50 Of The Best And The Most Inspiring Sports Movies

1976 | 2 hours | Directed by John G. Avildsen
 

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young

Rocky is a sports drama film following a small-time Philadelphia boxer at a pivotal point in his life. Despite the odds being very slim, he gets a chance to fight in the world championship, and it might be just the change he needs. Stallone himself wrote the screenplay for Rocky in three days and was adamant about playing the lead role even though everyone was highly skeptical about it. And look how it turned out - after Rocky, Stallone became a high-stakes actor, and the movie itself turned into an absolute icon.

1994 | 2 hours 50 minutes | Directed by Steve James
 

Starring William Gates, Arthur Agee, Emma Gates

Hoop Dreams is a documentary film following the lives of two inner-city Chicago boys who hope to become college basketball players, with their ultimate goal being playing professionally. And although the road is rocky, the two boys' dream never dies - a truly inspiring story! And it doesn't matter if you're a fan of basketball or of cricket or don't care about sports at all; Hoop Dreams is a must-see film about hopes, aspirations, and motivation.

1976 | 1 hour 42 minutes | Directed by Michael Ritchie
 

Starring Walter Matthau, Tatum O'Neal, Vic Morrow

The Bad News Bears is a sports comedy whose centerman is an alcoholic ex-baseball pitcher tasked with coaching a youth baseball team. The team is the epitome of misfits, and the field they're playing in is highly competitive. And that, of course, is a mix of some very unexpected yet truly funny mishaps and fails. The Bad News Bears might seem cynical and grim on the surface, but its sincerity and the wish to be a life-like movie shine through beautifully. An overall great movie, whether you're a sports fan or not.

1980 | 2 hours 9 minutes | Directed by Martin Scorsese
 

Starring Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci

Raging Bull is a biographical sports drama film adapted from Jake LaMotta's 1970 memoir Raging Bull: My Story. The movie depicts the story of LaMotta and how his temper and aptitude for violence led him to be one of the greatest boxers of his time while at the same time destroying his life out of the ring. Although by its release, Raging Bull was met with only lukewarm reviews, it is now considered Scorsese's magnum opus, one of the greatest movies ever made.

1980 | 1 hour 38 minutes | Directed by Harold Ramis
 

Starring Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray

Caddyshack is a sports comedy film centered around the events happening at the elitist Bushwood Country Club, where there's a new brash member and a destructive dancing… gopher? Caddyshack is probably the crown jewel of low-brow comedies - there's no way on Earth anyone would find it too complex, but the easy jokes are made in such a tasteful way no snob would find them for what they really are. No wonder Caddyshack has gained a cult-like following and is consistently named as one of the best comedies ever.

1988 | 1 hour 48 minutes | Directed by Ron Shelton
 

Starring Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins

Bull Durham is a romantic comedy sports film that depicts the players and fans of a minor-league baseball team, the Durham Bulls, from Durham, North Carolina. So, there's a groupie, Annie, who has an affair each season with one of the team members, and a rookie pitcher is her most recent target. However, while she's warming up to him, she finds herself falling for a veteran player, and her days as a groupie might be numbered. Bull Durham, accidentally or not, found the perfect recipe for bringing relationships to a sports movie and pulled it off with real grace.

1977 | 2 hours 3 minutes | Directed by George Roy Hill
 

Starring Paul Newman, Michael Ontkean, Strother Martin

Slap Shot is a sports comedy film about a failing hockey team. To pull themselves up, they resort to using gooney violence in their games, which, undoubtedly, brings back their popularity. The funniest/saddest part is that Slap Shot is based on the real experiences that the scriptwriter's brother had playing professional hockey in the '70s. So, as unbelievable as the story might sometimes look, at least a tiny bit of it is always true. Because of the tangible mean streak, Slap Shot gained very mixed reviews upon its release but became a cult classic in the coming years.

1996 | 1 hour 28 minutes | Directed by Leon Gast
 

Starring Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Don King

When We Were Kings is a documentary film about the 'Rumble in the Jungle' heavyweight boxing match in 1974 between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. And where there's a story about Muhammad, you know you have to watch it! When We Were Kings is a great overall example of a documentary - thoughtful, endearing, and immersive. Besides all that, it also manages to shed some light on who Muhammad really was as a person, and after you know him better, you'll like him and his values even more.

2010 | 1 hour 46 minutes | Directed by Asif Kapadia
 

Starring Ayrton Senna (archive footage), Reginaldo Leme, John Bisignano

Senna is a documentary movie on Brazilian Formula One driver Ayrton Senna who won the Formula One world championship three times before his death at age 34. The film follows Senna's life from his debut in the 1984 Brazilian Grand Prix to his death with a strong emphasis on his rivalry with fellow driver Alain Prost. Senna primarily relies on archive footage from the track and his family's home videos rather than retrospective interviews. That, of course, makes the movie even more personal and immersive!

2004 | 1 hour 58 minutes | Directed by Peter Berg
 

Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Jay Hernandez, Derek Luke

Friday Night Lights is a sports drama film based on H. G. Bissinger's 1990 book Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream, following the story of the Permian High School baseball team from Odessa, Texas, called the Panthers, as they made their run for the state championship in 1988. Friday Night Lights is a truly inspiring story of a heroic team from a depressed town playing and winning against all odds. A message we could all take with us.