Ah, the humble sports movie, home to some of the best underdog stories as they tell inspirational stories of overcoming adversity. Most of these heartwarming tales are based on true stories, such as Rocky taking inspiration from when massive underdog Chuck Wepner lasted 15 rounds against Muhammad Ali.
Though the sports genre is flooded with biopics, there do exist quite a few films that are entirely fictional. Some still go down the route of using sport to tell uplifting stories, while others use the genre as a comedic setting and elicit laughs at the expense of the sport and those who play it.
'Warrior' (2011)
On the verge of bankruptcy, former MMA fighter and family man Brendan (Joel Edgerton) enters Sparta, a fighting tournament offering $5 million to the winner. The only problem is his estranged brother Tommy (Tom Hardy), a former marine, is also competing to win the money for the widow of a fellow soldier.
Warrior is a rare sports movie where neither side deserves to lose, with both Brendan and Tommy having noble intentions for entering the tournament. As much an examination of family and forgiveness as it is about MMA, Warrior will make you want to hug your nearest relative.
Warrior is available to stream on HBO Max.
'Major League' (1989)
A comedy set in the world of baseball, Major League follows a fictionalized version of the Cleveland Indians, a real-life baseball team who now go by the Cleveland Guardians. When new owner Rachel Phelps (Rene Russo) decides to move the team to Miami instead, she recruits the worst players in an effort to force relocation. When the players learn her intentions, they decide to win just to spite her.
Familiar faces Charlie Sheen, Wesley Snipes, and Tom Berenger star as players, each with their own faults but also their own strengths to aid the team. Since its release Major League has remained a favorite of professional baseball players and commentators, often being referenced during calls.
Major League is available to stream on Paramount+.
'Slap Shot' (1977)
After years of failure, small-town hockey coach Reggie Dunlop (Paul Newman) recruits a trio of brothers into his badly performing town. Known as the Hanson brothers, the new players' thuggish and violent playing style draws a crowd and improves team performance, inspiring Dunlop to motivate the rest of his players to show the same aggression.
Slap Shot would go on to become a cult classic and is notorious for favoring violence and coarse language above a motivational sports story. The film is a departure for Newman, who was known at the time for more dramatic performances, but the legendary actor remarked that Dunlop remained one of his favorite roles.
Slap Shot is available to stream on Starz.
'The Sandlot' (1993)
One of the defining coming-of-age films of the 1990s, The Sandlot follows fifth-grader Scotty as he moves to a new town in 1962. A shy kid, Scotty soon befriends a small group of local children, regularly playing baseball together as they get into all manner of mishaps and hi-jinks.
While the film does nothing new, its sweet and relatable story helped The Sandlot to hit a home run with audiences at the time, and it remains popular thirty years later. Many sports-based kids' movies were released around this time (shout out to Air Bud), but The Sandlot remains the best.
The Sandlot is available to stream on Disney+, Tubi, and Amazon Prime Video.
'Happy Gilmore' (1996)
One of the films that launched Adam Sandler into stardom, Happy Gilmore remains one of the Sandman's best. When a failed hockey player realizes he has a knack for golf, he enters a tournament in order to save his grandmother's house with the prize money.
Proving to be one of the most enduring comedies of the 1990s, Happy Gilmore remains regularly quoted, while Happy's trademark swing is still emulated in the golfing community as a homage to the film. The film also increased interest in the otherwise dry sport, and many kids took up their clubs in the hope of hitting the ball like Happy.
'The Longest Yard' (1974)
When former football star Paul Crewe (Burt Reynolds) is sentenced to 18 months in prison, the warden blackmails him into coaching a team made up of his fellow convicts. While the warden plans to use the inmates as an easy practice win for his team of prison guards, the prisoners instead use the game as retribution for the abuse they have suffered.
While still a comedy, The Longest Yard is noticeably darker than the Adam Sandler remake (in which Reynolds also co-starred), offering more dramatic moments in-between laughs. The film was remade two more times in Egypt (Captain Masr) and the UK (Mean Machine), though these two films swap American football for soccer.
The Longest Yard is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Paramount+.
'Caddyshack' (1980)
A beloved comedy from the 1980s, Caddyshack follows a cast of characters at an exclusive country club. Wanting to go to college, young caddie Danny tries to get into the good books of one of the club's rich founders. At the same time, an unstable groundskeeper (Bill Murray) attempts to eradicate a gopher that is plaguing the golf course. Along with Murray, the film stars comedy legends Chevy Chase and Rodney Dangerfield.
The directorial debut of Ghostbusters star Harold Ramis, Caddyshack received underwhelming reviews at release but went on to become a cult classic and a highlight in the filmography of all involved.
Caddyshack is available to stream on HBO Max.
'Shaolin Soccer' (2001)
Directed by Stephen Chow, who would find further success with Kung Fu Hustle and The Mermaid, Shaolin Soccer tells the story of a group of Shaolin monks who decide to form a soccer team. In an effort to promote kung fu via sport, the monks showcase their almost superhuman abilities on the pitch.
The film does a great job of balancing humor and action, finding plenty of laughs in-between its eye-catching soccer matches. The idea for Shaolin Soccer came from Chow wanting to create a unique martial arts film, and its coupling with soccer was a way for the Hong Kong production to appeal to an international audience.
Shaolin Soccer is available to stream on Paramount+.
'Field of Dreams' (1989)
The most beloved baseball film of all time, Field of Dreams tells the story of Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner), a farmer in Iowa. An avid baseball fan, Ray begins to hear voices urging him to build a baseball field on his farm, and so he does, attracting the ghosts of several baseball legends.
Field of Dreams is a unique mix of sports drama and fantasy, and it appeals to viewers of all ages, regardless of their interest in baseball. The line "if you build it, he will come" has become part of popular culture, and the film was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Field of Dreams is available to stream on Peacock.
'The Wrestler' (2008)
Taking the cheesy world of professional wrestling and injecting a human story into it, Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler is a powerful drama. Mickey Rourke is titanic as Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a wrestler well past his prime who competes in independent fights in an effort to stay relevant. Suffering a heart attack after a match, Randy is warned to give up wrestling, or it will kill him.
The film also follows Randy's interactions with Cassidy (Marisa Tomei), a stripper that he bonds with, and his estranged daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood), who he tries to reconnect with. Rourke came close to Oscar's glory with his performance, as an aging warrior struggling to turn his back on the only thing that gave him purpose.
The Wrestler is available to stream on HBO Max.