Tomorrow is the Day of Russia (12th of June), so our Russian subscribers have a long weekend ahead of them. To diversify your free time, we have compiled a list of the 12 best sports movies of all time according to The Athletic.
1. Rocky (1976)
The cartoonish fight scenes don’t come close to resembling an actual boxing match, but the movie did wonderfully capture the essence of the characters and promotional hype that make boxing so unique. In many ways, “Rocky” laid out the formula for underdog sports movies, grabbing an Oscar for Best Picture.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VUblDwa648
2. Raging Bull (1980)
People thought it was crazy to do a boxing movie after another one won the Oscar for Best Picture four years earlier, as if there was nothing new to bring to the table. But “Raging Bull” is a rare instance of a director (Martin Scorsese), cinematographer (Michael Chapman) and actors (Robert de Niro, Joe Pesci) all at the absolute peak of their careers. The choice to make the film in black-and-white is the definitive stroke of genius by Scorsese. It emphasizes the grit and beauty of the sport more than ever before, and “Raging Bull” holds up as a true masterpiece 40 years later.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUp6d79WRVI
3. Hoop Dreams (1994)
“Hoop Dreams” is the best sports movie ever, and ranks among the great documentaries of any genre. Following two basketball prodigies through high school is just the tip of the iceberg; the real genius is how it brilliantly chronicles issues of race, class and education in a poor Chicago neighborhood.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scFTAyjs2cc
4. Bull Durham (1988)
“Bull Durham” is among the most quotable films ever written. Just this from Annie Savoy, played by Susan Sarandon, should make you want to fire it up right now: “I believe in the church of baseball. I’ve tried all the major religions, and most of the minor ones. I’ve worshipped Buddha, Allah, Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, trees, mushrooms and Isadora Duncan. I know things. For instance, there are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I heard that, I gave Jesus a chance. But it just didn’t work out between us. The Lord laid too much guilt on me.”
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnJFndf-Krg
5. Miracle (2004)
If sports movies have a weakness, it’s that they typically tell an unimaginable story. The story of the 1980 United States men’s hockey team was unimaginable. It also actually happened. Kurt Russell is brilliant as Herb Brooks and the movie does a really good job of accurately telling one of the greatest stories in sports history. One of Brooks’ final acts before his 2003 death was helping with this project. His fingerprints add to the credibility.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjctJFuKy3Y
6. The Big Lebowski (1998)
The Coen Brothers were coming off “Fargo,” their visceral and darkly comedic breakout that became a true Oscar contender. So, of course, their next film was about three guys in 1992 Los Angeles who live to bowl. Nobody really got it at the time. But The Dude, Walter and Donnie have aged like fine wine, delivering some of the most quotable lines in a comedy in the past 25 years. And if people deny it’s a “sports movie,” just remember the scene where The Dude and Walter botch the ransom money handoff and all Walter can think to say is … “Fuck it, Dude, let’s go bowling.”
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd-go0oBF4Y
7. Breaking Away (1979)
Writer Steve Tesich’s 1979 love-letter to Bloomington, Ind., and the Little 500 race is one of the great coming-of-age movies of its era. Gorgeously filmed with terrific performances, it’s impossible to watch the film and not want to pick up a bicycle.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL3U44It_No
8. O.J.: Made in America (2016)
Let’s face it: The O.J. Simpson trial is the definitive sports story of our generation. And it deserved to be told in a documentary that was as detailed and well-researched as “O.J.: Made in America.” The grisly details of the double-murder in Brentwood had never been shown to the American public like this before, there are shocking reveals in the film, from the crime scene photographs to the racist rant caught on tape. The entire production was nothing short of mesmerizing. With a total runtime of 7 hours, 47 minutes, it’s the longest film to ever win an Oscar (it took home Best Documentary Feature for 2016).
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDeA46tNZIg
9. When We Were Kings (1996)
Arguably the greatest sports documentary of all time, the footage and access is captivating as the film takes you behind the scenes of Muhammad Ali’s journey to become two-time heavyweight champion vs. George Foreman and the following he cultivated in Zaire along the way, showing the kind of icon “The Greatest” was.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBauogNmRqY
10. Major League (1989)
“Major League” is a perfect blend of comedy and sports action, with a fantastic Randy Newman song “Burn On” leading off. You gotta have a great score to be a great sports movie, this one was done by James Newton Howard. Jake Taylor’s stalking scenes haven’t aged well, but otherwise, it still plays. Teams are put together to lose all the time now, and Rachel Phelps might as well be Jeffrey Loria. A key to this movie’s success is the actors actually seem like ballplayers and coaches. The next time you watch, notice how they don’t cut away from Charlie Sheen when he pitches. The dialogue is top-notch, never corny and it has the most repeatable lines of any sports movie. Try watching any old baseball game and not saying, “Just a bit outside. Tried the corner and missed,” in your Bob Uecker voice. Lines like, “We got uniforms and everything, it’s pretty great.” “This guy here is dead.” “Cross him off then.” “I say fuck you Jobu, I do this myself,” are etched into your brain forever.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGFQwoMvRXc
11. The Sandlot (1993)
American coming-of-age comedy film co-written, directed, and narrated by David Mickey Evans which tells the story of a group of young baseball players during the summer of 1962. It stars Tom Guiry, Mike Vitar, Karen Allen, Denis Leary, and James Earl Jones. The filming locations were in Midvale, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, Utah. It grossed $34 million worldwide and has become a cult film.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pz8mbHxBWE
12. Free Solo (2018)
American documentary film directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin that profiles rock climber Alex Honnold on his quest to perform a free solo climb of El Capitan in June 2017. The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2018, and also screened at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the People's Choice Award in the Documentaries category. It was released in the United States on September 28, 2018, where it received positive reviews from critics and grossed over $28 million. The film received numerous accolades, including winning Best Documentary Feature at the 91st Academy Awards.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urRVZ4SW7WU
Enjoy! :)
Source: https://theathletic.com/1703442/2020/03/30/the-athletics-top-100-sports-movies/