Worst2First: My Top Ten Sports Movies
Worst2First: My Top Ten Sports Movies
There's not a whole lot I know about sports. I don't particularly play them, and I don't really care to watch them. Basically, everything I've learned about sports come from the movies, and there's been some really spectacular sports movies out there.
So here are my top ten sports movies, Worst2First...
**There will be no spoilers.**
#10
The Wrestler
Darren Aronofsky is one heck of a director who enjoys fully messing with your mind ("Requiem for a Dream," "Pi"), and he gives us an unflinching look at the world of wrestling through the eyes of Randy "The Ram" Robinson, who was once the best of the best, and now has sunk to incredible lows, living in a trailer, and working at a minimum wage job. This shows the dangers of abusing your body for the sake of your sport, and re-invents former heartthrob Mickey Rourke as a shell of a man, and earned him an Oscar nomination for this role.
#9
Miracle
"Miracle" is the true-life tale of the 1980 U.S. hockey team taking on the seemingly unstoppable Soviet Union. Not only is it a true underdog story, but it showcases Kurt Russell, who plays the gruff, no-nonsense taskmaster coach Herb Brooks. This is one of his meatier performances, and it also leaves you feeling good and proud to be an American.
#8
A League of Their Own
Never thought I'd say a film starring Rosie O'Donnell would be in my top ten, but the story of the first All-American Girls Baseball League is equal parts humorous, uplifting, and profound. Geena Davis gives an amazing performance, as does the ever-stellar Tom Hanks as the male coach. Plus the film features one often quoted line: "There's no crying in baseball!"
#7
Space Jam
#6
Caddyshack
The 80s was the golden age of comedy, hands down. "Caddyshack" is one of those classic comedic gems thanks to the irreplaceable talents of Chevy Chase, Ted Knight, Bill Murray and especially Rodney Dangerfield. It makes you appreciate the sport of golf, and who can forget Bill Murray's Carl Spackler's struggle with defeating the Varmint Cong? Just don't think of the sequel though.
#5
Rudy
When a movie is released, and it says it's based on a true story, it doesn't mean the entire movie is true-to-life, and that's the issue some people had with "Rudy," but it doesn't make it any less heartfelt. Take the film for what it is - the ultimate underdog tale. Rudy - someone who suffered from dyslexia, and also was way too short for the game - was still able to play in the final home game of the 1975 season, thanks to his hard work and determination, and by not listening to all the negative voices around him. Sean Astin hasn't done anything close to this spectacular since then, and it still serves as a rallying cry for the Fighting Irish to this day.
#4
Field of Dreams
Three-time Oscar nominee (including Best Picture), "Field of Dreams" features standout performances - especially Kevin Coster, James Earl Jones, Burt Lancaster, Ray Liotta and Amy Madigan. When you first hear that voice: "If you build it, he will come," you begin to believe in dreams again, and realize how much baseball really means to some people, especially in the heart-wrenching speech Jones's character gives:
"Ray, people will come Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say. It's only $20 per person. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come."
#3
Raging Bull
For every Rocky, there's a Jake LaMotta. Martin Scorsese delivers a prolific, haunting, eerie sports film about how raw and violent boxing can really be, and what happens when someone takes that violence home. Robert De Niro shines in the darkest way possible in this Oscar-winning role. It's not one of those uplifting movies, but rather something more true-to-life, shot brilliantly entirely in black and white to match the dramatic tone of the film.
#2
Remember the Titans
Like "Rudy," "Remember the Titans" is one of those true-life movies that takes liberty with some of the facts, yet its nonetheless poignant, powerful, and entertaining. Not only is it about a down-and-out football team, but it also attacks the prejudices of racism head-on as the newly racially integrated team must learn to get over their prejudices and work not just as a team - but as a family. Denzel Washington tackles the lead role of the new coach Herman Boone, who must deal with his own struggles as he attempts a seemingly impossible task. Supporting Washington is a fantastic supporting cast including Will Patton, Wood Harris, Ryan Hurst, Donald Faison, Ethan Suplee, Kip Pardue and then-unknown superstars Kate Bosworth, Ryan Gosling and Hayden Panettiere. Not to mention I can't hear "Ain't No Mountain High" without thinking of this film.
#1
Rocky
The film that firmly cemented Sylvester Stallone as the amazingly talented actor he is, "Rocky" was an underdog story in every sense of the word - the story of a man who's been beaten and broken down so much, yet getting another chance at redemption is something we can all relate to, and seeing the grit and determination on Rocky's face gives you someone to truly root for. It's no wonder the film won the Oscar for Best Picture - it's truly one-of-a-kind, cannot be imitated, and is full of hope and promise (not to mention a soundtrack that can't be beat...come on, "Eye of the Tiger" pumps anyone up). Plus there's no fewer iconic scenes in film history than Rocky running up the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art - undoubtedly giving it decades of fans trying the same thing.
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