Figure 1 All kinds of sports can inspire a classic
There is something about sports that makes it the perfect vehicle for a silver screen masterpiece. It could be the natural passion and drama or, more often than not, an underdog story that tweaks the heartstrings of all of us. Whatever it is, sports and Hollywood work really well together.
Not all of the actual sports action committed to celluloid has always been of the highest quality or even fooled us into thinking we have been watching actual athletes. But the stories have more than made up for that over the years.
There are countless sports movies that we could have chosen here. But we have brought seven of the best as recommendations. Some of the titles may be a little more unexpected than others – and not all of the subjects would have been featured on the best online sportsbooks. But these films are the ones we think you absolutely have to watch if you want to understand the attraction of sports.
The Color of Money (1986)
Martin Scorsese doesn’t regularly enter into the sports world for his masterpieces. But this 1986 sequel to The Hustler brings back the incomparable Paul Newman as Fast Eddie Felson, a famous pool shark who recognizes some real talent in a brash young player, portrayed by Tom Cruise.
Those two Hollywood heavyweights alone should pique your interest here. But the supporting cast, including Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, John Turturro, and Forest Whitaker, all play their part in making this unforgettable movie. Newman and Cruise play off each other to great effect as their characters both realize they can learn a lot from each other.
Rocky (1976)
We mentioned underdog stories before and this is probably the finest example ever to come out of Hollywood. For anyone watching Sylvester Stallone movies these days, discovering that he wrote the screenplay in just three days and then took complete control of the production might come as something of a shock.
But whatever Sly’s intentions, he came out with an instant classic about a down-on-his-luck boxer who gets the chance to fight for the heavyweight championship of the world. There have been countless sequels and additions to the franchise now, including a very successful Creed strand. But this was the original – and still the undisputed champion.
Foxcatcher (2014)
As with many great sports films, Foxcatcher is based on a true story. But it is not about a famous NBA team, or football player, but the commonly overlooked world of amateur wrestling. The movie received a slew of Academy Award nominations and produced some incredible performances from Steve Carrell, Channing Tatum, and Mark Ruffalo.
Tatum and Ruffalo are the wrestling brothers who catch the eye of Carrell’s multimillionaire philanthropist who decides that he will set up the best wrestling training facilities in order to help Team USA become the best in the world. The story ends in tragedy but is an enthralling watch from start to finish.
King Richard (2021)
Most families dream of one member becoming successful in the world of sports. But the Williams sisters became the dominant force in tennis for over a decade, with first Venus and then Serena winning title after title in both the singles and doubles competitions. But it was their father who set them on the path to glory.
Will Smith plays Richard Williams, who plans for his daughters’ success from the day they are born and ends up coaching them himself for a while as they work their way through the rankings to the top. Smith went on to win an Academy Award for his performance as a man who decided to do everything he could to make sure his children were successful.
Moneyball (2011)
There have been other very popular baseball movies over the years but this one takes a different route. Instead of focusing on the players, or a rags-to-riches tale, Moneyball tells the story of how a math nerd changed the way owners and coaches approached the sport entirely.
Brad Pitt plays the Oakland A’s owner who is persuaded to take on an analyst who relies on statistics to put together a championship-winning team. There are plenty of critics along the way – and the A’s don’t actually end up winning the World Series. However, the success of the innovative new way of team development went on to revolutionize the sport.
Chariots of Fire (1981)
British period dramas being hugely popular and winning awards are nothing new. But it is rare that the period drama in question has sports at the center of its story. The famous slow-motion scenes in Chariots of Fire spawned a million parodies but the movie itself is an incredible mix of historical fact and sports excitement.
The story follows two track athletes who make the Great Britain team for the 1924 Olympics – one a devout Christian who refuses to compete on a Sunday, the other a British Jew who overcomes prejudice to race for gold. Track and field may not always make good cinema, but this is a bona fide classic.
Figure 2 High school sports are particularly popular
Hoosiers (1986)
Our final sports movie proves that you don’t need to have a story about the best professional athletes to create a classic. In fact, Hoosiers follows a familiar pattern of focusing on a high school team that overcomes initial difficulties to come through adversary and take a shot at an (albeit minor) championship.
Gene Hackman plays the basketball coach with a checkered past who takes the job at an Indiana high school and upsets the locals with his unorthodox ways. Even though the story is predictable and follows a very familiar path, the performances and drama make this one of the best sports movies of all time – and one that you absolutely have to watch.
