Best Sports Movies

Movies can capture moments that make the audience feel excitement or agony, fear or fun, happy or sad. The sounds, lights, music and action of movie can move the audience in a way that still cannot be captured on television. This is no more apparent than with movies that depict sports. Whether its basketball, baseball, boxing or even race car driving, the cinema can put the audience on the floor or on the field and make them part of the moment. The following is a list of the best sports movies.

Hoosiers was released in 1986 and tells the story of a small Indiana high school basketball team that won the Indiana State High School Basketball Championship in 1952. Hoosier stars Gene Hackman, who plays Norman Dale, a new arrival in the small town of Hickory who comes to coach the High School Basketball team. The movie also stars Barbara Hershey, Dennis Hopper and Sheb Wooley.

Hoosiers was a critical success. Hopper was nominated for an Oscar for his role of the town drunk who had his best days in High School when he played on the basketball team. Hoosiers was also nominated for Oscars for Best Music and Best Original Score. Hoosiers was ranked as the best sports movie of all time by USA Today.

Hoosiers is an amazing movie. The basketball scenes are realistic and genuine. Along with the music, the game sequences are moving and exciting. Lastly, the movie is well acted by all players and tells a good story of team over the individual and the power that one moment of glory can have on any one's life.

Bull Durham was released in 1988 and tells the story of a minor league baseball team. Kevin Costner stars as Crash Davis, a veteran catcher brought to the Durham Bulls to teach a young hot shot pitcher, played by Tim Robbins, how to be a major league player. Bull Durham also stars Susan Sarandon, Robert Wuhl and Max Patkin.

Bull Durham grossed over 50 million dollars and was a critical success as well. Sports Illustrated ranked Bull Durham the #1 Greatest Sports Movie of all time. Bravo ranked it the 55th funniest movie of all time and the 97th on the American Film Institute's 100 Years . . . 100 Laughs.

Bull Durham is classified as a romantic comedy but remains a great sports movie. Instead of depicting the glamour of major league baseball, Bull Durham shows the reality of what the minor leagues are really about. It shows the long bus rides, the old stadiums and the hopes and dreams of potential stars. The best scene is the meeting on the mound where the players and coaches discuss very important topics including wedding gifts.

Major League was released in 1989 and tells the story of the Cleveland Indians who for more than fifty years have been on the bottom of the standings in Major League Baseball. The team gets a new owner who devises a plan to make the team so bad that it will be allowed to relocated the team to Florida. The team finds out about the plan and to spite the new owner come together to bring Cleveland its first winning team in decades.

Major League stars Tom Berenger, Charline Sheen, Corbin Bernsen, Wesley Snipes and Dennis Haspert. The movie grossed nearly 50 million domestically and spawned two sequels.

Major League is a very funny movie. Charlie Sheen is great as the punk rock pitcher with a cannon for an arm. Tom Berenger is very good playing Jake Taylor, a catcher in the twilight of his career trying for one more winner. Bob Uecker was also very funny as the die hard Indians fan and announcer. The game sequences are realistic and the final game is very well done and the end is even a little moving.

Rudy was released in 1993 and stars Sean Austin. Austin plays Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, who was a real person who worked hard and dreamed to one day play football for the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The movie closely resembles the real life story of Rudy but makes many dramatic changes. However, it does show many of the obstacles that Rudy, an undersized and under talented, overcame to live out his dream. ESPN ranked Rudy of the top twenty sports movies of all time.

Rudy is a great movie despite being a bit over dramatic. Austin is great and Jon Favreau is funny as Rudy's awkward and sometimes rude friend. The movie is unapologetic in its inspirational themes and tells a good story with a good moral.