Every Sport Lover Must Remember These Amazing Movies

Millions of people around the globe watch sports because it’s fun. They create exhilaration, suspense, and crowd engagement, predicting results on the field. Come to the pandemic era— the once high-pitched-filled arenas turned haunting hollow echoes. New social cues meant no fans jeering and hooting from the stands; thus, sports games have become quite grating to watch. Too stiff. Too calm.

Even though it’s still a big question when sports can go back to normal, for now, let’s awash our viewing experience through history’s greatest classic sports movies within the confines of our homes.

Remember the Titans

Even though opinions may vary, there is no denying that Remember the Titans is arguably one of the best sports movies produced in the last decade. Set in the 70s at the height of biased racial views, it narrates the story of Herman Boone, played by screen legend Denzel Washington; a coaching staff turned head coach at T.C William High School in Virginia. Poignant and smart, the 2000 feature touched on the transcending power of sports to surmount deep-rooted differences around locker room jibes and racial criticisms.

Remember the Titans opened with a surprising box office figure and earned $136.8 million worldwide. While the ending was somewhat predictable and stark, the film is a lodestone, drawing an audience score of 93%.

A League of Their Own

A League of Their Own is more than just a movie; it’s a picture embedded in our minds. Who would’ve thought that an All-American Girls Professional Baseball League ever saw the light in sports lore—kickstarting when more than 500 MLB players marched to enlistment during World War II. Right then, we see Tom Hanks manage the female ensemble.

Under the direction of Penny Marshall, audiences are shown what women are truly capable of through powerful messaging and suspenseful baseball sequences around a large cast of Geena Davis, Rosie O’Donnell, and Madonna. The film enraptured viewers with 84% positive reviews on Rotten Tomato, and even the Library of Congress hopped on the recognition, addressing it as culturally and historically significant. 

Slap Shot

Paul Newman alone is enough reason to watch Slap Shot. Fortunately, the Hollywood legend is also in the excellent company of an inspirational detailing based on actual events from the screenwriter’s former minor league athlete brother, plumed with knee-slapper comedy, obscene slurs, and gory brawls. The film ventures toward the financial woes of a hockey team and their explication of overly-aggressive plays to win the hometown crowd.

Even though the movie pales compared to other Newman starrers, filmmaker George Roy Hill’s crafty direction has elevated its position since its release in 1977. Critics scored 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences responded with better numbers at 89% —it seems like this hockey flick has aged well.

Raging Bull

In 1980, Robert de Niro and director Martin Scorsese teamed up for the fourth time in Raging Bull. The motion picture is told from the real experiences of Jake LaMotta, from his youthful beginnings to his boxing glories, as documented in his autobiography. The realism of manful fury and searing sentiments has set this black-and-white movie apart from your average sports flick. Even the American Film Institute gave it the top spot for best sports film of all time.

Though box office numbers might not have turned up, film critics rave nothing but high notes, rewarding Raging Bull eight Oscar nods, including best picture, director, and actor, with De Niro taking home the leading role prize.

The Pride of the Yankees

“Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” That line stands at number 38 in best movie quotes of all time by the American Film Institute and sums up the legend that was Yankees superstar Lou Gehrig. So for the rest of us who aren’t versed in the sport, The Pride of the Yankees is a great start to fill up the chasm of our baseball crudeness.

Starring Garry Cooper as the “Iron Horse,” the 1942 classic feature centers around the dire and valiance of Gehrig’s life, who sadly passed away before the film was even released in his late 30s. It was nominated for eleven Oscars and received a win for best editing.