Let’s face it: We don’t all love sports, but sometimes when we’re watching movies with other people we’ve got to take one for the team. When the whole family wants to watch feats of athleticism, natural talent, and wholesome comaraderie, there’s no better option than a good old fashioned sports movie.
Don’t worry, if your idea of “working out” is standing up to stretch whenever your smart watch tells you to, we’ve got you covered! The ten movies below may center around athleticism, but they’re all family-friendly, enlightening, sometimes funny, and always entertaining.
Space Jam (1996)
What’s better than a movie about the National Basketball Association starring the legendary Michael Jordan? A movie that also includes all of your favorite Warner Bros. Looney Tunes characters, of course! In this live-action-meets-animation movie, Jordan joins Bugs Bunny to save the other animated friends from kidnappers. Jordan has to play the best game of his career, but he has plenty of help from co-stars Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig. Bill Murray and Danny DeVito also make appearances.
This is an enduring family favorite your kids will want to watch on repeat! The original Space Jam is available to stream on Disney+.
Rudy (1993)
Few sports movies are as well known and loved as Rudy. Largely believed to be one of the greatest sports films ever made, Rudy is based on the real-life story of Rudy Ruettiger, played by Sean Astin. Ruettiger grew up dreaming of playing football for the University of Notre Dame, but his grades and athletic skills weren’t up to snuff. He went to work with his father in a steel mill, but when his best friend died there, he resolved to find a way to make his dream a reality.
With hard work, friendship, and determination, Rudy eventually makes it onto the field. The scene where the team lifts him onto their shoulders is a classic moment in cinematic history. Rudy is available to stream on Prime Video.
Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
In 2002, the world got a good look at British football through the eyes of a British-Indian teenager named Jesminder “Jess” Bhamra (Parminder Nagra). This comedy-drama is essentially a coming of age film that follows Jess as she secretly joins a local women’s amateur football team behind the backs of her strict Indian Punjabi Sikh parents. She develops feelings for the team’s coach Joe (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), which puts her at odds against her best friend, Jules (Keira Knightley). Just when everything in Jess’s life is a mess, it’s time for the big game!
Bull Durham (1988)
Ron Shelton wrote and directed this blockbuster film based on his own experiences in minor league baseball. Kevin Costner stars as Crash Davis, a catcher who ascended to the top of the minors and now works with rookies to improve their games. Crash is brought on board with the Durham Bulls to coach “Nuke” LaLoosh (Tim Robbins), the talented but dopey pitcher bound for the major leagues. Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon) enters the scene as a “groupie” who selects a Durham player to “mentor” in her own way each season. This year, she chose Nuke … but then she meets Crash.
Crash and Annie each work their magic on Nuke, and by the end he does get called up to the majors. Will Crash and Annie both “retire” their current roles so they can be together? You’ll have to watch to find out! Bull Durham is streaming on Max.
Rocky (1976)
Rocky not only kicked off one of the most successful movie franchises in history, it stands the test of time as one of the most iconic films ever made. Sylvester Stallone wrote the screenplay for Rocky in just three days, then held out until a studio agreed to let him star as leading man Rocky Balboa. The movie is about Balboa, a low-level boxer (and the muscle for a loan shark) who is selected by boxing great Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) to fight against him in a match. Rocky starts training alongside coach Mickey (Burgess Meredith) and his friend Paulie (Burt Young), all while sparking a romance with Adrian (Talia Shire).
There are so many iconic moments in Rocky, but the final fight between him and Creed is unforgettable. “Cut me, Mick!”
Rocky is available to stream on Prime Video.
Hoop Dreams (1994)
If you’re in the mood for a sports documentary, this is the one to watch. Originally intended to be a 30-minute movie for PBS, it eventually morphed into a feature length film after 5 years of filming more and than 250 hours of footage. The end result follows African American high school students William Gates and Arthur Agee, two talented basketball players who are recruited to play for a largely white Chicago high school. The young men struggle to fit in, both on the court and in the classroom. It’s heartbreaking to see one succeed while the other falls back into poverty, but it’s a frank look at what it takes to ascend the ranks to reach the big leagues. Available to stream on Prime Video.
The Sandlot (1993)
Did someone ask for a feel-good coming of age movie with lots of laughs? The Sandlot is an instant classic the whole family will love. David Mickey Evans co-wrote, directed, and narrated this story about a group of kids who play baseball in a vacant sandlot in the San Fernando Valley in 1962. When Scott Smalls (Tom Guiry) moves into town he befriends the group, and they come face-to-face with “the Beast,” a giant English Mastiff who lives on the other side of the fence from the field. Over time, they meet the Beast’s owner, Mr. Mertle (James Earl Jones), and learn that he has a history with baseball himself. Smalls also forms a bond with his stepfather (Denis Leary) along the way.
You cans stream The Sandlot on Disney+ … and finally learn where the quote “You’re killing me, Smalls!” comes from.
A League of Their Own (1992)
Penny Marshall directed this comedy-drama about a group of women who join the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) in 1943 while many men were off fighting in World War II. The AAGPBL was real, but these specific women are fictionalized. Geena Davis plays Dottie, a killer baseball catcher who joins the league reluctantly at the prompting of her sister, Kitt (Lori Petty). Tom Hanks plays grumpy coach Jimmy Dugan, whose line, “There’s no crying in baseball!” is as legendary as Hanks’s own career.
With an all star cast that includes Rosie O’Donnell, Bill Pullman, and Madonna, the original A League of Their Own is a sweet journey that inspires tears and laughter in equal amounts. Stream this movie on Prime Video.
Remember the Titans (2000)
This is a biographical film that’s loosely based on a true story. In 1971 coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) tried to integrate the football team at an all-white high school in Alexandria, Virginia. Boone faced opposition from all sides, including from assistant coach Bill Yoast (Will Patton), parents, and players. Over time, Boone wins the respect of Yoast and the players, and interracial friendships are formed which last a lifetime. During a very tense game, Yoast has to stand up for Boone and the team and insist the refs call the game fairly, costing the assistant coach his chance at a Hall of Fame nomination.
Fair warning: the ending is a tear-jerker, but it’s an emotional ride that’s well worth taking. You can stream Remember The Titans on Disney+.
Blue Crush (2002)
Blue Crush is the rare surfing movie that shows us what life on Hawaii’s North Shore is like for some locals. Kate Bosworth is Anne Marie, a young woman who’s raising her 14-year-old sister Penny (Mika Boorem) with the help of her two best friends, Eden (Michelle Rodriguez) and Lena (Sanoe Lake.) The women work as maids in an upscale hotel but are barely scraping by, so when Anne Marie gets invited to compete in a surf competition, they start training hard.
Years earlier, Anne Marie was on the pro-surfing track … until a near-fatal accident left her with severe PTSD. She works to overcome the trauma, meeting a sweet NFL quarterback in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl along the way. In the end, it’s not Anne Marie’s allies who help push her to overcome the Banzai Pipeline; it’s her biggest competitor.
With intense surfing scenes galore, this movie is as exciting as it is heartfelt. Now streaming on Prime Video.
There you have it, sports non-fans! Ten movies that will satisfy your friends and family while secretly being about way more than sports. We call that a slam dunk.
(featured image: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution)
Published: Jan 30, 2024 03:07 pm