Which films best popularize sports while also tackling social or historical themes with broader significance? Who is—in sporting terms—the “winner” in each category?
1) Boxing
This category naturally includes the undisputed Raging Bull (1980), where De Niro showcases his talent as a “method actor” and Scorsese proves himself a “master storyteller.” Another classic is Rocky (1976), the first film of the saga and a cornerstone of the New Hollywood movement of the 1970s—serious films with social themes that reacted against the sugary productions of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Its successor, Creed (2015), also deserves mention. Other notable entries include The Fighter (2010), Cinderella Man (2005), Ali (2001), Rocky Balboa (2006), The Boxer (1997), When We Were Kings (1996), and Million Dollar Baby (2004). However, due to its cultural impact and the legacy it left on the genre, Rocky remains on the pedestal.
Winner: Rocky (1976)
2) Wrestling
Vision Quest (1985) is perhaps the most famous film about this esteemed American sport, which pushes the bodies and spirits of young athletes to extreme limits. Once you’ve been a wrestler, nothing else seems difficult—but can you function in the “normal” world? These are the questions posed by the drama Foxcatcher (2014), based on true events. For its depth, it takes the top spot.
Winner: Foxcatcher (2014)
3) Baseball
“If you build it, he will come” is a line from Field of Dreams (1989) that has penetrated deep into the public consciousness (and was perfectly parodied in Wayne’s World). Because of its reach into other spheres of life and media, it is the ultimate representative of baseball. This genre is vast, as it covers a quintessential American sport, ranging from serious to silly: A League of Their Own (1992), Bull Durham (1988), Moneyball (2011), The Natural (1984), The Sandlot (1993), The Bad News Bears (1976), Major League (1989), Eight Men Out (1988), and Sugar (2009).
Winner: Field of Dreams (1989)
4) American Football
A sport that generates millions (if not billions) on the backs of thousands of strong young men who literally risk their lives for corporations. Impactful films on this theme include Remember the Titans (2000), The Blind Side (2009), Friday Night Lights (2004), Jerry Maguire (1996), and The Longest Yard (1974). Most lists cite Rudy (1993) as the best—a boy who dreams of playing despite lacking the physical capacity and (in typical American fashion) succeeds. It is unprecedented “lemonade” (sentimentalism), but it has real consequences on the minds of the young people it inspires. That is why Concussion (2015) is so vital; it tells a different story about a big business that doesn’t care for its athletes.
Winner: Concussion (2015)
5) MMA
In a sea of bad “fight” movies, it’s hard to find quality. The fact that Fighting (2009) holds a 39% score on Rotten Tomatoes is telling. Perhaps these films shouldn’t be judged on “quality” but on cultural influence. That list includes Jean-Claude Van Damme’s filmography: Bloodsport (1988), Kickboxer (1989), and Lionheart (1990)—or as Croatian MMA fighter Mirko Cro Cop once called him, “a ballet dancer who learned karate.” Here Comes the Boom (2012) also surprisingly fits the MMA spirit, while Warrior (2011) is a superior serious drama. However, for its historical-cinematic impact and for demonstrating skills that characterize modern MMA for the first time, the winner is a classic.
Winner: Enter the Dragon (1973)
6) Basketball
The NBA is the second-largest business in the US after the NFL. Films about the sport are diverse, from comedies like White Men Can’t Jump (1992) and Teen Wolf (1985) to dramas like Hoosiers (1986), Coach Carter (2005), Love and Basketball (2000), He Got Game (1998), and Blue Chips (1994). Hoop Dreams (1994) is a motivational film that gives dreams to the youth, which in this case—since basketball isn’t as physically destructive as football—is justified.
Winner: Hoop Dreams (1994)
7) Athletics
Marathon Man (1976) is a film based on an equally good book. Who can forget the “Is it safe?” scene? While it’s a political thriller not strictly about athletics, the way the sport is woven into the narrative gives it immense value. Other interesting films include Gallipoli (1981), Without Limits (1998), and Children of Heaven (1997). However, Chariots of Fire (1981), a film about self-sacrifice, moral courage, and religious tolerance, remains an essential study of sports psychology and what it takes to be first.
