Sports Movie Genre: 18 Iconic Sports Movies

Sports movies are a genre of film where a sport, sporting event, or athlete is featured prominently in the plot of the film.This sport-centric film genre, which is popular in the United States, spans other genres, like dramas, romantic comedies, and biographies.

Sports movies have been a common film genre since the formation of the Hollywood film industry. One of the earliest sports films was the 1914 silent film The Knockout, a boxing film starring Charlie Chaplin. Subsequent sports movies have featured a wide range of sports, including well-known sports and leagues like the National Football League, Major League Baseball, and Minor League Baseball. Sports movies have also highlighted specialized sports, such as martial arts with The Karate Kid in 1984 and horse racing in the 2003 film Seabiscuit.

Sports movies center on a sport which serves as a container for a story about a person or team. Sports movies often contain the following themes:

1. 1. The underdog: The underdog story is about a player or team not expected to win, and it follows their attempt to succeed. This is a variation on the David versus Goliath theme. Underdog sports movies include The Bad News Bears (1976), A League of Their Own (1992), and Bend It Like Beckham (2003).
2. 2. The redemption: Sports films with a redemption storyline follow an athlete or team attempting to redeem themselves after falling from glory. This theme features prominently in films like Rocky (1976) and The Wrestler (2008).
3. 3. True story: A true story sports movie is a variation on the biopic and follows the real-life story of one athlete or team. Movies like I, Tonya (2017), about figure skater Tonya Harding, or Ali (2001) about boxer Mohammed Ali, fall into this category.

Critics and movie fans consider the following titles to be some of the best sports movies:

1. 1. Bang the Drum Slowly (1973): This baseball film stars a young Robert De Niro as a catcher for the New York Yankees who has a terminal illness.
2. 2. Rocky (1976): Sylvester Stallone plays Rocky Balboa, an aging boxer making one last attempt at glory by going up against heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). Rocky won the Oscar for Best Picture.
3. 3. Slap Shot (1977): Paul Newman stars in this film about a minor league hockey team whose hockey players adapt a more violent playing style to become more popular.
4. 4. Caddyshack (1980): Rodney Dangerfield and Bill Murray star in this comedy about golf that follows a young caddy working at a country club to get money for college.
5. 5. Raging Bull (1980): This boxing film, directed by Martin Scorsese, is based on the true story of Jake LaMotta, whose self-destructive tendencies destroy his life. Robert De Niro won an Academy Award for his performance as LaMotta.
6. 6. The Natural (1984): Robert Redford stars in this film about a baseball player looking for redemption.
7. 7. Hoosiers (1986): This film stars Gene Hackman as the coach of a small-town Indiana high school basketball team.
   
8. 8. Bull Durham (1988): This romantic comedy sports film follows the Durham Bulls, a minor league baseball team in North Carolina. Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon star.
9. 9. Field of Dreams (1989): Kevin Costner plays a baseball-loving farmer who builds a baseball field in his cornfield that miraculously attracts the ghosts of major league baseball players. Field of Dreams was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
10. 10. A League of Their Own (1992): This baseball movie follows the formation of the first women's baseball league, the All-American Girls' Professional Baseball League. It stars Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, and Madonna.
11. 11. White Men Can't Jump (1992): This sports comedy film stars Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson as street basketball hustlers in California.
12. 12. Rudy (1993): This biographical film is based on the true story of Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger (portrayed in the film by Sean Astin), who dreams of playing football at the University of Notre Dame.
13. 13. Hoop Dreams (1994): This documentary follows two real-life Black teenagers, William Gates and Arthur Agee, who dream of playing for the NBA.
14. 14. Remember the Titans (2000): In this biographical film, Denzel Washington plays coach Herman Boone, who attempts to integrate a high school football team in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1971.
15. 15. Miracle (2004): This film is based on the true story of the United States men's ice hockey team and how the team won the gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics. Kurt Russell portrays coach Herb Brooks.
16. 16. Friday Night Lights (2004): This film follows one season of a high-school football team in a small-town in Texas. (The film was the basis of a popular TV show of the same name.)
17. 17. Million Dollar Baby (2004): Clint Eastwood directed, co-produced, scored, and starred in this film about an underdog boxer (played by Hilary Swank) who dreams of becoming a professional. The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
18. 18. The Wrestler (2008): Mickey Rourke plays an aging wrestler who attempts to relive his former glory.

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