Top Ten Sports Movies

The following is a list of sports films which is a compilation of films in the genre covering sports activities.  Most of these movies now have their main characters idolized in local gyms around the world – the most popular being Sylvester Stallon as Rocky.

1. Rocky

This is a boxing saga of prominent films written by and starring Sylvester Stallone, who plays the role of Rocky Balboa. The films are, by order of release date: Rocky (1976), Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985), Rocky V (1990) and Rocky Balboa (2006). The films series have made more than $1 billion worldwide.

2. Remember the Titans

Based on a true story, this movie is an American sports drama. It is directed by Boaz Yakin and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer for Walt Disney Pictures and was released in 2000. The role of Coach Herman Boone is played by Denzel Washington. The movie centers on the football team of the newly integrated T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia.

3. A League of Their Own

This is a 1992 United States comedy-drama film that is actually a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). The movie stars Tom Hanks, Madonna, Lori Petty, Geena Davis and is directed by Penny Marshall.

4. Rudy

Directed by David Anspaugh, Rudy is a 1993 film. It narrates the life of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger who nurtured dreams of playing football at the Notre Dame University in spite of great obstacles. It was the first movie the Notre Dame administration allowed to be shot on campus since Knute Rockne, All American in 1940.

5. Slap Shot

Starring Michael Ontkean and Paul Newman, Slap Shot is a 1977 that was directed by George Roy Hill. The film is partly based on writer Nancy Dowd’s brother Ned Dowd’s experiences playing minor league hockey in the United States in the 1970s.

6. Cinderella Man

This is a 2005 American drama film inspired by the real life story of former heavy weight boxing champion James. J. Braddock. Directed by Ron Howard, the film was produced by Howard, Penny Marshall, and Brian Grazer .

7. Hoosiers

A 1986 sports film, Hoosiers is regarding a small-town Indiana high school basketball team that wins the state championship. Set in 1951, the film is very loosely based on the story of a real Indiana team of that period, the Milan High School team that won the 1954 state championship. Gene Hackman acts as a new coach with a troubled past.

8. Field of Dreams

A 1989 American fantasy/drama film, Field of Dreams is adapted and directed by Phil Alden Robinson from the novel Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella. The movie stars Amy Madigan, Kevin Costner, Ray Liotta, Gaby Hoffmann, Frank Whaley, James Earl Jones, and Burt Lancaster in his final film appearance.

9. Raging Bull

A 1980 American biographical film, Raging Bull is directed by Martin Scorsese. It is adapted by Mardik Martin and Paul Schrader from the memoir Raging Bull: My Story. Robert De Niro stars as Jake LaMotta, a middleweight boxer whose sexual jealousy, sadomasochistic rage, and animalistic appetite destroyed his relationship with his wife and family by exceeding the boundaries of the prizefight ring.

10. Happy Gilmore

A 1996 American sports comedy film, Happy Gilmore is directed by Dennis Dugan. Adam Sandler played the leading character. This film is listed 97 among Bravo’s 100 funniest movies. Happy Gilmore played by Sandler is a budding ice hockey player from Waterbury, Connecticut who is seen mastering a dangerous and powerful slapshot taught to him by his father when he was a child.

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