People love watching sports movies. If they’re based on a true story, then so much the better because sports movies show the audience that the protagonists are human, that they have struggles and must battle to overcome them. They’re a wholesome form of content people can relate to. Audiences can picture themselves as that person and identify with the sense of struggle. Ultimately, sports movies forge an emotional connection with the audience.
Hollywood has produced some fine sports movies over the decades, especially ones based on true events. Below is a look at some of the best to have graced the silver screen.
Raging Bull (1980)
As far as biopics go, some would argue it doesn’t get much more realistic and grittier than Raging Bull, starring Robert De Niro and directed by Martin Scorsese. This film, shot in black and white, tells the story of middleweight boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper led him to greatness in the ring, but destroyed his life out of it.
The movie took in around $23.5 million at the box office worldwide. That was on the back of an $18 million budget, so not one of Scorsese’s most successful films by any stretch of the imagination. The film received mixed reviews. Some praised De Niro’s performance and the editing, but others disliked the movie because of the violent content.
We Are Marshall (2006)
We Are Marshall, starring the ever-reliable Matthew McConaughey and directed by McG, is a somewhat cliched sports movie, but one that hits hard on an emotional level. The movie relates the true story of the Marshall University football team, who had to find a new coach and players after nearly all of its members died in a plane crash. The movie is tragic, uplifting and inspiring, all in one, as the new coach, Jack Lengyel, not only fights to keep the football program alive, but, through his work with the team, helps the community to move on from the tragedy and rebuild itself. If you’d been checking any college football odds at the time, you might have been hesitant to bet on the new team.
The movie grossed around $45.5 million worldwide and, overall, received positive reviews. Many commented on the highly formulaic nature of the film, but very few denied the powerful impact of the story and the performances.
Rush (2013)
Rush, directed by Ron Howard and starring Daniel Brühl as Niki Lauda and Chris Hemsworth as James Hunt, looks at the 1976 Formula One season and focus on the legendary rivalry between the two former Formula One drivers. It was a rivalry which pushed each driver to his limits and was so intense that Niki Lauda returned to the track just two races after a horrifying crash that almost killed him.
Critics felt some of the drama was overdone in places of the film, but overall felt Rush was a good piece of filmmaking. They noted that the driving scenes were intense and the whole film had the theme of risk and death hanging uncomfortably over it, but the film was highly engaging.
Chariots of Fire (1981)
Famously remembered for its theme music by Vangelis, Chariots of Fire recounts the story of two British athletes striving to win the 1924 Paris Olympics, but running for very different reasons. Eric Lidell, played by Ian Charleson, is a devout Christian running at God’s “pleasure,” whereas Harold Abrahams, played by Ben Cross, is a Jew running to combat antisemitism.
The film grossed $58,303,767 worldwide and won four Oscars. As noted by many reviewers, it’s a distinctly patriotic film, a very British kind of movie, but one that drew attention to cracks in British society. This is the true power of the film and helped it to win the admiration of critics and audiences.
Ali (2002)
In this biopic directed by Michael Mann, Will Smith stars as the eminent heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali, who proclaimed himself as “The Greatest,” a claim the rest of the world would later concur with. The film focuses on the triumphs and controversies of the famous boxer’s life between 1964 and 1974 and grossed $87,812,729 worldwide.
Critics commented how ambitious the task a film about Ali’s life was, but praised the director for restricting the movie to a ten-year period of it, which they considered a smart decision. They also acknowledged the filmmaker’s skill in capturing the sporting, political and spiritual strength of Ali, as well as creating raw, realistic, but not excessively brutal combat scenes. The performance of the cast, especially Will Smith, also didn’t go unmissed.
Some fantastic sports movies, based on true stories, have come out of Hollywood. Others you might wish to see if you’ve already seen the above include Remember the Titans (2000), starring Denzel Washington, and The Fighter (2010), starring Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale.