creth | Mar 19, 2010 | Movie News
How do you like your sports-themed movies? Heavy on the sport or just a side of sport with a heaping helping of feel-good story? Me… I’m not tellin’ though I’m sure there’s some conclusion that can be made after you’ve seen my list. First I wanna share a few stories that inspired me to put pen to paper type up my list. A long time ago ESPN.com’s Bill Simmons started his list of the best 72 sports movies of the past 33 years, but the list is incomplete and I worry it may never be finished — come on Bill! Then there was the news we reported of the Vince Lombardi project starring Robert De Niro in the lead role which got the folks over at the Dallas Morning News asking who would play Tom Landry if when he is immortalized on the big screen. Finally the A.V. Club put together their list of 11 sports movies where the losers are winners. I sincerely apologize to basketball and March Madness as there will be no basketball movies on this list (Hoosiers and Teen Wolf just aren’t my cup o’ tea.) So let’s get to my favorites!
Baseball is Hollywood’s favorite sport to bring to the silver screen so it’s not surprising that I’ve got seven baseball movies here. One about a kid that pitches for an MLB team: Rookie of the Year, another that owns and operates an MLB team: Little Big League. Of course you’ve got the traditional stories about kids playing baseball during summer break with other kids (The Sandlot) and kids talking with angels to help their favorite baseball team win, Angels in the Outfield.
Then there are the naturals, which include The Natural, starring Robert Redford, Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams and Charlie Sheen in Major League (so maybe Charlie Sheen isn’t the most natural athlete).
Football brings the trio of Johnny Be Good, Little Giants and Rudy
There haven’t been many films about bowling but The Big Lebowski and Kingpin are two of the best sports movies of all time!
Boxing is a classic match up between Rocky and Raging Bull
Fishing never seemed more perfect than in A River Runs Through It and Grumpier Old Men
There’s a twosome on the green: Caddyshack and Tin Cup
snow skiing? Downhill Racer and Better Off Dead…
The movie about ice hockey: The Mighty Ducks (sorry Miracle and Slap Shot)
diving- Back to School
Possibly the most visually beautiful film on this whole list and definitely the best movie ever made about race car driving — Le Mans.
Am I right or am I wrong? Give us your list!
Love The Sandlot, love The Little Giants and love The Mighty Ducks!!
Great choices
What! No “Fever Pitch?” How could you leave that one off? We dragged our younger two kids to see that in the theater. They were no pleased. We didn’t care. On the way out they both said, “we’re buying that one when it comes out on DVD!” Indeed we did. Three times, in fact, because the older two wanted their own copies when they went to college. That said, I do love “Field of Dreams,” so am pleased to see it on your list. Harumph. You missed “Bull Durham,” too.
As for basketball, you could have included the old chestnut (but wonderful!) “Flubber” movie with Fred MacMurry. But that’s not really a sports movie. Here’s one that is, albeit a sports documentary, “Act as If,” which is about the Harvard women’s basketball coach,” Kathy Delaney-Smith. She gets consistent victory out of her players through her unique philosophy: act as if … you’ve won, you’ve overcome the challenge or the obstacle, act as if whatever you’re attempting you can do — and you’ll succeed. Great homage to the power of the mind! The filmmaker (Melissa Johnson) was one of the coach’s players and team captain. It’s a great movie: uplifting, funny and inspiring.
(Basketball and movies also reminds me, for whatever reason, of “Two Men and a Baby,” with Tom Selleck and Ted Danson — simply because I recall the Selleck character have a huge library of great moments in basketball, which he’d show to all and sundry. Ah, memories!
Still can’t believe you left off “Fever Pitch,” though…