What I love about your choices is how they bring humanity into sports, something you've done all your life. I mentioned before that I've been friends with the author of Vision Quest since 1965, actually read it chapter by chapter as it was being written; got to spend an evening with part of the cast after shooting. I actually had a short conversation with J.C. Quinn, who delivered the Pelé speech. I've been writing Young Adult fiction since 1983, almost all of it with a sports background...and am proud to say all of those books have been banned in one place or another over the years. There's a fairly serious attempt to make one of them a movie, or Netflix series, at which time it will become your favorite Swimming movie. I was also a therapist for many years, working with child abuse and neglect families, so loved your Tanya Harding choice. Man, everyone has a story. You and I are the same age...so I gotta let you know, there's no way Elvin Hayes would have beat you had you been healthy that night. If memory serves, I broke a TV tray at the end of that game.
Loved it! But you left enough sports (rugby, auto racing, etc.) to do a part 3... You could even do Parts 4 and 5 for sports documentaries and sports comedies.
An amazing soccer film is the original British version of Fever Pitch. Based on Nick Hornby’s wonderful memoir of how a love of Arsenal brought him closer to his father, it’s as charming as the American version is emptyheaded.
I agree on I, Tonya. I was a kid when it all happened and this movie made me think back to the press coverage before and after it happened. I grew up in Oregon so for us, there was a certain amount of pride in Tonya and it felt awful to see her fall from grace. It felt like it was portrayed as a reinforcement of stereotypes.
Your explanation about the importance of the independent film era of the '70s was so concise and perfect. I wish there could be some sort of return to that type of storytelling. Very much looking forward to watching these movies.
Kareem, I love your writing, brother and your thoughtful observations on current societal issues. For this best sports movie list, I am quite surprised that you didn’t include Brian’s Song with Billy D. Williams and James Caan. That film gave an amazing depiction of the moving relationship between Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo. Thoughts?
Thank you for this article and your preceding one. You definitely have expanded my “watch list” with my 9-year-old son. As I read through your first installment, Invictus came to mind as a movie that “made me” think about it again and again. Perhaps not as much of a movie about Rugby as a life metaphor but definitely one that expanded my knowledge and awareness and left a lasting impression.
More excellent choices, Kareem. And a lot of social history too. You are a very thoughtful consumer. Thanks for the insight and personal touch. Will try to get some movie watching done today as recommended.
Nice choices, but if you could make room for pool and bicycling, why not motorsports? Not a car guy? Or a lack of choices?
There's always a problem with auto racing flicks in that the makers get too wrapped up in getting great racing footage that they forget to have a plot (most infamously, Steve McQueen's "Le Mans"). Or the racing is overwhelmed by a trite plot ("Days of Thunder" and many others. Still, a few suggestions:
My top pick is "Rush," in which the real-life drama pictured melds with the inner working of motorsports. Plus the eternal issue of the Big Talent who doesn't work at his/her game vs. the one who does. Co-top pick, but with an asterisk, is "Un homme et une femme," which is simply gorgeous in French with subtitles, but the English-dubbed version grates. One the best ever movies in which the love story and the sport blend seamlessly.
Runner-up "Grand Prix" -- the soap opera subplots are just too much to overcome. But the racing footage was not only a breakthrough at the time, but both racing movies and coverage of real races ever since have been influenced by the "Grand Prix's" footage.
Oh and this hasn’t come out yet but I saw it at SXSW. It’s the first all female martial arts movie I’ve personally seen and I loved it. It’s so funny and has so much heart: https://www.focusfeatures.com/polite-society
I love these choices. I do dance as a sport and would add Strictly Ballroom, The Company, Powell-Pressburger’s the Red Shoes among others to this list. What I love about Strictly Ballroom is that while it lampoons ballroom as a subculture, it shows the joy that comes from the mastery of dance. I like Dirty Dancing for that reason too. The Red Shoes is definitely a fantasy but it conveys some of the emotion of being a dancer. And The Company (2003) shows some of the struggles of being a dancer.
