Nick Nolte and Mac Davis deliver memorable performances in this gritty football drama about the misery of the game. Nolte’s particularly amazing as an aging star who knows that he’s breaking down as a cog in the machine. North Dallas Forty (1979) is a pretty depressing look at pro sports. Skinema fans, however, will be happy to see that this story--based on the 1970s Dallas Cowboys--is historically accurate enough to include plenty of gorgeous groupies.