The Top 5 Sports Movies of All Time

When it comes to sports films, moviegoers either love them or hate them. Die-hard sports fans sometimes feel that the stories are too fictionalized, especially when the film deals with a legendary athlete. Other people don't mind a little Hollywood-style storytelling if the movie is enjoyable. With that in mind, here's a list of five sports films that definitely deserve a spot in the Sports Movie Hall of Fame:

Top 5 Sports Films: "Rudy" (Starring: Sean Astin, Jon Favreau, Charles S. Dutton and Ned Beatty)

Sean Astin plays Daniel E. "Rudy" Ruettiger, the real-life motivational speaker who worked his tail off to play football for Notre Dame. Rudy loses his girlfriend and the respect of his family in order to turn himself into a human practice dummy for the bigger and more athletic Notre Dame players.

Astin turns in a winning performance in the title role and his overwhelming determination to become a student at Notre Dame is believable. Jon Favreau also is outstanding as D-Bob, Rudy's friend and supporter, but Charles S. Dutton leads the way as Fortune, the groundskeeper who helps Rudy keep his feet on the ground.

(Available at Amazon.com)

Top 5 Sports Films: "The Babe" (Starring John Goodman, Kelly McGillis, Trini Alvarado and Bruce Boxleitner)

John Goodman hits a home run as George Herman "Babe" Ruth, one of professional baseball's greatest players. As portrayed by Goodman, Ruth's enormous appetite for food, beer and women threatens his career at times, but he still could hit a ball while intoxicated. Despite his shortcomings, Babe Ruth set records that lasted for decades, and Goodman's performance honors the man and the legend.

(Available at Netflix.com)

Top 5 Sports Films: "Cinderella Man" (Starring Russell Crowe, Renée Zellweger, Paul Giamatti and Craig Bierko)

Russell Crowe stars as real-life boxer James Braddock in the best sports film that you've probably never seen. Director Ron Howard skillfully and painfully recreates Braddock's rise as a boxing champion, the hard times endured by his family during the Great Depression and the second chance he's given in the ring against a lethal champion.

(Available at CDUniverse.com)

Top 5 Sports Films: "Pride of the Yankees" (Starring Gary Cooper, Teresa Wright and Babe Ruth)

In this biopic, Gary Cooper plays the lead role of Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig, the legendary baseball player who earned the nickname of "Iron Lou." Cooper portrays Gehrig from his days as a young rookie until a fatal disease ends his baseball career years later. Baseball legend Babe Ruth, who once had a professional rivalry with Gehrig, plays himself in this 1942 classic.

(Available at Moviesunlimited.com)

Top 5 Sports Films: "Field of Dreams" (Starring Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, Ray Liotta and Timothy Busfield)

In what many consider to be the greatest baseball film ever made, Kevin Costner plays Ray Kinsella, an Iowa farmer who turns a good portion of his property into a baseball field after hearing a voice in his head. A film that's just as much about fathers and sons as it is about baseball, "Field of Dreams" is funny, touching and one of those rare sports movies that almost are too good to be true.

(Available at Overstock.com)