- Harvard Stadium November 23, 1968. With Vietnam raging, Nixon in theWhite House, and issues from civil rights to women's lib dividing thecountry, Harvard and Yale, both teams undefeated for the first time since1909, meet for the annual climax of the Ivy League football season. On theblue-blooded Yale campus, gridiron fever has made local celebrities out of aYale team led by quarterback Brian Dowli
Based on the critically acclaimed documentary,
Harvard Beats Yale 29-29 tells the story of the most famous college football game in history
Harvard Stadium, November 23, 1968: For the first time since 1909, the football teams of Harvard and Yale are undefeated as they meet for their final game. Yale, led by captain and quarterback Brian Dowling (later satirized as B.D. in classmate Garry TrudeauÂ’s Doonesbury comic strip) is heavily favored. The underdog team from Harvard includes! lineman Tommy Lee JonesÂâ€"Al GoreÂ’s roommate and future Hollywood star. What follows is widely regarded as among the best games of all time.
First came Rafferty’s documentary of the game, which Newsday called “A nail-biting sports story,†and Time Out New York deemed “close to perfect.†Now, in this compelling and unique new book, Rafferty intercuts photos of the game and Trudeau’s original drawings with the hilarious and suspenseful recollections of the fifty players to create a stunning account of one of the most famous games of all time.
Praise for the documentary
Harvard Beats Yale 29-29 “Preposterously entertaining . . . A narrative that pulses with the artful, exciting beats of a thriller.†Ââ€"
The New York Times “Hugely enjoyable . . . a fascinating piece of social history.†Ââ€"NPRÂ’s
Fresh AirAn incredible true story that unfolds like a ripping good yarn... W! ith an uproarious, impossible Hollywood ending (Andrew O Hehir! , Salon. com), Harvard Beats Yale 29-29 is filmmaker Kevin Rafferty s (The Atomic Cafe) acclaimed documentary depicting one of the most legendary games in the history of sports. Harvard Stadium November 23, 1968. With Vietnam raging, Nixon in the White House, and issues from civil rights to women's lib dividing the country, Harvard and Yale, both teams undefeated for the first time since 1909, meet for the annual climax of the Ivy League football season. On the blue-blooded Yale campus, gridiron fever has made local celebrities out of a Yale team led by quarterback Brian Dowling, who hadn t lost a game that he finished since the 7th grade, and who was the role model for Doonesbury s B.D. At civil unrest scarred Harvard, a melting pot team of working class players, antiwar activists, and a decorated Vietnam vet set aside their differences for the Big Game. Together, Yale and Harvard stage an unforgettable football contest that baffled even their own coaches. Using vintage game footage! and bracingly honest contemporary interviews with the players from both sides, including Harvard lineman and future Oscar® winner Tommy Lee Jones (No Country for Old Men), Rafferty crafts an alternately suspenseful, hilarious, and poignant portrait of American lives, American sports, and American ideals both tested on the playing field and transformed by turbulent times.
Special Features:
- Bonus Interviews (73 min.) Additional interview excerpts not included in the film, the players provide a deeper look at the season, the game, and its aftermath.
- Theatrical Trailer
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11:59 PM
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