04/19/24
June 19, 2008
AFI names its top 10 sports movies: Two boxing movies "Raging Bull" followed by "Rocky" at the top. Also two baseball movies in top 5.
posted by graymatters to culture at 12:23 PM - 41 comments
I love that Breaking Away is on the list, but I was disappointed to see that Field of Dreams and The Natural aren't; I'd take those two over either of the baseball movies that made the cut.
posted by Venicemenace at 12:35 PM on June 19, 2008
I'm probably a tool, but I'd take Major League over most those movies.
posted by jmd82 at 12:40 PM on June 19, 2008
SPOILER ALERT: The AFI describes Rocky thusly: In late November, 1975, Rocky Balboa, a sweet, garrulous, slightly over-the-hill boxer, wins his latest match with more fury than talent.r... Uhh, he didn't win.
posted by BlueCarp at 12:43 PM on June 19, 2008
You're not a tool, Major League rules. It's definitely better than Jerry Maguire. Hats for Bats.
posted by Venicemenace at 12:48 PM on June 19, 2008
I know we are supposed to question if something is a sport or not -- but, pool, really? I'd vote out Breaking Away, Hustler, and National Velvet, and add in maybe Rudy, Field of Dreams, and the Natural. Of course, Jerry Maguire isn't really a sports movie to me.
posted by bperk at 12:48 PM on June 19, 2008
Field of Dreams made No. 6 on the fantasy list.
posted by graymatters at 12:54 PM on June 19, 2008
Without The Big Lebowski, it's not a compete list.
posted by chicobangs at 12:57 PM on June 19, 2008
I know we've had this discussion before, but either jg or lbb convinced me that Caddyshack is more a movie about a country club rather than a movie about sports. Don't get me wrong, it's one of my all-time favorites. Also, I vote for The Natural and Remember the Titans.
posted by hawkguy at 01:03 PM on June 19, 2008
Where's The Natural? That was a classic...but then again, we're witnessing a real life Natural in Josh Hamilton although he doesn't resemble Robert Redford on bit.
posted by BornIcon at 01:14 PM on June 19, 2008
Where's Eight Men Out or Breaking Away?
posted by rcade at 01:16 PM on June 19, 2008
Pfft. Where's Escape To Victory? Fecking septics ain't gotta clue.
posted by squealy at 01:18 PM on June 19, 2008
I agree with including "Eight Men Out." "Slap Shot" as well. "He Got Game" has its moments. Dunno if it's a Top 10, but the Earl Monroe montage alone is worth the view (as are the opening credit images), and the pre-Celtic Ray Allen does a nice job alongside Denzel. I'd definitely include "Fight Club." Maybe too homoerotic for the avg. male sports fan, though.
posted by afl-aba at 01:33 PM on June 19, 2008
I'd definitely include "Fight Club." Maybe too homoerotic for the avg. male sports fan, though. You kiddin' me? That movie was a classic but I wouldn't say that it's a 'sports' movie. At least that's just my opinion. What about Love or Basketball?
posted by BornIcon at 01:47 PM on June 19, 2008
"Fight Club" is out there, I'll admit. It might fit into the extreme fighting slot, though domestic terrorism is rarely seen as a legitimate contact sport.
posted by afl-aba at 01:57 PM on June 19, 2008
There's got to be at least 10 movies that I would put on that list before "Jerry McGuire" I can't be the only one who thought that movie was a polished turd. Cuba Gooding has gone on since then to prove what a horrible actor he is, and Tom, well he can act, I guess. I know I'm hockey-centric, but "Slap Shot" deserves a spot there as one of the funniest movies of all time. And certainly "Major League" pushes aside a few of those. I will wholeheartedly agree with "Raging Bull" at the top of the list, though.
posted by tahoemoj at 02:46 PM on June 19, 2008
Where the hell is "Bang the Drum Slowly". If they omit that movie, this list is not worth a shit. Who the hell votes on these lists? Bunch of girlie men.
