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The Rocky films are one of the most successful franchises in history as well as being the most popular underdog films ever made. Even the story of how the original Rocky film was made is an underdog story in itself.
Sylvester Stallone was a struggling actor and screenwriter. He only played small and bit parts in films. He was so broke that he even had to sell his dog to raise money. He wrote Rocky, and that changed everything. He even repurchased his dog after making the film. A true underdog story! Hollywood loves a good underdog story, and here are some of the best underdog movies.
Seabiscuit (2003)
If underdogs aren't your thing, how about a down-and-out horse? Seabiscuit is the true story of the horse people no longer wanted, a film about the importance of second, third, even fourth chances.
Seabiscuit seemed like an untrainable horse because of the abuse it had endured.
The film takes place during the Great Depression when a businessman (Jeff Bridges) is coping with the tragic death of his son. He purchases the racehorse. Seabiscuit seems like he is untrainable, but with a bit of love eventually comes around and wins the hearts of the nation when people's hearts needed to be lifted out of the depression. Everyone in this film is wounded or struggling in some way. The film shows that no matter how broken someone is, there can be a light at the end of the tunnel with a bit of hope and determination!
Lucas (1986)
Lucas is a film about a nerdy-looking kid named Lucas (Corey Haim) who is rejected and bullied at school. He meets Maggie (Kerri Green), the New Girl in school, and becomes her friend. He falls in love with her, but unfortunately, she is in love with Cappie (Charlie Sheen), a football player for the team.
Lucas joins the football team to win Maggie's heart. Lucas is probably Corey Haim's best acting performance in a film. The tears will likely flow during a touching scene at the film's end.
Hustle & Flow (2005)
Hustle N Flow is a different underdog film because it causes people to root for someone they usually don't root for in movies -- a pimp. The film is about DJay (Terrence Howard), a pimp who lives daily as a pimp, but he has big dreams and ambitions.
His vision is to turn his life around and create rap music. DJay hears that a rap superstar is coming to town, and DJay makes music to gain the rapper's attention and hopefully impress him enough so that his dreams can come true.
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
Napoleon Dynamite is perhaps the strangest film on this list. It has an odd sense of humor that people either get or they don't. It is a movie about dorky outsider Napoleon (Jon Heder) who has trouble fitting in. Napoleon becomes friends with another outsider Pedro (Efren Ramirez).
Pedro decides to run for class president. What makes this film stand out from the others on the list is the film's randomness. Most underdog films have a laser focus and drive that isn't in this film. What the film does have are moments. It has strange and unusual moments. It is best to watch it that way. Just watch the movie and laugh at the odd moments.
Revenge Of The Nerds (1984)
Nerd culture has drastically changed since Revenge of the Nerds was released in 1984. 1984 was back before it was cool to be a nerd. This silly film, despite its flaws, was a pioneering film for the nerd culture we have today. The film revolves around Lewis (Robert Carradine) and Gilbert (Anthony Edwards) starting college. Who knows where nerds would be if it weren't for Revenge of the Nerds?
They have dreams of college life, but their dreams are shattered when they are forced to move out of their dormitory and into the gym because the fraternity the Alpha Betas move into their dormitory after their fraternity house burns down. The Nerds form their own fraternity and fight back the only way they know how, with creativity and brains. The culture has changed so much since this movie has been released maybe it is time for a Revenge of the Jocks movie?
Battle Of The Sexes
The Battle of the Sexes is about a tennis match between Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) and Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell). Bobby Riggs challenged Billie Jean King to a tennis match and said she would not be able to defeat him because she is a woman.
During the time leading up to the game, Bobby Riggs would bully King with cocky male chauvinist remarks and actions. It was important for Billie Jean King to win the match not just for herself but for all women and the women's movement during the 1970s.
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is a poor 18-year-old who grew up in the streets of India. He is on the India version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. The story is told in flashback of what leads up to the present point in the story and how a poor street kid can answer all the questions.
When he is just one question away from winning the 20 million rupees, he is arrested by the police because they believe that the only way a street kid from India can answer the questions is if he is cheating. Through the police questioning him, Jamal's true motive for being on the show is revealed, and it isn't to be rich and famous.
8 Mile (2002)
8 Mile is like Rocky, except instead of boxing, it is rapping. Jimmy (Eminem) grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. He is poor and lives in a trailer with his mom. He works at a dead-end job.
One thing that Jimmy does have is heart. He has heart, and a desire to be a successful rapper someday despite all that is against him.
8 Mile is a film about heart and overcoming impossible odds to achieve a dream.
The Karate Kid (1984)
John G Avidsen directed The Karate Kid. He directed not only Karate Kid but also Rocky. John must have a thing for the underdog film. The film opens with Daniel (Ralph Macchio) moving to Southern California with his mom, Lucille LaRusso (Randee Heller). Daniel doesn't want to move to California but wants to live there even less after arriving. When Daniel is at the beach, he becomes the target of local bullies after trying to defend Ali Millis (Elizabeth Shue) from Johnny (William Zabka), her former boyfriend. Johnny wasn't received as well in 1984 by audiences as he is now in Cobra Kai. Daniel becomes the target of constant harassment from the bullies.
One night when the bullies beat up Daniel after playing a prank on them, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), a man who is a jack of all trades and works at the apartment where Daniel moved, defends Daniel when he is getting beat up by the bullies. He becomes Daniel's friend and goes to the dojo where the bullies receive their karate training. Mr. Miyagi learns where the boy's bad attitude comes from. It comes from their trainer John Kreese (Martin Kove). He asks that the trainer agree that they will no longer bully Daniel but leave him alone for training for an upcoming tournament. Mr. Miyagi then takes Daniel under his wing and trains him in the form of Karate, which has more respect for human life than Copra Kai. The Karate Kid is more like Rocky than any film on the list.
Hoop Dreams (1994)
Hoop Dreams is one of those films that is stranger than fiction. It is a documentary with so many plot twists that even a seasoned screenwriter couldn't fabricate. The story is about two high school kids who dream of making it in the NBA. The kids, William Gates and Arthur Agee are two poor African American teenagers who are part of a basketball program at a suburban school.
Both kids have an uphill battle adjusting to a different social environment and playing basketball, which they love to do. The film is an honest look at the harsh reality of achieving your dreams when you have the cards stacked against you. Years later, another documentary was made called Hoop Reality. Checking back in on William Gates and Arthur Agee to see how they are doing today and another teen trying to achieve the same dream.