What I love about your choices is how they bring humanity into sports, something you've done all your life. I mentioned before that I've been friends with the author of Vision Quest since 1965, actually read it chapter by chapter as it was being written; got to spend an evening with part of the cast after shooting. I actually had a short conversation with J.C. Quinn, who delivered the Pelé speech. I've been writing Young Adult fiction since 1983, almost all of it with a sports background...and am proud to say all of those books have been banned in one place or another over the years. There's a fairly serious attempt to make one of them a movie, or Netflix series, at which time it will become your favorite Swimming movie. I was also a therapist for many years, working with child abuse and neglect families, so loved your Tanya Harding choice. Man, everyone has a story. You and I are the same age...so I gotta let you know, there's no way Elvin Hayes would have beat you had you been healthy that night. If memory serves, I broke a TV tray at the end of that game.
Bravo! So glad you included Breaking Away, an all around favorite movie and definitely my favorite sports movie.
Loved it! But you left enough sports (rugby, auto racing, etc.) to do a part 3... You could even do Parts 4 and 5 for sports documentaries and sports comedies.
I agree with every single choice.
I, Tonya was a revelation, Margot Robbie is an incredible actress. And Alison Janney deserved her Oscar. So did the bird!
An amazing soccer film is the original British version of Fever Pitch. Based on Nick Hornby’s wonderful memoir of how a love of Arsenal brought him closer to his father, it’s as charming as the American version is emptyheaded.
I agree on I, Tonya. I was a kid when it all happened and this movie made me think back to the press coverage before and after it happened. I grew up in Oregon so for us, there was a certain amount of pride in Tonya and it felt awful to see her fall from grace. It felt like it was portrayed as a reinforcement of stereotypes.
Your explanation about the importance of the independent film era of the '70s was so concise and perfect. I wish there could be some sort of return to that type of storytelling. Very much looking forward to watching these movies.
Great job- Thanks-- Here's some to stay away from -- WORST SPORTS movies of all time.
I love reading "Why they are bad" paragraphs after each
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/other-sports/list/worst-sports-movies-of-all-time-list-ed-rocky-v-caddyshack-2/1ceedft05jnz01l3pl8khje3kn
Kareem, I love your writing, brother and your thoughtful observations on current societal issues. For this best sports movie list, I am quite surprised that you didn’t include Brian’s Song with Billy D. Williams and James Caan. That film gave an amazing depiction of the moving relationship between Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo. Thoughts?
Thank you for this article and your preceding one. You definitely have expanded my “watch list” with my 9-year-old son. As I read through your first installment, Invictus came to mind as a movie that “made me” think about it again and again. Perhaps not as much of a movie about Rugby as a life metaphor but definitely one that expanded my knowledge and awareness and left a lasting impression.
Do people remember "The Best of Times" with Robin Williams? (Football -- I'm a week late.)
More excellent choices, Kareem. And a lot of social history too. You are a very thoughtful consumer. Thanks for the insight and personal touch. Will try to get some movie watching done today as recommended.
The original Rollerball was one of my favorite movies as a kid, simply because Houston finally won a championship
Nice choices, but if you could make room for pool and bicycling, why not motorsports? Not a car guy? Or a lack of choices?
There's always a problem with auto racing flicks in that the makers get too wrapped up in getting great racing footage that they forget to have a plot (most infamously, Steve McQueen's "Le Mans"). Or the racing is overwhelmed by a trite plot ("Days of Thunder" and many others. Still, a few suggestions:
My top pick is "Rush," in which the real-life drama pictured melds with the inner working of motorsports. Plus the eternal issue of the Big Talent who doesn't work at his/her game vs. the one who does. Co-top pick, but with an asterisk, is "Un homme et une femme," which is simply gorgeous in French with subtitles, but the English-dubbed version grates. One the best ever movies in which the love story and the sport blend seamlessly.
Runner-up "Grand Prix" -- the soap opera subplots are just too much to overcome. But the racing footage was not only a breakthrough at the time, but both racing movies and coverage of real races ever since have been influenced by the "Grand Prix's" footage.
Oh and this hasn’t come out yet but I saw it at SXSW. It’s the first all female martial arts movie I’ve personally seen and I loved it. It’s so funny and has so much heart: https://www.focusfeatures.com/polite-society
I love these choices. I do dance as a sport and would add Strictly Ballroom, The Company, Powell-Pressburger’s the Red Shoes among others to this list. What I love about Strictly Ballroom is that while it lampoons ballroom as a subculture, it shows the joy that comes from the mastery of dance. I like Dirty Dancing for that reason too. The Red Shoes is definitely a fantasy but it conveys some of the emotion of being a dancer. And The Company (2003) shows some of the struggles of being a dancer.