In a summer packed with major sporting events like the Copa America and the Euro Cup, and with Mike Tyson returning to the ring next November – even if it’s just for an exhibition fight – who wouldn’t want to soak up some of the best sports movies of all time? These films bring together the best of sport and the best of cinema in an unforgettable experience that’s always worth reliving.
Sometimes inviting us to reflect on the excesses of the industry, and sometimes simply encouraging children to enjoy a sport in order to grow in a healthier way, these films cannot be missing from our cinema library. So prepare some good popcorn, place your bets on the Copa America with STRAFE, relax with something to drink, and enjoy this exquisite selection of sports films!
1. Million Dollar Baby – 2004
It’s impossible to fully review this film without giving away serious spoilers, so we’ll be careful how we word these paragraphs so as not to spoil it for you if you haven’t seen it. Suffice it to say that this is a dramatic sports film that revolves around the world of boxing, but also offers a lot more depth than you might expect at first. If you’ve seen Rocky, this film will blow you away!
With majestic performances by Hillary Swank, Morgan Freeman and Clint Eastwood –who is also the director–, this film leaves no one indifferent, and also boasts impressive photography that is well worth a second viewing.
2. Invictus – 2009
Set in Nelson Mandela’s South Africa, Invictus is a sports film that attempts to reflect the extremely difficult transition of a country subjected for decades to the brutal apartheid regime. While in Million Dollar Baby he has a supporting role, in Invictus Morgan Freeman plays Nelson Mandela and leads the film alongside Matt Damon, who plays the captain of the Bokke rugby team, Francois Pienaar.
Living two completely different lives and becoming the leading representatives of two opposing social groups, Mandela and Pienaar strive to reconcile South African society through a sport that, in Mandela’s eyes, has the potential to unite the nation when the 1995 World Cup is at stake.
3. Rush – 2013
Also based on real events, Rush is a sports film that depicts the rivalry between Formula 1 drivers Niki Lauda and James Hunt. This rivalry went far beyond the track, and resulted in a terrible accident suffered by Niki Lauda that caused him serious burns. From this incident, the story extends from the racetrack to the personal lives of these two motor racing stars.
Starring Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl and Olivia Wilde, this film also helps us relive the essence of the golden age of Formula 1 during the 1970s, when drivers were much more important, and where each race could end up being a real battle against fate.
4. Rocky – 1976
A sports movie binge-watching session wouldn’t be complete without a classic like Rocky, the iconic boxing film written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. This film was the one that gave Stallone his shot to fame, and the story of Stallone’s struggles at the time is proverbial. The film contract ended up saving Stallone, who was on the verge of selling his dog because he couldn’t afford to feed it.
Rocky was such a huge success that the film also spawned several sequels, some of which were even more successful than the original. As a curious note, Stallone decided to keep the two turtles from the film at the end of the shoot, and he still has them today: both are alive and well.
5. Jerry Maguire – 1996
Finally, we have Jerry Maguire, one of the Tom Cruise films that for some strange reason has been put on the back burner when looking back at his acting career. However, it is still a very good film that shows us the dark side of American football, a brutal sport that still does not pay due attention to the health of its players.
In this film, Tom Cruise plays Jerry Maguire, a sports agent who begins to worry about the health of his clients and falls into disgrace within the American football industry. This leads him to a crisis where only one of his players remains by his side: Rod Tidwell, played by Cuba Gooding Jr. From here, Maguire’s subsequent journey offers us a new perspective on life and on work ethics.
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