With no live sports to watch, catch up on the greatest sports films of all-time
So here we are, sitting in our La-Z-Boys with no sports to watch.
The COVID-19 outbreak has brought our sporting world to a halt and we’re left flipping through infomercials, insufferable political ramblings and a “Friends” episode we’ve seen 146 times.
How about filling the void with some of the greatest sports films ever made? A caveat: Since ESPN started producing its award-winning 30 for 30 documentaries, we have been overwhelmed with engrossing film after another for the past 10 years. A bunch of them should be required viewing for all self-respecting fans of sports or history.
But to make the task a more manageable one, I’ve limited this top 10 list to films that were theatrically released. And by no means is it all-encompassing. In fact, I could probably argue myself into squeezing five other films into this top 10.
Think of these as the obvious choices that should be seen by sports fans, particularly those of you on the younger side who may not have been born when these films came out.
10. The Sandlot (1993)
“Rookie of the Year” came out the same year and is also a very good kid-friendly baseball film and is worth the time just to hear the manager mispronounce “Rowengartner” a bunch of different ways. “The Sandlot,” however, gets the edge for being a superior film. It captures perfectly the childhood summer days where you played baseball with your friends wherever you could squeeze in what approximated a baseball diamond.
9. I, Tonya (2017)
This film seemed to slip under the radar of most people but it is captivating dive into the world of Tonya Harding and the scandal that rocked Olympic-level figure skating in 1994. The story seems too bizarre to be true, but it is and this film captures it all with a deft touch, including a lot of huge laughs and moments of real darkness and sadness. The entire cast is outstanding.
8. Field of Dreams (1989)
Kevin Costner has starred in his share of sports films, including “Bull Durham,” which many argue is a better film. I wouldn’t push back too much on that, especially if you’re talking about representing the game, and minor league baseball specifically, which “Bull Durham” does exceptionally well. But “Field of Dreams” nails something else: Why we fell in love with the game and the bonds it helps create between friends, families and fathers and sons. “Wanna have a catch?” Yes! And pass the tissues.
7. Miracle (2004)
The true story of the U.S. hockey team winning Olympic gold in 1980 is about as good a story as a filmmaker could wish to base their underdog story. Disney did it right with a straight-forward telling of the tale, even if a few naughty words had to be altered. It looks and sounds authentic, down to coach Herb Brooks’ ridiculous leisure suits of the era and Al Michaels’ famous “Do you believe in miracles?” call. It will give you goosebumps and a nice shot of patriotic adrenaline.
6. Hoosiers (1986)
Speaking of underdogs — yes, it’s a theme with this list — few films have waved the underdog flag higher than “Hoosiers,” which is based loosely, according to some, on a tiny Indiana high school basketball team winning the state championship in 1954. Gene Hackman is the coach with a checkered past who helps lead Hickory High to glory. If nothing else, this film helped make famous the slow, single locker room clap.
5. A League of Their Own (1992)
Another film based on a true story, starring Tom Hanks as the tobacco-spitting, curmudgeon manager of a female baseball team during World War II. Hanks leads an all-star cast that includes Madonna, Geena Davis, Lori Petty and Rosie O’Donnell. Director Penny Marshall keeps it moving and injects enough humor (especially from Hanks) along with some real-world pathos about the war that helps put the “national pastime” in perspective, whether it’s played by men or women.
4. Slap Shot (1977)
The gritty ode to minor league hockey would still be considered vulgar if it was released this year. The foul-mouthed locker room talk, led by the player/coach played by Paul Newman zings at a frantic pace and the over-the-top violent hockey action is incredibly realistic, especially for the time. Screenwriter Nancy Dowd based the film on her brother’s minor league hockey team.
3. Rocky (1976) and Rocky II (1979)
Yes, some of the boxing looks incredibly fake. That’s not the point. And the action in the ring is not why “Rocky” was such a right hook to the heart for most sports fans. Sylvester Stallone wrote “Rocky” himself as a way to star in a feature film when he was struggling in Hollywood. It paid off. It’s still paying off with eight films now in the series. But Stallone’s acting, especially in the first two “Rocky” films strikes all the right notes for the simple, poor, underdog taking his one shot at success. The music, of course, is legendary, and the montages of Rocky training have been copied and parodied for 40+ years. For good reason. Rocky II is just as good — if not better, in my opinion — as the original and it contains spine-tingling moments that still hold up.
2. The Bad News Bears (1976)
This classic is as crass and vulgar as “Slap Shot” but most of the vulgarities and racial epithets come out of the mouths of children. This was politically incorrect and hilarious, as well as being decades ahead of its time. Coach Morris Buttermaker is played beautifully by Walter Matthau as the down-on-his-luck drunk in charge of a ragtag group of wanna-be Little Leaguers whose best pitcher just so happens to be a girl.
1. Hoop Dreams (1994)
Before ESPN made the sports documentary en vogue, or before services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime were around to make documentaries, in general, water cooler talkers, there was “Hoop Dreams,” the shockingly poignant and up close and personal look at two Chicago basketball stars as they chase their dreams on the court. The filmmakers followed the pair and their families for five years, and the roller coaster of real-life emotions it takes you on will leave you spellbound and mentally spent. It’s not just one of the best sports documentaries ever made, it’s one of the best films ever made.
Honorable mentions: Bull Durham (1988), Raging Bull (1980), Moneyball (2011), Talladega Nights (2006), Foxcatcher (2014), Caddyshack (1980), Kingpin (1996), Ford v Ferrari (2019).
This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
