Top Ten Sports Movies (Non-Baseball Division)
Last year we killed some time debating the top baseball movies of all time. This afternoon, procrastination will take the form of kicking off a post on the top non-baseball sports movies. Let me stipulate that I’ve never seen a bunch of movies that likely appear on many people’s lists, such as Rudy. And I was really unmoved by Hoosiers. Deal with it.
1) Miracle - You just couldn’t make this up. Plus, Snake Pliskin wears Herb Brooks’ plaid pants.
2) When We Were Kings - It’s amazing to see the difference between the sullen, angry George Foreman of the 70s, and the jolly panda bear of more recent vintage.
3) Slap Shot - Old time hockey! Eddie Shore! If this isn’t on your list, then you go, and you sit, and you feel shame.
4) Caddyshack - This goes without saying
5) Rocky - If Stallone died after this film (or just pulled a Brando and retired to his own island), he’d be remembered as his generation’s Orson Welles
6) Hoop Dreams - Tragic but riveting
7) Raging Bull - Scorsese. DeNiro. I rest my case.
8) North Dallas Forty - from the director of First Blood
9) All the Right Moves - Tom Cruise plays a cocky young star in this coming-of-age tale. Craig T. Nelson plays a football coach. Talk about casting against type.
10) Karate Kid - It’s so cheesy, I was almost afraid to put it on my list, but then I remembered: Fear does not exist in this dojo. Go Cobra Kai!
Special Mention: The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island
May 22nd, 2008 at 1:16 pm
1) Caddyshack. They tried to make a sequel. How can you follow perfection? The most-quoted movie ever… for good reason. I suppose I can this not #1 on some lists - but anyone who keeps it out of any top ten is wearing a dunce cap (”heh… looks good on you though”, eyes rolling). My favorite line just might be Czervik going up to the judge’s wife on the dance floor, “Hey honey… wanna make 14 dollars the *hard* way?”
2) Slap Shot. This movie may be more popular than the NHL right now - and the movie is now thirty years old. At the Red Sox game last weekend, saw a couple “Chiefs/Hanson” jerseys… Steve (17) and Jeff (18) if I have my numbers correct. This movie is timeless for so many reasons. My favorite non-obvious quote, “Not the Poodle!”. Just the way Morris delivers it… classic.
3) Rudy. It gets me every time at the end… it just does. The fact that its a true story is icing on the cake.
4) Radio. I seem to always enjoy Ed Harris and Cuba Gooding Jr in almost anything they do. Also see above, re: true story and cake. But the coach walks away from football to look after Radio - cuz he actually has his priorities straight (and he ends up in the HOF anyhow - likely as much for the person he was, as for what he accomplished on the field). If you haven’t seen this movie, you should.
5) Rocky. We can all laugh at Stallone for a lot of things, and we should - but this movie is simply outstanding. Again, the hero/good guy doesn’t win in the end… and that actually makes the movie better (and makes all subsequent Rocky movies worse, among other reasons).
6) Fever Pitch. I understand that being a Sox fan severely skews my assessment of this movie - but I thought Fallon was funny, Drew Barrymore was cute/attractive Drew in this one - and, oh btw… the Red Sox won the WS. They plan on filming this thing with the usual ending, Sox blow it - except as the film is wrapping up, the Sox complete the first *ever* 3-0 playoff series comeback in over 100 years of MLB, and go onto win the WS (in case I didn’t mention that part). Good times - but also, good movie. The day he gets his season tickets, and the scene where he’s splitting up the games with his buddies? Classic.
7) Bad News Bears. Walter Matthau version, not Billy Ray Thornton version - but I think that’s just common sense. Great movie, great lines, and the “good guys” don’t win in the end - but its okay. “I know I don’t got a whole lot up there - but what I do got don’t feel so good.” Just a great, great movie. Chico’s Bail Bonds is the team sponsor… classic.
8) Hoosiers. I did see it, and enjoyed it immensely. The good guys did win, but again… true story… icing… good stuff. Hackman was great, Hopper was great. How anyone cannot get caught up in it (yes, I’m looking at you Tank) baffles me.
9) All the Right Moves. A young, luscious Lea Thompson. It is well. Plus, the classic Vooch quote… this movie belongs in every (non-baseball) top ten list of sports movies. Added bonus - Chris Penn before he ballooned (I guess while at USC, enjoying the same cravings as his pregnant girlfriend).
10) Miracle. Yes - my list is littered with improbably true stories. Okay, okay… I enjoy that genre - especially when the movie is well-made, and this is (another one that is).
If there was a #11: North Dallas Forty. Mac Davis throws Nick Nolte one more pass for old-time sake, and Nolte pulls his hands away rather than try to make the catch. I saw it initially as a kid and didn’t really get it too much - then saw it again later and realized what it was all about. Great movie.
Honorable mention: The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh. It could’ve been basketball’s Slap Shot except that the writing, directing, producing and acting weren’t even remotely good enough. Still… anytime I can see Dr. J, in full ‘fro, choreographed on the basketball court? It’s a good thing.
Specifically regarding Tank’s above that I omitted:
When We Were Kings - heard it was fantastic, but I’ve never seen it.. at least yet.
Hoop Dreams - ditto.
Raging Bull - saw it once, a long, long time ago… I guess I wasn’t into black-and-white movies or something. Didn’t do anything for me. Probably in my best interest to check it out again.
Karate Kid - William Zabka hones his craft as the bad guy/foil of the movie’s hero - although I think he did his best work in that exact same role in “Back To School”. I like cheese, even sometimes in my movies - but this movie wasn’t cheesy *and* funny… it was just cheesy, and offered one or two useful quotes. So did Rodney Dangerfield’s “Ladybugs” but you don’t see me listing it in my top ten, do you?
May 30th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Pretty sure Fever Pitch and Bad News Bears were Baseball movies, so they won’t make my “non-baseball list”
1. Caddyshack - potentially the most quotable movie of all time
2. Miracle - I agree with Cliffy that true stories make the best sports movies
3. Friday Night Lights / Hoop Dreams - I think every aspiring high school athlete needs to see both of these movies so they understand the long odds of making a career out of athletics
5. White Man Can’t Jump - Marques Johnson kills me here
6. He Got Game - That Ray Allen is a talented actor
7. Wildcats - How much unitentional comedy here?
8. Tin Cup - How different would this movie have been post Tiger Woods era?
9. Bobby Jones - Stroke of Genious.
10. - The Last Boyscout - When this movie is on cable… tell me you aren’t watching?
May 31st, 2008 at 10:13 am
Ah… so when we say “non-baseball” movies, we then need to *exclude* baseball movies from the list? Got it. Little safety tip… thanks, Egon.
Okay… then I’ll move North Dallas Forty into my top ten. You make a good observation on “The Last Boyscout” - I mean, the scene where Damon Wayans throws a 175-yard strike to thwart the bad guys and save the day?… gripping. And the part in the beginning where Bruce Willis catches his buddy nailing his wife, so they go outside… Willis punches hard in the gut once… and they’re even - scintillating. And the little girl from Halloween showed her acting range moving from scared youngster to wise-ass pre-teen with flawless assimilation.
But I’ll give the nod to “Wildcats”, as the last-minute non-baseball replacement into the top ten. In addition to “Wildcats” and another list entrant “White Men Can’t Jump”, can you name at least one other movie that Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes appear in together? And no… Harrelson did not play an Indians (or Yankees) extra in “Major League”.