional American football team Miami Sharks, and fictional professional football league AFFA (a creative stand-in for the NFL). The film directed by Oliver Stone, who also write the screenplay for the film with Daniel Pyne and John Logan. Any Given Sunday features many Hollywood big stars in the cast, including Al Pacino as Tony D'Amato (the head coach of the Miami Sharks), Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid, James Woods, Jamie Foxx, LL Cool J, and legendary NFL players Lawrence Taylor and Jim Brown.

The theme of the movie "on any given Sunday, anything can happen" refers to an incident when both the starting quarterback Jack "Cap" Rooney and the second-string quarterback Tyler Cherubini are injured and forced to leave the game. The incident then force Miami Shark to call upon third-string quarterback and former seventh round draft pick Willie Beamen (Jamie Foxx), who slightly nervous and makes a number of errors, but eventually displays his athletic talent and pass extremely successfully.

Tony D'Amato (Al Pacino), the head coach of the Miami Sharks, at the final press conference announces that he has been hired as head coach and general manager of the expansion Albuquerque Aztecs, and signed Willie Beamen as his starting quarterback and franchise player.

Along with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino was Oliver Stone's first two choices to play Tony D'Amato. De Niro declined the role, and Pacino had already accepted. Clint Eastwood was also sought after for Pacino's role, but he also wanted to direct the picture, and Warner Bros declined.

However, no special accolades from film critics given to the film. Any Given Sunday only received an aggregated score of 50% from 115 movie reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.

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