The Game of Their Lives
IFC Films | Release Date: April 22, 2005 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
47
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
3
Mixed:
7
Negative:
3
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
What the cast members lack in sharpened skill they more than make up for in raw gusto and athletic scrappiness (most of the actors have logged a lot of soccer in their pasts). These guys give a sport that is virtually nameless in the movies a good name in this one. Read full review
70
Dallas ObserverLuke Y. Thompson
Unlike some other soccer movies, there's no fancy editing -- excitement is generated strictly by the actual choreography and the commentary of an English announcer. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
Coaching from the same playbook with which they made "Rudy" and "Hoosiers," director David Anspaugh and screenwriter Angelo Pizzo create a reverent fable. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesKevin Crust
Despite strong performances by Gerard Butler and Wes Bentley as the leaders of the two factions and crisply directed soccer action, the movie lacks a powerful central presence to carry the drama. Read full review
50
L.A. WeeklyChuck Wilson
The final match stirs briefly, but when it's over, the movie's energy crashes right back down again. Disappointing. Read full review
50
USA TodayMike Clark
But Game really isn't a performer's movie. And the climactic contest (in which the Americans amazingly eked out a 1-0 win against England, considered by many to be the world's finest team at the time) is only serviceably staged. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
The Game of Their Lives has a great sports story to tell, yet the filmmakers fumble it away. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChroniclePeter Hartlaub
Disappointingly mediocre. Read full review
50
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
By the time of the fabled match -- which you could swear lasts a full 90 minutes -- it's all you can do to keep your skin from crawling off your body and slinking to the safety of another room. Do yourself a favor: Follow it. Read full review
40
VarietyRobert Koehler
Picturesque pic, however, lacks even a penalty kick's worth of tension and is paradoxically inert for a movie about guys running up and down the pitch for the glory of the U.S. Read full review
38
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Obviously made with all of the best will in the world, its heart in the right place, this is a sluggish and dutiful film that plays more like a eulogy than an adventure. Read full review
30
Washington PostDesson Thomson
The dialogue and acting are flatter than a punctured ball. Read full review
30
Washington PostSean Daly
It is flat-footed, uninspired and disjointed from start to finish, a glaring disservice to the men who played the game. Read full review
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