I never go to "sports" movies...on purpose. Watching something go round and round on a track, either biologic (horses or people) or automotive (cars) makes me dizzy. I have LITERALLY gone into comas in front of a screen showing a golf movie. Football movies tire me. Boxing/karate films lose me around the climactic slow motion final punch moment. (That goes for hockey, too.) Soccer and basketball and tennis have too much back and forth...it hurts my neck. I am going to ignore the surfing genre. But the most avoided sport subject matter in film for me is....dunh dunh dunh.....baseball!
Don't get me wrong...I like watching the sports of swimming, racing, football and hockey....in person. The problem is the movies tend to follow the same trope. Each sport has its own cliche's...but cliche's they are.
Thus it was a surprise to me that I LOVED A League of Their Own. As the lights came up during the credits in the theatre, I was still crying happy tears. It was a movie that did what it was supposed to do...make me feel better after having seen it.
But if I'm honest, I will admit that there have been some other movies that were the exceptions to my "never do sports movies" rule. When I generalize, I tend to forget the times I actually enjoyed myself watching fictional jocks athlete (making it a verb) throughout a scripted storyline. Sometimes it makes the sport better...or at least more watchable.
While we're on the subject of (ugh) baseball movies, we all have to agree that America has an obsession with the sport in film. THERE ARE SO MANY! Throughout the ages, baseball movies have ruled the sport film universe. Horse racing and football follow pretty close, but baseball is king. I think it is because there are so many, the quality of those movies tends to be better. Remember, I don't like baseball movies....except the ones I like.
#1 Baseball is A League of Their Own. Hands down.
But a close #2 is Bull Durham. This movie came to closest to turning me into a baseball fan. There is nothing sexier than Susan Sarandon talking about why her character likes the game. Kevin Costner talking about what he believes in made many a woman sigh. And I still think of this scene when I see ANY postgame interview with a jock.
Honorable mentions in baseball: Field of Dreams and Eight Men Out.
In football movies any guy will tell you that Rudy is no. 1. Possibly Bryan's Song. For me, Remember the Titans (dude, Denzel!) and the Blind Side. I also liked Burt Reynolds' The Longest Yard and Jim Thorpe: All American. Honorable mention in football: Jerry Maguire and Radio.
What about racing movies? Chariots of Fire is surprisingly moving in the human category, and Seabiscuit and Secretariat do well with the equestrian side.
As for soccer movies...I'll be honest, I've only seen 2. I really liked Bend It Like Beckham.
I saw Shaolin Soccer.
The only car racing movie I've liked is from Pixar. Cars hit it on all cylinders for me. (Get it? I'm talking sporty.) Honestly, Steve McQueen, Paul Newman and Tom Cruise all tried to get their favorite sport on film but car racing just doesn't seem to translate to celluloid for real live people.
Hockey actually has a pretty good showing. Both The Mighty Ducks and Mystery, Alaska were really enjoyable. I would watch either again, as long as I had a sweater. Props to Miracle as well.
Boxing has a lot of good ones. From Rocky to Raging Bull, from Million Dollar Baby and Creed to The Champ and The Great White Hope. Boy we sure do love an underdog with a mean uppercut.
Even almost 50 years later....same story!!!!! (#Sadblondewhiteboys)
Ok...so I lied....sometimes I DO go to sports movies....on purpose. And sometimes I like them.
I guess, if the story is interesting, the writing is on point, the directing is compelling and the acting is good-- a good sports movie is really just a good movie.
Sometimes I "profile" movies and that's not fair. It's generalizing to categorize all sports themed films as nothing I want to see.
But...on the other hand...I've never seen a tennis or golf movie I was particularly fond of. I'm ok generalizing about those.
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