Sports are some of the most important activities for humans, and they play a major role in our society and cultures. Since immemorial times, people have passed the time, have competed and fought through various games and sports, and competition is something that defines us, and that explains our evolution. It is no wonder then that sports, of various types and philosophies, have seeped through other aspects of our lives, and they are even part of our art. In what follows we are going to take a look at some of the best sports movies ever to appear until now, and try to understand what made them so special and inspiring.
Sports movies are usually uplifting, they are coming-of-age-stories, they present the struggles of heroes we like to identify with, the overcoming of obstacles and, of course, the best part, becoming the winner. And if in the end our hero doesn’t win, then it is because a lesson had to be learned, a moral that we the viewers had to adhere to. That being said, here are some of the legendary sports movies we’ve chosen for you:
- The Rocky Series – The first Rocky movie appeared in 1976, and it starred Sylvester Stallone; it told the story of a small-time boxer striving to better his performance and have a shot at the championship. This, and the subsequent four sequels that appeared over the next 30 years, became some of the most favored and loved sports movies of all times. Everyone loved to see a regular guy overcoming his obstacles and reaching his goals, and his struggle for evolution inspired millions, and it still does.
- Hoosiers – If you love basketball, then this movie is one of the best in this sub-genre. Starring Gene Hackman and Dennis Hopper, this movie was launched in 1986 and it became an immediate success. It tells the story of a coach with mysterious past and a drunkard who take a high school basketball team and turn it into a true championship contender, much to everyone’s surprise.
- Jerry Maguire – Everyone remembers the famous line yelled by Tom Cruise on the phone in this movie, whether they’ve seen it or not: “Show me the money!” says Cruise’s character, much to the delight of everyone. This movie appeared in 1996 and in it, a sports agent (Cruise) recently turned independent tries to do his best to keep his best customer – Cuba Gooding Jr. as a football player – pleased with his services. The movie is partly a romantic comedy, so this is truly a wholesome movie.
- The Karate Kid – Launched in 1984, this movie was the dream of a generation of little boys and girls who wanted to be initiated in the secrets of martial arts as well. In it, a bullied boy learns from a martial arts master about the concepts behind karate, proving him it isn’t all about fighting. However, some would say that the fighting scenes are the best, and the choreography is amazing for a children’s movie.
- Miracle – This movie starring Kurt Russel is from 2004, and it depicts the real story of the U.S. national hockey team which managed to win the Russian Winter Olympics thanks to obsessive coach Herb Brooks and his passionate coaching and speeches.
These are some of the best sports movies you can start watching today; there are countless others of course, but we tried to choose them so they focused on different sports ranging from boxing to hockey, football or martial arts. What is special about them is that presenting the miracles of a sport is not the only interesting aspect, but their stories as well, with their complex characters and their stories.
