The Comebacks

The Comebacks is a 2007 American satirical comedy film directed by Tom Brady (film director). This film is a parody of the clichés and plots of the sports film genre. In the UK, Greece, Finland, Australia and New Zealand this film is called Sports Movie. The movie was released into theaters on October 19, 2007.

Plot
Coach Lambeau Fields (David Koechner) is pathetic. He has the distinction of being the worst coach in the history of sports anyone can recall. A loser of enormous proportions, the incompetent and seemingly hopeless coach is convinced by fellow coach Freddie Wiseman (Carl Weathers) to return to the field for one last shot. Assuring his long suffering wife, Barb (Melora Hardin), that he will not ignore his family, Coach moves them to Plainfolk, Texas where he hopes to redeem himself and his reputation. Here he begins yet another attempt to improve his abysmal record - this time as the coach of the football team at Heartland State University. But he is saddled with a team of misfits - most of whom don't know the difference between a line of scrimmage and a line at the cafeteria.

Although the team and townsfolk are leery of the newcomer's approach, the Coach uses his unorthodox methods to whip this group of rag-tags into shape - both on and off the field. While the audience follows their winding road to the playoffs, the film pokes fun at the clichés and conventions of other sports flicks. The team does make progress, so much so that they actually make it to the South-Southwest Conference Championship at the 2nd Annual Toilet Bowl.

Facing their fiercest opponents yet and yearning to win the big game, The Comebacks face off with the Lone Star State Unbeatables. And as every great sports team has always done, The Comebacks use ingenuity and unorthodox measures in the final showdown where the best team win. The Comebacks are victorious, but Lambeau is subsequently knocked down in a surprise attack by a bus with Freddie driving it, who laughs manically as Lambeau is in pain. Lambeau groans in agony.

Cast

 * David Koechner as Coach Lambeau Fields, the coach of the Heartland Comebacks
 * Carl Weathers as Freddie Wiseman, the coach of the Lone Star State Unbeatables
 * Melora Hardin as Barb Fields, the wife of Lambeau Fields
 * Brooke Nevin as Michelle Fields, the daughter of Lambeau Fields
 * Robert Ri'chard as Aseel Tare ("uh-seel tah-ree", mispronounced by Coach Fields as "ACL tear"), running back
 * Noureen DeWulf as Jizminder Featherfoot, kicker
 * Matthew Lawrence as Lance Truman, quarterback
 * Nick Searcy as Mr. Truman, Lance's father
 * Jackie Long as Trotter, wide receiver
 * Jesse Garcia as Jorge Juanson, receiver
 * George Back as Buddy Boy, lineman
 * Martin Spanjers as Randy Randinger, towel boy
 * Jermaine Williams as iPod
 * Jillian Grace as Maria Sharapova
 * Chauntal Lewis as Freddy's Girl
 * Cameos
 * Eric Christian Olsen as Foreign Exchange Student
 * Andy Dick as Toilet Bowl Referee
 * Dennis Rodman as Warden
 * Bradley Cooper as Cowboy
 * Dax Shepard as Sheriff
 * Jon Gries as Barber
 * Will Arnett as Mailman
 * Kerri Kenney as Sports Judge
 * Lawrence Taylor as Himself
 * Michael Irvin as Himself
 * Eric Dickerson as Himself
 * Stacy Keibler as All-American Mom, a character in the toilet bowl halftime show.
 * Drew Lachey as All-American Dad, a character in the toilet bowl halftime show.
 * Jason Sklar and Randy Sklar as Superfans
 * Frank Caliendo as Chip Imitation

Films Parodied

 * Bend It Like Beckham
 * Blue Crush
 * Friday Night Lights
 * Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
 * Field of Dreams
 * Stick It
 * The Replacements
 * ''Necessary Roughness
 * The Longest Yard
 * Dazed and Confused
 * Drumline
 * Rookie of the Year
 * Bring it On
 * Any Given Sunday
 * Cool Runnings
 * Varsity Blues
 * Miracle 
 * Remember The Titans
 * Radio
 * Coach Carter
 * Rudy
 * Gridiron Gang
 * Invincible
 * Rocky
 * The Waterboy
 * Major League


 * Lacrosse is also parodied, with references to the 2006 Duke University lacrosse team scandal

Reaction
The film received generally negative reviews. On Metacritic, it received a 25/100 meaning "Generally Negative Reviews". On Rotten Tomatoes, it was rated a "rotten" 9%.

Box office
The Comebacks had an opening weekend of $5,554,594 at #5. At the end of its box office run, it grossed $13,349,927 domestically and $139,173 in foreign countries, about $7,000,000 shy of the movie's budget.