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With last week's release of Seabiscuit, the Palm Beach Post's sports writers come up a list of the best sports movies ever made. Not surprisingly, the list skews towards more recent films, but Gothamist was surprised to see how much we agreed with the selections. We were especially glad that Hoop Dreams, one of the best films ever made, period, made the list, thereby not getting the short shrift for being a documentary. The top ten:
1. Rocky (1976) - Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire.
2. Raging Bull (1980) - Robert DeNiro, Catherine Moriarity.
3. Bull Durham (1988) - Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon.
4. Hoosiers (1986) - Gene Hackman, Barbara Hershey.
5. Caddyshack (1980) - Ted Knight, Bill Murray.
6. Brian's Song (1970) - James Caan, Billy Dee Williams.
7. Field of Dreams (1989) - Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones.
8. Hoop Dreams (1994) - Documentary.
9. Breaking Away (1976) - Dennis Quaid, Dennis Christopher.
10. A League of Their Own (1992) - Tom Hanks, Geena Davis.
The rest of the list from the Palm Beach Post, which includes Bend it Like Beckham (60 - it has the potential to unseat A Leauge... as the "girl" sports movie, but as A League is about the all-American past time, perhaps not), The Karate Kid (25), Pat and Mike (51), and yes, even Days of Thunder (96). We also appreciated how the Palm Beach Post went about scoring the votes.
What sports films do you like?
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My favorites, as in sports films I can watch over and over again:
- Hoop Dreams
- When We Were Kings
- Without Limits
- Bull Durham
- A League of Their Own (David Straithairn and pure Americanan)
Um...I think this is a list of best English-language sports films ever made right? I can think of many foreign language (mostly Asian) films that I am sure weren't considered. What about Lagaan?
What about "The Natural"?
Roy Hobbs: I coulda been better. I coulda broke every record in the book.
Iris Gaines: And then?
Roy Hobbs: And then? And then when I walked down the street people would've looked and they would've said there goes Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was in this game.
I, also, agree with the list to a large degree
My favorites would have to include (of those you did not list):
Bad News Bears
Champ, The
Cutting Edge (cheesy, but somehow gets me)
Happy Gilmore
Heaven Can Wait
Kingpin
Lagaan
Slap Shot
Tin Cup
When We Were Kings
Without Limits
most are, surprising to me, comedies. Have to give my #1 to "Breaking Away"
Greg, my problem with "The Natural" is how the movie pulls a complete 180 on the book at the end (in the book he takes the money and doesn't hit the Hollywood Homer). I did enjoy the movie, but the book was just a more complete, resonating story.
I agree with Mase, the Cutting Edge is a forgotten classic. Moira Kelly as the bitchy ice queen brings onscreen priss to new heights.
As far as basketball movies go, Hoosiers is wonderful but let's not forget the recent Love and Basketball. In the end, Sanaa Lathan takes the court as the professional while Omar Epps cheers from the sidelines. Subtle girl power.
Yeah, the Natural should be on the list. Great movie. And what about North Dallas 40?
A few years ago I saw part of a British movie about undercover officers that infiltrated a gang of football hooligans and get swept into it. Anybody know the name? Great movie.
From an ESPN commercial that aired years ago...
Q: What's the best sports movie ever made?
A: "Caddyshack!"
Q: And what's the worst sports movie ever made?
A: "Caddyshack 2!"
Quite simply, there's never been a funnier sports movie made than Slap Shot. Much like Glenn's comments, let's try to forget about the straight to video Slap Shot 2.
I have a weakness for American Flyers, which was like 70something on that list. I don't know why it stuck with me more than Breaking Away...
"The price is wrong...BITCH!"
i love that they included "Hotdog". Wasn't the full title called "Hotdog:the Movie"? In case we were confused. any "let's save the resort/camp/carwash" by beating the rich snobs in a sport movie that features Prince's "When You Were Mine" is ok with me. And does "Meatballs" count? they have that race at the end and also the camp vs. camp basketball game. IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER! JUST DOESN'T MATTER!
While I realize that nobody is able to completly agree with a top 100 list of anything, I have to take issue with a poll that places Rollerball two slots above a classic like Pumping Iron, and thirty-six above Rocky IV. This clearly calls into question their impartiality, and reveals the Palm Beach Post as squarely in the back pocket of "Big Hollywood", rendering any further debate on the "list" moot-- although Lagaan is a great film and I think it should be on there as well.
Clearly, towards the bottom of the, there are more questionable selections. But I think a lot of the ones in the top quarter/half are pretty good, for one of these lists.
What? No Bring It On? C'mon, cheerleading is a sport!
Or at least as much of a sport as "ice dancing."
Brian's Song still makes me cry.
Two good'uns that didn't make the list: Dogtown & Z-Boys and North Shore. What's up with that Palm Beach?
Forgot about "Dogtown ..."! hell, if ice skating is on, skateboarding should be too!
Damn, you're so right emjaybee. I love Bring It On. I also love how Cutting Edge is on the list. "Toepick!"
The Natural and North Dallas Forty is on the list, just not the top ten.
Another gem from the back of the list is "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner," with a great Angry Young Man (think British James Dean) performance by Tom Courtenay. The movie is a little slow by today's standards; however, it's worth watching for the ending, which will make you think hard about why people compete and what it means to win.
Anyone remember RAD?
Rad?...My god, that finale with the BMX-off at the prom?...Christ, I don't have the words.
no love for remember the titans? above the rim or ski patrol? well, at least the first one anyway.
I can't believe they left off "Side Out". Come on! Peter Horton and C. Thomas Howell? Instant classic.
I like Chariots of Fire. Anyone remember that?
"Love & Basketball" was indeed good, and very sexy. Though I wish someone would make Tyra Banks stop her forays into 'acting'.
"Mean Machine" is a fantastically fun flick from the UK about a footie player who organizes fellow inmates (for 'the big game', natch) behind bars. I highly reccommend it, it stars Vinnie Jones.
How could no one metion "Gleaming the Cube"?!?!
How could they have left out "The Longest Yard"?
And "Brian's Song"?
Though not purely a sports movie, they also left out "That Championship Season."
What about "Body and Soul," which is a boxing movie second only to "Raging Bull"?
They also forgot "The Harder They Fall."
For pure cheese factor, I must include "Ice Castles."
What about Baseketball? Oh wait, that wasn't even a real sport.
But seriously, Bang the Drum Slowly was a good, sentimental sports movie.
this week's sports illustrated has a top 50 list of sports movies. their top 5:
- bull durham
- rocky
- raging bull
- hoop dreams
- slap shot
Two problems with blogs: 1) the word "blog" is incredibly stupid and 2) people often put in links to stories, and more links to stories, and yet even more links to stories, this goes on every hour of every day and often those links, like the one here to the Palm Beach Post movies list, turn up:
"We're sorry -- the specific page that you requested cannot be found because:
• It may no longer exist
• It may have been moved or renamed
• There may be a typo in the referring page"
ain't that swell!?
The best sports movie ever is THE LAST GAME!
www.TheLastGame.com
At least I think so...
RUDY!!!