Let’s start off by stating straight away that when movies get sports wrong, they really get them wrong. There have been plenty of directors that have tried to use the natural drama of soccer, boxing or basketball and ended up with a mess of a film. But when they get it right…
We thought we would mention five of the very best sports movies – in our humble opinion. These films feature the players and teams that would feature on the very best sports betting sites and win countless championships. That is not always the case in the films themselves – but then, that is all just part of the drama isn’t it?
Hoop Dreams, 1994
Our first selection is actually a documentary. But it is not just any documentary. This is probably the finest American sports documentary of all time. But like any great sports doc, it is not really about the sport. By following two aspiring basketball stars, Hoop Dreams comments on society, poverty and racial inequality in a thoroughly captivating way.
Initially intended to be just a 30-minute short film, Hoop Dreams ended up at over three hours and used every single second to tell the story of two Chicago high school kids aiming to make it big in basketball. It won countless awards and has been added to the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress.
Rocky, 1976
Possibly the best example of a rags to riches underdog sports story, this Oscar-winning drama starred and was written by Sylvester Stallone before he became just another action film cliché. Stallone plays the titular boxer who is given the chance of a lifetime to fight for the heavyweight championship of the world.
This is another movie that uses the underdog story to tug at our heartstrings while cleverly making a comment on American society and all its inequalities. Spoiler alert – it even resisted the opportunity to let Rocky win in the end. Although that changed as the film’s franchise grew ever longer over the years.
Figure 2 Golf is not a common comedy film subject
Caddyshack, 1980
This is probably not the kind of film you were expecting when you read the title of this article. This is a movie that shows that not all sports films need to portray wholesome heroes and respect for the rules. Caddyshack is supposedly about a young caddie fighting to prove his worth – but it is so much more (and less) than that.
This cult classic stars some of the biggest names of 1970s and 80s comedy, with Chevy Chase in one of the main roles. But most fans will immediately quote lines uttered by Bill Murray in one of the finest – and funniest – cameo roles of all time.
Hoosiers, 1986
Sometimes you just want a real feel-good movie – and Hoosiers has to go down as one of the best. It follows a small town Indian high school basketball team as it attempts to make it all the way to the state championship. It is unreservedly nostalgic and innocent – and all the better for it.
Based on a true story, Hoosiers stars Gene Hackman as the basketball coach that brings together a school and an entire town as his team ends up facing a far more athletic and privileged team in the final. This film will definitely leave you feeling a warm glow inside.
Field of Dreams, 1989
We thought we would round off this greatest sports movies of all time with another feel-good classic. Field of Dreams tells the story of an Iowa farmer who hears voices telling him to turn one of his cornfields into a baseball diamond. The famous ‘build it and he will come’ line comes from this late-80s movie.
Kevin Costner is the star of the show but the story is really about him getting him to reconnect with his late father and showing how you should never give up on a relationship. Using baseball as the vehicle for the film has turned it into an American classic and another movie that you absolutely have to watch.
