Necessary Roughness
After NCAA sanctions strip a university of its scholarship athletes, an unlikely collection of students and misfits must become a competitive football team.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- goofy
- genial
- uplifting
- lazy sunday
- sports movie night
What critics said
Critics generally found the film likable and entertaining but too predictable and overly dependent on familiar sports-comedy clichés.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The sanctioned university must build its football roster from the actual student body, creating the film's central comic premise.
The roster includes a thirty-four-year-old quarterback, a female placekicker, and other unconventional players who must function as one team.
The critical consensus specifically identifies the film's close adherence to the sports movie playbook and predictable script.
NCAA sanctions remove scholarships and leave Texas State University with fewer players than its opponents.
Films like Necessary Roughness, and why
The Replacements
underdog sports comedy built around an unlikely team, broad humor, and an uplifting competitive arc
The Program
college football comedy combining eccentric athletes, institutional obstacles, and feel-good team spirit
Major League
genial underdog sports comedy driven by misfit teamwork, comic setbacks, and familiar inspirational conventions
The Longest Yard
ensemble sports comedy about inexperienced players overcoming organizational dysfunction through camaraderie
Movie Details
- Director
- Stan Dragoti
- Release Date
- 1991-09-27
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 5.5 / 10 (140)
Cast
- Scott Bakula
- Robert Loggia
- Harley Jane Kozak
- Larry Miller
- Héctor Elizondo
- Sinbad
- Fred Thompson
- Rob Schneider
- Jason Bateman
- Andrew Bryniarski
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Necessary Roughness about?
- After NCAA sanctions strip a university of its scholarship athletes, an unlikely collection of students and misfits must become a competitive football team.
- What is Necessary Roughness like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Necessary Roughness as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Necessary Roughness violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Necessary Roughness as mild.
- What did critics think of Necessary Roughness?
- Critics generally found the film likable and entertaining but too predictable and overly dependent on familiar sports-comedy clichés.
- Which films are like Necessary Roughness?
- Films with a similar feel include The Replacements, The Program, Major League, and The Longest Yard.
- How long is Necessary Roughness?
- Necessary Roughness runs 108 minutes.
- Where can I watch Necessary Roughness?
- In United States, Necessary Roughness streams on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus.
