This is a great sports movie because the filmmaking is superb, the acting is top notch, and the story doesn’t try to be bigger than it needs to be. The film is about a guy who is down in the dumps, estranged from his only daughter, and even when he succeeds it seems underwhelming. The movie works well because the viewer comes to understand how someone could put their body through such hell with so little gain.
Luckily for the sporting world, Russia has abandoned their unscrupulous approach to training and athleti… oh, right. From a filmmaking perspective Southpaw is a fantastic film, because Antoine Fuqua is one of the truly great directors http://inrnews.com/ of the modern age. The script isn’t bad either, but I believe this sports film doesn’t resonate on a general level like Rocky, The Fighter, and Raging Bull because Billy Hope’s journey is just too depressing and perhaps too specific.
- One of Howard’s best movies to date, Rush earned several high-profile nominations, including Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Supporting Actor for Brühl at the Golden Globes.
- Which, let’s be fair, with uplifting sports movies, who’s truly looking for a film that shakes things up and breaks the mold?
- Other sports movies take a look at the dark side of professional sports while others are coming of age tales that use sports to evoke a sense of childhood wonder and nostalgia.
- “Moneyball” is a smart, funny, and faintly melancholy look at a move that changed baseball for good.
- We’re all aware that it’s nearly impossible to recreate the magic that came from the first film, but the franchise always tried to bring something new to the table as they went along.
Despite different paths taken, they meet at the pinnacle of the free-diving world, experiencing the thrilling rewards and inescapable risks of chasing dreams through the depths of the ocean. Follow six people competing in the 2022 Invictus Games, a global event founded by Prince Harry that helps wounded service members heal through sports. A working-class Indiana teen obsessed with the Italian cycling team vies for the affections of a college girl while searching for life goals with his friends. The story of James J. Braddock, a supposedly washed-up boxer who came back to challenge for the heavyweight championship of the world. Based on the story of Micky Ward, a fledgling boxer who tries to escape the shadow of his more famous but troubled older boxing brother and get his own shot at greatness. Follows 17-year-old Ryota Miyagi, who struggles to accomplish his late elder brother’s dream of becoming a basketball star.
“Dodgeball” is both an ode to misfits and a riff on everything from sports commentary to 1950s educational videos, and it never stops being uproariously funny. A gifted high-school football player must learn to embrace his talent and his faith as he battles racial tensions on and off the field. A drama that follows the lives of the Dillon Panthers, one of the nation’s best high school football teams, and their head coach Eric Taylor. The movies on this list are ranked according to their success (awards & nominations), their popularity, and their true greatness from a directing/writing standpoint. To me, accuracy when making a Top 10/Top 100 all time list is extremely important. My lists are not based on my own personal favorites; they are based on the true greatness and/or success of the person, place, or thing being ranked.
It isn’t meant to be a definitive ranking of the best sports movies ever made. Instead, think of it as an introduction to the genre, with a mix of movies to suit many different tastes. The true story of Herb Brooks, the player-turned-coach who led the 1980 U.S.
From surviving the streets of Compton to training in Florida, the story looks at the determination and dedication it takes to become a champion. Hitting familiar beats, Shannon is excellent as a coach looking to get his life back on track. The movie benefits from its subject matter of rowing, which isn’t as publicized as other sports.
When Dunst’s character discovers that her team has been stealing routines from another high school, she must find a way for the squad to forge their own future. Was a surprise hit when it debuted in the summer of 2000, and the actors exude so much joy onscreen, you can’t help but smile, even if cheerleading isn’t exactly your thing. In White Men Can’t Jump, Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson play two streetball hustlers, one Black, one White. Basketball is their means of survival—or has the game become a way for them to avoid real-life responsibilities? Written and directed by Ron Shelton, who also made Bull Durham, this razor-sharp sports story showcases top-notch dialogue and spotlights the always talented and hilarious Rosie Perez.
The film follows Tonya from her earliest days on the ice, where her ambitions were shaped by her harsh, demanding mother. Tonya hones her image, but she can’t escape her life, which now includes an abusive husband. It all leads up to the famous plot to critically injure rival skater Nancy Kerrigan. Margot Robbie is a terrific Tonya — vivid, funny, heartbreaking, and compelling — and the supporting cast also shines. “Rush” centers on the rivalry — sometimes intense and testy, sometimes respectful and even affectionate — between two of the world’s best Formula One racers. James Hunt is reckless, impulsive, and outgoing; Niki Lauda is careful, precise, and brusquely hard to get along with.
It is a personal favorite for many hockey fans, and I wouldn’t begrudge a Canadian who felt this was a better hockey movie than Miracle. Remember the Titans is a movie about the power of sports as a unifying force. It teaches us that when we have to endure as a team you quickly forget differences like a person’s ethnicity because your core humanity is exposed and there is nothing left to hide behind. This sports movie’s greatest weakness is the actual football, which isn’t the most accurate nor the most exciting, and there is a scene where the coach tells the players “water makes you weak” which science has proved otherwise. I, Tonya could be higher on this list because it is a truly unique look at the world of figure skating, olympic dreams, and commitment to your sport.
It’s not that every athlete is Jake Lamotta, but they aren’t all the Disney inspirational characters either, and that’s why we love Raging Bull. With plenty of nostalgia, some great lines, and a nod to DIY sensibilities, this sports movie is known for bringing grown men to tears. Apart from a love for the game of baseball, this sports film focuses on the father/son relationship and how our greatest regrets can be our biggest motivators. Hoosiers is one of the classic sports movies that held the stop spot for years. It focuses on small town sports, on alcoholism, on the path to redemption for a coach, and getting back in the game. It is also one of the better sports movies when it comes to teamwork and technique, which is important to success but also a bit of a loaded observation.
Based on the bestselling book by Michael Lewis and one of this list’s many books made into movies, Moneyball is a story of statistics, opportunity and a man who changed the game of baseball forever. In 2002, the Oakland Athletics, one of the lowest-salaried teams in Major League Baseball, set the league record for winning streaks. Brad Pitt plays manager Billy Beane, the mastermind behind the new, sabermetrics-heavy method of scouting, and Jonah Hill is Peter Brand, his trusted analyst. Directed by Bennett Miller, with a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian, Moneyball will appeal to seasoned sports fans and novices alike.
