Fun Friday–Favorite Sports Movies
I had to wait to do this post until now . . . because I went to see The Blind Side last night.
5. We Are Marshall—I’ve mentioned many times that I don’t like going to see “tear-jerker” movies. I don’t like them because they make me feel manipulated, and usually they’re overly melodramatic. But who expects to cry during a football movie? I have to admit, We Are Marshall did that to me. It’s the story of the rebuilding of Marshall University’s football program after a plane crash decimated the 1970 squad. While Matthew McConaughey took top billing in this movie as the head coach who comes in to rebuild the team, it was Matthew Fox who really impressed me in this movie. I was already familiar with his ability to cry on demand because of his role on LOST, but the role as the assistant coach who survived (because he took the bus instead of the plane) brought out some subtleties in his acting I’d never seen before. A great feel-good film.
4. The Game Plan—I’ll admit it: one of the draws of this movie for me was the fact that it starred Dwayne Johnson as the lead character. And it’s more of a movie about the relationship between a father and the daughter he never knew he had. But it’s also about football. Most people know Dwayne Johnson as “The Rock”—the former professional wrestler. Many people don’t realize he turned to pro wrestling when he injured himself out of professional football. And the man just happens to look fantastic in a football uniform! It’s a great movie for the entire family, including Dad and sons!
3. A League of Their Own—I’ve loved this movie since the first time I saw it in the theaters—despite Madonna’s presence in it! Not only is it a feel-good, women’s-empowerment film, it’s got one of the best lines from a sports movie ever! (Oh, and Lori Petty is the actress I’ve always thought should play Stephanie Plum if they ever make Janet Evanovich’s books into movies.)
2. The Blind Side—Yes, it took me a while to get around to seeing this movie, but as you know, I’ve been cloistered the past four or five months trying to get two books written/finished. I’m just glad it was an Oscar contender (congrats to Sandra Bullock!) so that it hung around in theaters long enough for me to go see it. I think the film loses a little bit of its tension because I knew going into it that it was based on the book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game which featured as a dominant storyline the biography of Michael Oher, whom we already knew is playing in the NFL. So we knew he’d end up being successful. And while Sandra Bullock did a great job in her role (better than Carey Mulligan in An Education? Probably not.), it was the quiet gentleness of actor Quinton Aaron, in his debut film appearance, who really made the movie shine. A must see! (Though I do have to admit that my skin crawled to see Nick Saban in purple and gold and saying he was from LSU.)
1. Remember the Titans—The Blind Side was good, but it didn’t manage to replace my favorite sports movie of all time. Also based on a true story, Remember the Titans held much more tension as it wasn’t a story most people were familiar with going into it. Set against the backdrop of desegregation in the early 1970s, this is the true story about the integration of the TC Williams high school and their football team. And while Denzel Washington is fantastic in his role (as always), it’s the younger actors as the football players who steal the show and make this one to watch over and over and over.
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KayeDacus.com 
STILL haven’t had a chance to see “The Blind Side,” but I will. JUST saw “Remember the Titans” recently and absolutely BAWLED – but in a good way . . . LOL I loved that movie, and would watch it again in a heartbeat. I also just saw “We Are Marshall” in the last 6 months. My husband is a H.S. principal, so NOW he decides to become a sports fan. I agree, though. It’s a great movie, and it redeemed Matthew Fox (AKA “The Cryer”) in my estimation. But then it also starred Matthew McConaughey, and I love him.
Another that I liked was “The Rookie,” but then I can never resist anything with Dennis Quaid. I’ve seen almost everything he’s been in from “Inner Space” to “G-I Joe.” I still can’t believe I saw that one . . . 😀
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Regina, did you see Frequency? With Dennis and Jim Caviezel. I liked that one.
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loved, Loved, LOVED “Frequency!”
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Facing the Giants
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I loved “Remember the Titans” too, but I haven’t seen the others you listed.
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Here’s my top 5:
1. Field of Dreams. Saw it when I was 17 and it’s still my favorite sports film of all time. Even if Kevin Costner is in it.
2. Miracle. Loved it despite Kurt Russell. Who, truth be told, was really good as Herb Brooks.
3. We Are Marshall. Brilliant film start to finish. Matthew McConaughey was the best I’ve seen him yet.
4. Slap Shot. Paul Newman and real life minor league hockey players. 🙂
5. Remember The Titans. For all the reasons you mentioned.
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I haven’t seen The Blind Side yet either, but I will, because I love sports movies.
I’m not sure I have a top five, although it would probably include Jerry Maguire, The Express (the story of Ernest Davis), Remember the Titans, We Are Marshall, The Longest Yard, Paper Lion, Blue Chips, Hoosiers, Space Jam, Glory Road, Coach Carter, Love and Basketball…
Hey, that’s more than five and I’m just getting started!
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Oh, I like this topic!!!
By far, my all time favorite sports movie is Fever Pitch. But then again, I’m sitting at a computer wearing a Red Sox jacket. I have Red Sox sun glasses five feet away. I sleep in red plaid flannel Red Sox lounge pants and a David Ortiz baseball shirt. I have Dustin Pedroia’s picture on my desktop at home and Jonathan Papelbon on my desktop computer at my job. You could say I’m a little obsessed. My dad passed the trait on to me. But I kind of like it that way! Oh, and on my spring break last year I went to Boston for opening day. It is quite possible that I MIGHT have been sitting by Stephen King. Well, it looked like him anyway. (He’s a Red Sox fan too.) 🙂 What a fun topic!
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I’ve seen all of these except “The Game Plan,” but would have to agree with you wholeheartedly in your placement of “The Blind Side” and “Remembering the Titans.”
“The Blind Side” was such a great story, but the only thing that irked me about it was that they didn’t shoot the movie in Memphis (my home town) where the story actually happened. Instead, it was shot in Atlanta, and Memphis just doesn’t look near as good in real life as how it was portrayed in the movie. Oh well….just happy that Sandra won the Oscar for her performance in it! :o)
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Good line-up. I haven’t seen them all yet, but I’ve heard they are all good ones. :O)
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Kaye, you already know I’m weird-my favorite sports movie is Bull Durham. Then probably Major League.
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The Cutting Edge is also a great movie
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Love, love, LOVE Remember the Titans. I (and my family) have seen it so many times we can recite most of the lines along with the actors. So many great moments. When Sunshine goes in as quarterback and takes down the mean lineman on the other team. When the assistant coach tells the boys to make sure the other team will “remember . . . FOREVER . . . the night they played the Titans.” (That line gives me chills every single time.) Not actually a sports fan, but I LOVE that movie.
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There are only a few sports movies I like:
1. Stick It! – Great representation on the sport of Gymnastics. Because stuff like coaches hooking up with parents (married or not) actually happens in the sport. The writer/director talked to many former elite gymnasts for their stories and put them in the movie.
2. Ice Princess – Good movie in general.
3. The Cutting Edge – If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Someone needs to tell that to ABC Family who seems to want to ruin the original by making horrible remakes. Good movie, it has heart and it has sass. “Toe Pick!”
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