Winner: Chariots of Fire (1981)
8) Football (Soccer)
Montevideo, God Bless You! (2010) is a classic from our region worth watching as a historical document, while the comedy Bend It Like Beckham (2002) and the inspiring The Damned United (2009) certainly belong on the list. However, Kusturica’s Maradona (2018) is an intriguing sociological experiment that shows Maradona in his true light—the cult of personality and the significance he held for the sport and the world at large.
Winner: Maradona (2018)
9) Hockey
Like many films from the 1970s, Slap Shot (1977) is ostensibly a comedy, but it masks serious social issues behind the laughter. That is why it tops the hockey list. Other notables include Miracle (2004), The Mighty Ducks (1992), Mystery, Alaska (1999), The Rocket (2005), and Youngblood (1986).
Winner: Slap Shot (1977)
10) Figure Skating
Staying on the ice… figure skating looks refined, but from I, Tonya (2017), based on a true story, we learned it can be brutal. Every sport at a high level requires sacrifice, self-control, and the renunciation of things others deem necessary. As much as the body suffers, the mind suffers more. This film earns the top spot for its grit. Other interesting entries include the comedy Blades of Glory (2007), The Cutting Edge (1992), and Ice Castles (1978).
Winner: I, Tonya (2017)
This is our list of interesting sports films across 10 categories. These films are popular, especially in the US, because they are viewed as part of a massive sports industry that begins in high school. Let us not forget that film (especially American cinema) is a form of propaganda used to “sell” not just material goods, but dreams, philosophies, and ways of thinking.
In the 1990s, school curricula were reformed to focus on sports at the expense of the arts. There are films about this shift too (e.g., Mr. Holland’s Opus, 1995), and the same system is being replicated in England and beyond. Even our own primary school reforms often come at the expense of artistic subjects. A world where sport is the future and art is the past does not seem hopeful, but we shall see.
P.S. Coming soon: A list of 10 more interesting sports films from other categories.
This article was originally published in Macedonian.
Beyond the Scoreboard: Top 10 Sports Films That Actually Matter
Which films best popularize sports while also tackling social or historical themes with broader significance? Who is—in sporting terms—the “winner” in each category?
1) Boxing
This category naturally includes the undisputed Raging Bull (1980), where De Niro showcases his talent as a “method actor” and Scorsese proves himself a “master storyteller.” Another classic is Rocky (1976), the first film of the saga and a cornerstone of the New Hollywood movement of the 1970s—serious films with social themes that reacted against the sugary productions of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Its successor, Creed (2015), also deserves mention. Other notable entries include The Fighter (2010), Cinderella Man (2005), Ali (2001), Rocky Balboa (2006), The Boxer (1997), When We Were Kings (1996), and Million Dollar Baby (2004). However, due to its cultural impact and the legacy it left on the genre, Rocky remains on the pedestal.
Winner: Rocky (1976)
2) Wrestling
Vision Quest (1985) is perhaps the most famous film about this esteemed American sport, which pushes the bodies and spirits of young athletes to extreme limits. Once you’ve been a wrestler, nothing else seems difficult—but can you function in the “normal” world? These are the questions posed by the drama Foxcatcher (2014), based on true events. For its depth, it takes the top spot.
Winner: Foxcatcher (2014)
3) Baseball
“If you build it, he will come” is a line from Field of Dreams (1989) that has penetrated deep into the public consciousness (and was perfectly parodied in Wayne’s World). Because of its reach into other spheres of life and media, it is the ultimate representative of baseball. This genre is vast, as it covers a quintessential American sport, ranging from serious to silly: A League of Their Own (1992), Bull Durham (1988), Moneyball (2011), The Natural (1984), The Sandlot (1993), The Bad News Bears (1976), Major League (1989), Eight Men Out (1988), and Sugar (2009).