posted by giveuptheghost at 03:10 PM on June 19, 2008
Field of dreams would be number one on my list, but I have an emotional connection with it so I have no problem if others find it less deserving. But Jerry McGuire just kills the list for me.
posted by justgary at 03:13 PM on June 19, 2008
Uhh, he didn't win. posted by BlueCarp at 12:43 PM CDT on June 1 Ah, but he did win, really. All Rocky wanted was to prove to himself that he could "go the distance". He did, therefore he was a winner. He achieved his goal. At least that is what I took away from the movie. Raging Bull number 1, I concur.
posted by steelergirl at 03:19 PM on June 19, 2008
I'd definitely add Major League and Remember the Titans. Then again, everytime one of these lists come out I am always ashamed at how few of the movies I have seen. And no love for The Mighty Ducks?
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 03:23 PM on June 19, 2008
What about Talladega Nights?
posted by hawkguy at 03:50 PM on June 19, 2008
What about Love or Basketball? That would get my vote. Great film about a true passion for a sport running up against a double-standard-based reality. I would also include Downhill Racer -- great depiction of the White Circus and the personality types that inhabit it. Moreover, even though it's nearly 40 years old, it manages not to be quaint. They were running the Hahnenkamm back then too, and the speed and the crashes haven't changed that much.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 03:56 PM on June 19, 2008
Field of dreams would be number one on my list posted by justgary at 3:13 PM CST on June 19 Field of Dreams was ranked under the fantasy catagory according to AFI.
posted by cheemo13 at 04:24 PM on June 19, 2008
Tom, well he can act, I guess Yes, but he's always acting as Tom Cruise.
posted by owlhouse at 04:39 PM on June 19, 2008
Sorry, but Jerry MCGuire belongs on the list of So-So Chick Flicks. I'd even put Angels in the Outfield in front of it. And National Velvet is a sports movie? Might as well add The Wizard of Oz cause it has a horse of a different color. And where the hell is Cool Runnings mon? Gleaming the Cube? Chariots of Fire? The ESPN list SI's list Another Good List
posted by irunfromclones at 05:25 PM on June 19, 2008
This is just fodder for debate. None of this has any real value. Besides - Raging Bull was not about boxing. It was a bio-pic about LaMotta. Would you call Raging Bull a sports movie? Now SlapShot is different. Mostly because it won the Academy Award for Greatest Movie Ever. You can look it up.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 06:43 PM on June 19, 2008
Without The Big Lebowski, it's not a compete list. posted by chicobangs at 12:57 PM CDT on June 19 Bowling is as much of a sport as pool. I concur Jerry Maguire? Really? Fail! I would put the replacements in front of that stupid waste of my life. Cool Runnings not top ten but better than Jerry Maguire. Major League, Titans, Slapshots are all awesome.
posted by adammcd at 06:52 PM on June 19, 2008
Uhh, he didn't win. You have to click the "more" link. It's part of a long summary of the entire movie. They're referring to his first fight in the film.
posted by goddam at 07:43 PM on June 19, 2008
Jerry MCGuire belongs on the list of So-So Chick Flicks That's awfully kind. It belongs on a list of Shitty Cameron Crowe movies. If you are good at math, obviously "Shitty" and "Cameron Crowe" are transitive or something and one implies the other.
posted by yerfatma at 09:01 PM on June 19, 2008
North Dallas Forty and Slap Shot got screwed. I agree with Raging Bull and Rocky, but North Dallas Forty, Slap Shot and Bang the Drum Slowly should have made the list!
posted by MMAFighter/Coach at 09:11 PM on June 19, 2008
A few god picks I would agree yes, but Slapshot should be on that list, Major League yup. No Water Boy? No Invincible(made by Disney, hence no cursing in a South Philly bar? C'mon yo!!) but we cannot forget the all-time classic, Debbie Does Dallas eh?(just for shits and giggles at least) What about Any Given Sunday or even the Last Boy Scout?
