Top Five Sports Movies

I have a hard time with movies dealing with sports for the same reason why I have a problem with slasher films. Both genres often rely on the undeniable excitement of gore or the drama of a overtime game with the clock running down rather than character development or dialogue. However, every now and then a sports movie comes along where it isn't the scenes taking place on the field or court or arena that are fondly remembered, but the dynamic characters and their interactions. If you aren't looking for films that appeal to your emotions, can be applied to your own life, or appeal to more creative sensibilities, read no further. If you are looking for a list of movies that are impossible to fall asleep during a lazy afternoon in front of the television, then this article is for you.
The 1940's was the decade that the type of movie known as "film noir" thrived. The classification (heavy shadows, moral ambiguity, jaded endings, and stilted dialogue) centered around films that often dealt with the underworld of urban life, mysteries, and wartime disillusion. However, in 1949 "The Set-Up" came out. "The Set-Up" was the story of a has been boxer who has a chance to get back on top but is desperate enough to take the fall for money. Robert Ryan gives a poignant performance as the boxer who has defeat in one eye while the other glimmers with defiance. During the well filmed boxing scenes that still hold up to today's standards he wrestles with his pride and the promise of a hefty bribe to throw the fight.
Contrasting Ryan's sharply analyzing brain, in 1976 the world was introduced to the dim witted but full hearted Rocky Balboa in "Rocky". The first of six films, "Rocky" is certainly the best. It's mood would be similar to that of a fairy tale if it weren't for the gritty Philadelphia backdrop wrought with poverty and dashed dreams. Rocky (a young Sylvester Stallone) is on the brink of continuing life as a small time professional boxer or giving up his dream and integrity to become an enforcer for a local loan shark. When Carl Weathers' eccentric heavy weight champion Apollo Creed decides to give an underdog a shot at the title, Rocky rises to the occasion with the help of his unforgettable trainer Mickey (Burgess Meredith).
Interestingly, the third movie on the list also happens to be a boxing film. Perhaps the sport holds a dramatic appeal that isn't often found in other sports. In any case, 1980's "Raging Bull" does not disappoint. Scorsesse directs Robert DiNiro in a biopic of boxer Jake LaMotta. The gory black and white cinematography is innovative and unforgettable. DiNiro's transformation, emotional as well as physical, is captivating as he struggles with taming the talent and aggression he carries in the ring and keeping it out of his personal life. The real Jake LaMotta trained DiNiro for the role and later said that anytime the actor wanted to pursue a boxing career that he could confidently be a contender. The film also has a brilliant supporting role by Joe Pesci.
Twenty years later, "Remember the Titans" arrived bringing football drama and race relations to the screen in a brilliant manor. Denzel Washington plays the first African American coach on an integrated high school football team. The power of this film is not in the spellbinding action on the field but on the bonds created between teammates during a backward time when such bonds were frowned upon.
The final film on my list is one that is full of heart wrenching sadness, adrenaline pumping redemption, and spine tingling gore. "The Wrestler" (2008) is the story of a down and out professional wrestler struggling with the loyalty of his few remaining fans, his failing health, an estranged relationship with his daughter, and fear of loneliness culminated in his love for an aging stripper. Mickey Rourke completely embodies the role so easily perhaps that his own story matches his character's so well. A blackballed Hollywood golden boy in the early 1980's Rourke took up professional boxing and failed horribly. "The Wrester" was his humble return to the screen. An actor seeking redemption playing an actor of a different sort seeking fulfillment. Mostly filmed with a handheld camera, what the film lacks in aesthetic value, it makes up for in character development and superb method acting.
Each of the films mentioned vary in their cinematic style, but a common trait that they share is that the drama within the characters and their relationships matches (if not surpasses) the drama in their respective athletic events. A good sport movie is no different from a good action movie, a good comedy, or a good drama. All must meet an intellectual requirement that draws the audience into internal struggles and dynamic personages. These five films do just that.