5 Best Sports Movies – Part 2
Last week’s post on my top 5 sports movies of all time attracted some interesting feedback, so I’ve decided to write part 2.
These 5 didn’t quite make the list, but they are still great movies, even if some of them only have only a vague link to sports.
1. White Men Can’t Jump. Despite having the most racist title of any movie ever made (Imagine if it had been called…) this is a brilliant movie. If I could change one thing it would be to completely remove one character – Woody Harrelson’s girlfriend is unbelievably annoying. But the basketball scenes are very strong and it has a nice easygoign vibe and some good banter between the two leads. No your momma’s an astronaut!
2. Rounders. Whether or not you consider this a sports movie comes down to whether or not you consider poker a sport. Either way, this is a great and very watchable (and, more to the point, re-watchable) movie. It’s not all that realistic – in practice “reading” an opponent’s cards doesn’t involve knowing exactly what they’re holding. But it’s exciting and fun.
3. Jerry Maguire. Ignore the sickening romantic subplot (“you had me at hello”… bore off) and focus on a really solid sports movie. It’s one of those films where the most famous scenes are actually over-rated (show me the money) while the quieter less-known scenes sparkle. Check it out, if you can stomach the chick flick nature.
4. The Karate Kid. Another film – like Jerry Maguire – where the famous bits are actually annoying (wax on, wax off etc) and the less-known bits are amazing (where a drunken Miyagi talks about his time during the war). It’s a genuinely good-natured film and one much maligned if it’s only considered a kids movie.
5. Remember The Titans. The racial politics are vastly simplified (Denzel basically solves the issues of racism and segregation in a single speech) but this is powerful stuff. Why does high school football seem to make for such good sports movies?