Winner: Field of Dreams (1989)
4) American Football
A sport that generates millions (if not billions) on the backs of thousands of strong young men who literally risk their lives for corporations. Impactful films on this theme include Remember the Titans (2000), The Blind Side (2009), Friday Night Lights (2004), Jerry Maguire (1996), and The Longest Yard (1974). Most lists cite Rudy (1993) as the best—a boy who dreams of playing despite lacking the physical capacity and (in typical American fashion) succeeds. It is unprecedented “lemonade” (sentimentalism), but it has real consequences on the minds of the young people it inspires. That is why Concussion (2015) is so vital; it tells a different story about a big business that doesn’t care for its athletes.
Winner: Concussion (2015)
5) MMA
In a sea of bad “fight” movies, it’s hard to find quality. The fact that Fighting (2009) holds a 39% score on Rotten Tomatoes is telling. Perhaps these films shouldn’t be judged on “quality” but on cultural influence. That list includes Jean-Claude Van Damme’s filmography: Bloodsport (1988), Kickboxer (1989), and Lionheart (1990)—or as Croatian MMA fighter Mirko Cro Cop once called him, “a ballet dancer who learned karate.” Here Comes the Boom (2012) also surprisingly fits the MMA spirit, while Warrior (2011) is a superior serious drama. However, for its historical-cinematic impact and for demonstrating skills that characterize modern MMA for the first time, the winner is a classic.
Winner: Enter the Dragon (1973)
6) Basketball
The NBA is the second-largest business in the US after the NFL. Films about the sport are diverse, from comedies like White Men Can’t Jump (1992) and Teen Wolf (1985) to dramas like Hoosiers (1986), Coach Carter (2005), Love and Basketball (2000), He Got Game (1998), and Blue Chips (1994). Hoop Dreams (1994) is a motivational film that gives dreams to the youth, which in this case—since basketball isn’t as physically destructive as football—is justified.
Winner: Hoop Dreams (1994)
7) Athletics
Marathon Man (1976) is a film based on an equally good book. Who can forget the “Is it safe?” scene? While it’s a political thriller not strictly about athletics, the way the sport is woven into the narrative gives it immense value. Other interesting films include Gallipoli (1981), Without Limits (1998), and Children of Heaven (1997). However, Chariots of Fire (1981), a film about self-sacrifice, moral courage, and religious tolerance, remains an essential study of sports psychology and what it takes to be first.
Winner: Chariots of Fire (1981)
8) Football (Soccer)
Montevideo, God Bless You! (2010) is a classic from our region worth watching as a historical document, while the comedy Bend It Like Beckham (2002) and the inspiring The Damned United (2009) certainly belong on the list. However, Kusturica’s Maradona (2018) is an intriguing sociological experiment that shows Maradona in his true light—the cult of personality and the significance he held for the sport and the world at large.
Winner: Maradona (2018)
9) Hockey
Like many films from the 1970s, Slap Shot (1977) is ostensibly a comedy, but it masks serious social issues behind the laughter. That is why it tops the hockey list. Other notables include Miracle (2004), The Mighty Ducks (1992), Mystery, Alaska (1999), The Rocket (2005), and Youngblood (1986).
Winner: Slap Shot (1977)
10) Figure Skating
Staying on the ice… figure skating looks refined, but from I, Tonya (2017), based on a true story, we learned it can be brutal. Every sport at a high level requires sacrifice, self-control, and the renunciation of things others deem necessary. As much as the body suffers, the mind suffers more. This film earns the top spot for its grit. Other interesting entries include the comedy Blades of Glory (2007), The Cutting Edge (1992), and Ice Castles (1978).
Winner: I, Tonya (2017)
This is our list of interesting sports films across 10 categories. These films are popular, especially in the US, because they are viewed as part of a massive sports industry that begins in high school. Let us not forget that film (especially American cinema) is a form of propaganda used to “sell” not just material goods, but dreams, philosophies, and ways of thinking.
In the 1990s, school curricula were reformed to focus on sports at the expense of the arts. There are films about this shift too (e.g., Mr. Holland’s Opus, 1995), and the same system is being replicated in England and beyond. Even our own primary school reforms often come at the expense of artistic subjects. A world where sport is the future and art is the past does not seem hopeful, but we shall see.
P.S. Coming soon: A list of 10 more interesting sports films from other categories.
This article was originally published in Macedonian.