Top Sports Movies (or how to cram 19 films into a top ten list)
Apr 30 '01
The Bottom Line Often sappy and sentimental, we know what to expect from most sports movies. Here's my picks for some of the better ones.
Sports movies are common, but good ones are fairly rare. Most often formula movies that rely on cliché and sentimentality, sports movies generally offer “feel good” stories about winners. America loves a winner, and won’t tolerate a loser (so says George C. Scott’s Patton), so most of these sports movies have conformed to the standard pattern.
I am attempting to include sports movies that have gone beyond the expected cliches in some area, and am attempting to include a few films across the sports spectrum —- a few that may bewilder some traditional sports fans.
If it seems that there are more baseball movies, there's a couple of explanations: I like baseball more than the other sports and it seems that baseball and boxing seem to lend themselves more readily to film. Besides, I tried to think of a golf movie, but didn't like the two recent ones that others are sure to mention. Very few deal with female athletes as well.
As always, it’s difficult to leave off some fine films, and the following honorable mentions are not meant to be all-inclusive (just a way to mention more than 10 films), and if you're going to ask why I left off expected films like the very good Jerry Maguire just write your own list. I'm sure it'll get plenty of other mentions.
Honorable Mention
Running Brave (1983)
Typical underdog makes good story, but this one has a uniqueness in that it’s a true story based on Lakota runner Billy Mills, whose track career is highlighted by his upset victory in the 10,000 meter at the 1964 Olympics. Robby Benson is credible as the lead character, and his story does give a few glimpses of modern reservation life.
Field of Dreams (1989)
Kevin Costner's second best baseball movie. (He strikes out on the third, so don't go to that turkey) Baseball is used as a metaphor that allows a few characters to reach their lifetime dreams, or come to resolve differences with their father. I'm not sure what it is about a simple game of "catch" that connects fathers and sons, but many men will find a few tears forming during the last scenes. Just what is out there beyond that cornfield? "If you build it, they will come!"
Rudy (1993)
An everyman sports story, Rudy is based on a real person, Rudy Ruettiger, who has a lifelong dream to play football for Notre Dame. The odds are definitely stacked against him – he’s small and physically untalented and academically could never get into Notre Dame, barely getting through high school with undiagnosed dyslexia. But Rudy’s dream drives him, and the kid does the unexpected to give everyone hope to strive for their own dreams. The fact that this is a true story about an “ordinary person,” elevates Rudy beyond being another typical sports/motivational stories.
The Natural (1984)
A fantasy, based on Bernard Malamud's novel about the best baseball player anybody's ever seen, The Natural uses baseball as metaphor. Everything is dreamlike here with it's fuzzy luminescent lighting, from the dark forces in the owner's quarters to Glen Close as the "woman in white" who inspires Robert Redford. Everyone loves the climatic explosive ending, but I really enjoy the fact that part of the movie is set at Wrigley Field - a magical place that instantly sends you back to the 1920's, 1930's, or 1940's. If you like your baseball served with symbolism and nostalgia, this is a good choice.
The Sandlot (1993)
Simply a lot of fun with a message about facing your fears as a socially redeeming bonus, The Sandlot harkens back to the innocent pre-teen years where summers were devoted to playing little league, collecting baseball cards, and hanging out at the soda fountain talking baseball. There's also the meanie who lives beyond center field who won't give back your balls - anyone who played baseball as a kid will relate to this, and will want their kids to see this film. While it does deliberately teach its lesson, it's not over didactic about it and supplies a great deal of humor. It also reveals the worst insult you can make to any young baseball player - "You throw like . . . a girl!" Oh, the horror!
Bang the Drum Slowly (1973)
Robert De Niro plays a not too bright catcher who has a terminal illness while playing out his last season. Much more than a mere baseball movie, it becomes more about the relationship between De Niro's character and the star pitcher, played by Michael Moriarty. Any baseball fan realizes that the story isn't all that realistic since a catcher by the very nature of the position should be one of the smartest players on the team, but look at this movie more for the acting and the way the characters deal with impending death.
Vision Quest (1985)
I’ve got to give some credit here to a good little movie that a number of wrestling coaches have used to fire up their troops. Matthew Modine isn’t the most convincing wrestler I’ve seen, and who can really believe that he can take down the “monster” enemy wrestler whose body is twice as built? Still, it’s a good inspirational movie with some good classic rock backgrounds by Journey, Red Ryder, and a live performance by Madonna. How many sports movies can claim that?
Cool Runnings (1993)
Based loosely on the true story of the Jamaican bobsled team, this film combines an inspirational “winners never quit” story with a great deal of humor to make for an enjoyable experience. Of course the story is contains the typical sports cliches and is Disneyfied, but it’s still fun.
Hoosiers (1986)
Now that Indiana has finally gone to a class system in high school basketball, the incredible circumstance of a small town high school, which can barely scrape up enough young men to make up a team, can challenge a big time basketball power for the state championship is only a memory. But the “David vs. Goliah” story has happened. And the spirit of the story is preserved with Gene Hackman coaching Hickory High along with a memorable performance by Dennis Hopper as the alcoholic assistant.
