If you’re like me, you don’t always understand the appeal of watching sports. However, if you still want to be involved in the feelings that sports promote, I recommend watching a good sports movie.
This gives you the best of both worlds: An engaging plot that can get you tearful, along with involvement in the sports world.
‘Cool Runnings’
This is a 1993 comedy film loosely based on the real story of the first Jamaican national bobsled team to compete at the Olympics. This movie holds up well. It has a high rewatch value, is extremely quotable and has great needle-drops, such as, “I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Cash.
This is a feel-good comedy classic that is sure to give you a sense of team spirit that is difficult to replicate.
‘A League of Their Own’
This is a historical fiction film taking place during World War II, when all of America’s young, athletic men are deployed. In their place, an all-female professional baseball team starts up in the Midwest.
This movie is immersive in its characters, dialogue and story arc. It’s a fan-favorite for a reason.
‘Moneyball’
To continue the list is another baseball-centric movie. Oakland A’s general manager has the challenge of running a baseball team on one of the lowest salary constraints.
He turns the entire thing around by assembling a baseball team using computer-generated analysis to choose new players.
‘McFarland, USA’
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After losing his job as a football coach, Jim White, played by Kevin Costner, moves his family to a new school where he turns seven underdog students into one of the best cross-country teams in the area.
While this movie does follow a tried-and-true sports movie formula, the emotional depth, good writing and emotional elements overcome that to still create an original and enjoyable viewing experience.
‘Challengers’
Anyone who is on the internet knows about “Challengers.” This might not be your typical sports movie, as a huge central part of the plot is a love triangle, but it was insanely popular for good reason.
The movie begins with Tashi, played by Zendaya, a former tennis player who is now a tennis coach, placing her husband in the lowest level of pro tournaments to get him out of a losing streak.
In this new environment, he finds himself standing across the net from his ex-best friend, who is also Tashi’s ex-boyfriend.
‘Field of Dreams’
It feels appropriate to end this list with “Field of Dreams,” a beloved sports movie.
An Iowa farmer, Ray Kinsella, hears a voice telling him to turn his cornfield into a baseball diamond. He risks his family’s farm and money to follow his heart. The voice’s directions don’t stop, even when the ghosts of dead baseball players start showing up on his field.
No matter what kind of movie you like, there is no doubt that there is a sports movie out there that will fulfill all your desires and make you feel like a part of the team.
Ren Chaffee is a sophomore strategic communication major with a minor in rhetoric/writing and has a passion for writing and music. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, spending time in nature and hanging out with her dog.
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