This Sunday, millions of Americans will gather around their television screens to watch the year’s most anticipated broadcast event. But as soon as the Puppy Bowl is over, The Super Bowl will be on TV. Here are some movies to get you ready for Sunday:

The Blind Side (2009)

More than any other movie, “The Blind Side” is essential viewing for this Sunday’s big game, as the movie’s subject, Michael Oher, is actually a blind side for the Carolina Panthers, the NFC team in this Sunday’s game! Not only will you get to watch a great and inspirational movie about football, but you will also get to know a little more about one of the players on the field.

Is the movie perfect? Absolutely not. It has its fair share of issues, specifically in the film’s representation of Oher. He has spoken out in the past criticizing the film, so one should take the movie with a grain of salt, but watching is a great way to be entertained and get prepared for the big game.

The Game Plan (2007)

Seeing as nothing appeals to college students more than nostalgia, I highly suggest this 2007 family film you may have forgotten from your tween years. Here, you can see Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s early career as a movie star. He plays a football player who discovers he has a biological daughter, played by Madison Pettis of “Corey in the House” fame, and takes her under his wing.

This film is extremely heartwarming and has some underrated gags that allow this movie to be accessible despite its younger audience target. It features some great football sequences — The Rock’s team even plays in the championship! — and it’s a fun portrayal of a football player on and off the field.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

I’ll be honest, you should watch this less for the football and more because it’s simply a modern romantic-comedy classic. Featuring one of the best blends of drama and comedy in the last decade, “Silver Linings Playbook” is an honest portrayal of mental illness that treats its characters and audiences with respect and intelligence.

On the football side though, the film shows the loyalty fans display for their teams and the lengths they are willing to go to support them. Sure, the team featured in the movie, the Philadelphia Eagles, isn’t in the Superbowl, but who really thought Sam Bradford would lead them there? That’s a conversation for another column though.

BONUS FILM: Air Buddies (2006)

Sure, football is fun, but this movie has talking golden retriever puppies playing sports! Watch this, and your body and mind will be fully prepared for the Puppy Bowl this Sunday. The plot and dialogue isn’t great, but that’s okay, you won’t be able to hear it anyway over your “awwww”s.

These movies should get you nice and ready to watch The Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers 23-20!*

*Subject to change.

Erik Benjamin is a sophomore television, radio and film major. His column appears weekly in Pulp. You can email him at ebenjami@syr.edu or follow him @embenjamin14 on Twitter.

Published on February 6, 2016 at 9:25 am