My Top Ten (I don’t expect you to agree. There are films I’ve either forgotten or haven’t seen, and if you think of a really great omission, you can make your own list or leave a comment)
10. Phörpa (The Cup) (1999)
Youngsters in training to become Buddhist monks follow the World Cup relentlessly and religiously. A beautiful film that brings humanity and a more realistic look at Tibetian monks than you will find anywhere else.
9. Rocky (1976)
Another in a long line of inspirational sports movies where regular guy makes good, but I gotta give Sylvester Stallone credit for pursuing this project and creating an American icon. And I won’t hold some of those dreadful sequels against him because the original contains some very fine moments, and the ending doesn’t exactly rely on the expected sports cliché result. The sequels take on that role.
8. The Karate Kid (1984)
Bottom line of the sports results is expected, as we have the underdog winning eventually. But what raises the level of this typical “feel good” movie rests with the relationship established between Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and mentor Miyagi (Pat Morita). The moment that Daniel finally realizes that he has been “tricked” into learning very sound karate is priceless. If you haven’t seen this film it’s worth “breathing in.”
7. Horse Feathers (1932)
The Marx brothers are a trip! The lunacy, the puns, the sight gags should have most people rolling in the aisles or necking in the parlor. And those who are now screaming that this is NOT a sports movie, remember the original premise of the movie where Groucho decides that the only way to save Huxley College is to recruit two star players to beat rival Darwin. There’s also a hilarious football game at the end, so the Marx brothers deserve a spot in the sports movie genre. And pass the swordfish.
6. Hoop Dreams (1994)
One of the Academy’s most disgraceful moments was 1995 when it failed to even nominate Hoop Dreams for Best Documentary. That alone proves how completely stupid the Academy members can be, as Hoop Dreams has to rank as one of the finest documentaries of all time. It follows two Chicago area basketball players through their high school careers and beyond with remarkable intimacy, giving insights into what really goes on behind the scenes with promising high school basketball stars. This is the real deal and no hype!
5. Frequency (2000)
For those who cry "foul ball" because Frequency is a science fiction thriller, consider how big a role the New York Mets play in this film. It connects father and son much the same way that baseball connects in Field of Dreams, and the specific incidents of the 1969 Miracle Mets World Series help advance the plot. Besides, what are all of the actors doing in the last scenes? Frequency will remain an enjoyable, but overlooked movie that won't even be listed on sports movie lists. This is an attempt to correct that oversight.
4. Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
I already realize some of you are now saying, “this guy is wacky—another stupid non sporting choice for his list.” I used to hear plenty of that from the high school athletic director when I would make my case that chess truly IS a sport. After all, chess world championships are covered by Sports Illustrated and anyone who has participated in tournament chess realizes the tremendous strain and endurance required in a brutally contested chess match.
So, that said, Searching for Bobby Fischer is by far the finest chess movie ever filmed, and it does a good job of exploring the psyches and fears of chess players, contrasting the balanced views of chess prodigy Josh Waitzkin with those of the obsessed. As a former chess coach and tournament player, there’s a couple of scenes that give me chills because they are so real and true. But you don’t have to be a chess player to appreciate this film. Anyone who has competed in any sport will relate to this film.
3. The Hustler (1961)
Robert Rossen’s somber movie explores the world of the pool hustler without pulling any punches. It’s one of the most powerful roles that Paul Newman has ever taken on—so much so that he followed up on it 25 years later with The Color of Money (and won the Oscar this time). While there are insights about the nature of pool hustling and its psychology, The Huster is one of the better character stories ever filmed and reason enough to make this list.
2. Bull Durham (1988)
Hands down the greatest baseball movie ever made! Director Ron Sheldon actually played the game and brings lots of "inside" baseball to the screen -- the crazy superstitions, the eccentric players, the sexual games between outings, the way players will remember that one swing of the bat that occurred 7 seasons ago, the one word that causes automatic ejection, and what really goes on during a mound meeting. Susan Sarandan and Tim Robbins do some fine acting work, and even Kevin Costner works well as a realistic acting catcher in his best role. No other movie captures the spirit of the game as well - with as much naturalness and humor. "You can't beat fun at the old ball park," Harry Caray used to say, but Bull Durham comes close.
1. Raging Bull (1980)
I consider this the best sports movie ever filmed because it is so much more than a mere boxing movie -- it is an excellent character study of boxer Jake LaMotta, showing him as a man who bottles up his emotions until he explodes (whether in the ring or outside). Many of Scorsese’s fight scenes are violent, but the black and white images that emulate the 1950's Friday Night Fights are visual poetry. Numerous boxing sequences resemble ballet—only done with far more blood and violence.
I haven't even mentioned the incredible performance that Robert De Niro gives here. Talk about a method actor! Everyone knows about the diet of milk shakes he went on to put on 50 lbs. for the retired Jake LaMotta. But did you know that he trained so hard at becoming a respectable boxer that some ring people claim that De Niro could have been ranked among the top 10 active middleweights in 1980?
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janesbit1
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Member: John Nesbit
Location: Phoenix, Az.
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Watching movies and baseball, now reviewing at oldschoolreviews.com
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