posted by GoBirds at 03:15 AM on June 20, 2008
Lest not forget the Longest Yard....the Burt Reynolds version not the Adam Sandler remake (who could ever forget the best line of that film 'I broke his fucking neck') By the way, who in the world would ever believe that Sandler was a former NFL quarterback? Sorry but if you want Sandler in a football flick, stick with the Waterboy, that's a classic. Also, Mark Wahlberg in Invincible was a pretty decent flick as well. Despite it being about a guy playing for the Philadelphia Eagles. I tried my best to overlook that part.
posted by BornIcon at 07:33 AM on June 20, 2008
I think it was a thread here on the SI rankings that started this Wiki article. When is rcade gonna show the wiki some navigational linky love?
posted by scully at 07:40 AM on June 20, 2008
The greatest sports movie ever was The Fish That Saved Pittsburg. That's all you need to know. That and it had Dr. J. And it's soundtrack was Funkalicious. Not including it as at least one of the greatest sports movies of all time is a disaster. And Rollerball. The old one with James Caan.
posted by THX-1138 at 11:59 AM on June 20, 2008
Sorry, but Jerry MCGuire belongs on the list of So-So Chick Flicks. As does National Velvet, I think. Hey, where's Brian's Song??
posted by JanetLand at 12:09 PM on June 20, 2008
The greatest sports movie ever was The Fish That Saved Pittsburg. Stockard Channing, Dr. J, and a basketball player/magician. That's cinematic gold right there. And North Dallas Forty and Slap Shot never get the respect they deserve. If nothing else, NDF should go down in history for introducing much of us to the word "Poot" as a term of heterosexual endearment. The original Rollerball kicks all kinds of ass. I can see how that would count as a thriller/sci-fi/political intrigue sort of movie before sports, though.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 02:35 PM on June 20, 2008
And mark my words: The Love Guru will soon be hailed as not only the greatest sports movie to ever be commited to celuloid (digital bits, what have you), it will be hailed as the greatest box office smash since Titanic. Umm....I mean it will sink faster than the Titanic. And take Mike Myers along with it. And it's plot is not totally stolen from Fish That Saved Pittsburg. One is basketball and the other is Hockey.
posted by THX-1138 at 02:57 PM on June 20, 2008
I've never have gotten the love for "Hoosiers." Seemed like just another hollywood 80's feelgood to me.
posted by Newbie Walker at 12:27 AM on June 22, 2008
The original Rollerball kicks all kinds of ass. I can see how that would count as a thriller/sci-fi/political intrigue sort of movie before sports, though. I dunno. I think an important criterion to qualify as a "sports movie" should be its ability to inspire viewers to get out there and play. Didn't anybody else see Rollerball as a kid and then try to create a rollerball league on their block?
posted by lil_brown_bat at 08:57 AM on June 22, 2008
For real, l_b_b? I thought that we were the only ones that did that. Bicycles, roller skates and many, many crashes. We used hockey gloves, motorcycle helmets, and croquet balls. The only rules I recall were that you had to get the ball into a milk crate without getting killed.
posted by THX-1138 at 11:13 AM on June 23, 2008
Geez..... National Velvet and Jerry Maguire?,,,,,Here's a partial list of FAR more deserving (And Better!) movies, in no particular order: The Natural Eight Men Out Fear Strikes Out The Monty Stratton Story Slap Shot Field of Dreams 61* The Longest Yard (Original Version) North Dallas Forty Major League Invincible Requiem for a Heavyweight Brian's Song Bang the Drum Slowly ============== I could add (Tongue in Cheek!) Any Given Sunday The Replacements The Babe When We Were Kings Remember the Titans The Great White Hope (Not Hype...Hope!) We are Marshall
posted by R_A_Mason at 11:26 PM on June 24, 2008
Yeah, it may be just another list, and people's opinions will vary. But in addition to two boxing and two baseball, you got one basketball, one pool, one golf, one horse racing, one cycling, and one football (and it's not North Dallas Forty, Friday Night Lights, Rudy, or The Longest Yard). No hockey (Miracle or Slap Shot). Of course, boxing seems to lend itself to movies (something about seeing someone get the snot beat out of them and then getting up again and again). Maybe someone should name the top 5 boxing movies. Or top 5 movies in each sports category?