The Top 5 Sports Movies for Non-Sports Fans

Sure, I'll spend an hour watching the NFL, or go to a Diamondbacks game with friends, but you'll never catch me screaming at a ref with a beer in one hand and a foam finger in the other. Truth be told, there are a hundred things I'd rather be doing. Like the laundry, which is just about as exciting. What I am a fan of is movies. Great movies. Epic movies. Movies that light up a room and stir the soul. You see, I'm a geek. I don't know a single sports statistic, but I could tell you the type of ship Han Solo flies (the Millenium Falcon is a Corellian Light Freighter, model YT-1300). That's right, ladies, I know Star Wars trivia. Try to contain yourselves and just form a line right here.

In any case, an odd fact occurred to me somewhere along my movie-geek odyssey. I may not be a sports fan, but I love sports movies. Not love in a "This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship" kind of way. I mean love in a wild, hopelessly devoted, "I'll never let go, Jack" kind of way. The roar of the crowd, the triumph of victory - for a fan of cinematic drama, these films are a dream come true. So I'd like to reach out to all of you - to bridge the gap between sports nut and film geek - by introducing you to movies that you can both enjoy.

#5 Remember the Titans

Summary: In the early 1970s, two schools in Alexandria Virginia integrate forming T.C. Williams High School. The Caucasian head coach of the Titans is replaced by an African American coach from North Carolina. Tensions arise when players of different races are forced together on the same football team. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0210945/)

Why You'll Love It: Historical film fans will enjoy this for its roots in actual events. Though racial tension is an oft-visited thematic element, seeing it through the eyes of a sports team forced to work together proves to be a refreshing approach. Those who appreciate accomplished actors will enjoy the interplay between Denzel Washington and Will Patton, a superb and under-acknowledged character actor. This is also a fun opportunity to spot current stars before anyone knew their names - stars like Ryan Gosling (The Notebook), Kate Bosworth (Superman Returns), Hayden Panettiere (Heroes), and Donald Faison (Scrubs).

Get it here: http://www.amazon.com/Remember-Titans-Widescreen-Denzel-Washington/dp/B000056VP4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1253742405&sr=8-1

#4 Seabiscuit

Summary: In an era when Americans were in great need of heroic figures, SEABISCUIT comes to the rescue. The picture relates a moving story of friendship and devotion as it interweaves the relationships between horse, jockey, trainer and owner and their adoring fans. Based on true events. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0329575/)

Why You'll Love It: The chance to have two high-caliber actors in one film is rare, but we get it here with Jeff Bridges (Iron Man) and Chris Cooper (The Bourne Identity). Fans of cinematography will enjoy the beautifully captured scenery and the personal yet epic feel of each race. Horse enthusiasts will enjoy the love and respect the film conveys for its title character - and yes, he really does feel like a character. And most everyone can appreciate the what's-going-to-happen drama. This movie succeeds in combining what so rarely works - a sports movie that feels like a character study. When the credits roll on this one, you will feel great.

Get it here: http://www.amazon.com/Seabiscuit-Widescreen-Tobey-Maguire/dp/B00005JMCN/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1253742952&sr=1-1

#3 The Natural

Summary: An unknown middle-aged batter named Roy Hobbs with a mysterious past appears out of nowhere to take a losing 1930s baseball team to the top of the league in this magical sports fantasy. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087781/)

Why You'll Love It: I love period pieces (the non-tedious ones, anyway). This one really captures the innocent tone of the 1930s, mixing it with that ol' movie magic to transport you to a world that isn't quite real, though you really want it to be. It's a time before salary disputes and performance-enhancing drug scandals, when athletes played because it was their passion, and that was all. A time when one player could change the face of the game. If you like heroes' trials, this is the sports movie for you. Robert Redford is supremely convincing as the aging athlete whose time in the limelight has come a few years too late. When the climax hit, even I wanted to leap from my chair and cheer.

Get it here: http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Directors-Cut-Robert-Redford/dp/B000MNOX94/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1253743592&sr=1-1

#2 Hoosiers

Summary: Based on the true story of a small-town Indiana basketball team in 1954, this movie chronicles the attempts of a coach with a spotty past, and the town's basketball-loving drunk to lead their high school team to victory. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091217/)

Why You'll Love It: Five words - Gene Hackman and Dennis Hopper. The man who played Lex Luthor and....well, Dennis Hopper. I'd watch a history special on knitting if it starred Gene Hackman, and Dennis Hopper gets to showcase some real acting ability as a loyal but shaky assistant coach. Again, history fans will enjoy its roots in actual events. Few movies allow characters to grow and develop during the course of a game, usually preferring to get that out of the way in quieter moments. While this movie certainly has its share of important quiet moments, game-time is when it really shines. Characters learn and grow as they play the games, not just in between them, adding an extra layer of drama to the already-suspenseful game play.

Get it here: http://www.amazon.com/Hoosiers-Gene-Hackman/dp/0792843592/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1253743995&sr=1-1

#1 Rocky Balboa

Summary: When he loses a highly publicized virtual boxing match to ex-champ Rocky Balboa, reigning heavyweight titleholder Mason Dixon retaliates by challenging the Itallian Stallion to a nationally televised, 10-round exhibition bout. To the surprise of his son and friends, Rocky agrees to come out of retirement and face an opponent who's faster, stronger and thirty years his junior. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479143/)

Why You'll Love It: Yeah, yeah, everyone picks Rocky for their number one sports movie. Big deal, you writers are all the same. But wait a minute there, non-sports fans. I didn't pick Rocky for my number one spot. I picked Rocky Balboa, the 2006 series ender. Why on earth would I do that?!! Curious now? I picked this particular Rocky movie for three reasons. First reason - the story is surprisingly compelling. At first, I had assumed they would try to ignore Rocky's age and make this a straight-out film about two guys pummeling each other. But they didn't. In fact, Rocky has ended up about where you'd expect an ex-champ to end up - he owns a small Italian restaurant and spends his evenings regaling dining patrons and old-day fans with boxing stories. He doesn't fight anymore. He's old, and he knows it. The very fact that they allow Rocky's age to be a pivotal piece of the story elevates the narrative to something new, unexpected, and absolutely riveting. Second reason - Sylvester Stallone is at his writing/directing finest. You can feel his love for the character with every subtle detail - like random Philly residents shaking "the Champ's" hand, or the folding chair he keeps perched in a special place. And Rocky himself is a joy to watch. He's a man who's learned from his past and become wiser for it, which is a great payoff for long-time fans of the series. Third reason - the fight is, in a word, awesome. It has all the drama and suspense you expect from a classic Rocky fight. In a way, it reminded me more of the original Rocky/Apollo Creed fight than anything. Yes, times are different now, and to many he'll always be the Champ - he's arrived, become a legend. But in a way, the struggle he faces in this fight is every bit as great and challenging as his first big fight. Watching an old tiger fight a new battle.....well, it's nothing less than inspiring.

Get it here: http://www.amazon.com/Rocky-Balboa-Sylvester-Stallone/dp/B000N4SHPS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1253744464&sr=1-1