What started as a a simple idea for a column a few weeks back has turned into a monster. Be that as it may, I’m now ready to wrap up my series on my favourite sports movies of all time.
After looking at my favourite documentaries (Jan. 7) and numbers 20 to 11 of my favourite scripted sports movies (Jan. 14), here is my top 10 of all-time scripted sports movies.
I will once again preface my rankings with a couple of notes. Firstly, these are movies that I really enjoy. Not all of them are cinematic treasures, but they are movies I could watch over and over again. As such, as you’ll note, many of these are comedies.
My second note is how I determined what qualifies as a sports movie. If TSN or ESPN shows it, even if it’s not really a sport, then it qualifies in this context.
So, here is my top 10:
10. Eight Men Out — This portrayal of the Chicago Black Sox scandal, when eight members of the Chicago White Sox allegedly took bribes to throw the 1919 World Series, is sharp and very well done. The acting, featuring the likes of John Cusack, D.B. Sweeney, David Strathairn and John Mahoney, is solid. The sets and the costumes are also well done, as is the baseball action.
9. The Great White Hype — Co-written by the man who wrote the No. 1 movie on this list (no don’t jump ahead, you’ll see), this movie is very smart and takes a major swipe at both the state of heavyweight boxing at the time (1996) and the state of race relations in the U.S. Samuel L. Jackson is a treat in this role as a Don King rip off. While being a good social commentary, it’s also a very funny movie.
8. *61 — This Billy Crystal-directed flick is a bit of a love letter to Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, but it does not gloss over the two either. This look at the summer of 1961 and the race to break Babe Ruth’s home run record is very enjoyable and accurate in terms of costumes and settings (there are a few factual miscues I let slide). I can watch this over and over for the solid acting alone.
7. Wimbledon — Yes, this 2004 tennis flick starring Kirsten Dunst and Paul Bettany is fairly cheesy, and it’s a romantic comedy, but I think it’s a fun movie. The story is very unlikely, a typical David versus Goliath, the tennis is well-choreographed and, yes, I admit it, I really like the love story on top of that. This is a cute little film to sit down and watch with your significant other.
6. Major League — I briefly had this higher up on my list, but I thought better of that. That being said, this is still an uproariously funny film with good baseball action, an entertaining final play, fun characters and memorable lines. Unfortunately, I can’t quote most of those lines because of a multitude of curse words.
5. Seabiscuit — Some people think this movie is too long, but not me. The story is both true and unbelievable. The acting of Jeff Bridges and Chris Cooper is excellent and the racing action is very well filmed. This is a tearjerker of a story, especially for anyone who loves horses, but not to the point of nausea. Instead, it’s just right.
4. Best in Show — OK, here’s where my “if they show it on TSN then it qualifies” rule comes into play. Dog shows are shown on TSN, so this movie, directed by Christopher Guest, qualifies. This is a hilarious flick about neurotic dog trainers at a Westminster-style dog show. The cast alone is worth the price of admission with Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, John Michael Higgins, Guest, Michael McKean and Fred Willard.
3. Mean Machine — This is not a cinematic classic, but this 2001 British remake of Bert Reynolds’ football movie the Longest Yard is a sports movie gem. Starring real soccer player turned actor Vinnie Jones as a disgraced pro soccer player jailed for drunken assault this movie is both poignant and, at times, gut bustingly funny. Jason Statham is amazing as a psychotic murderer turned goaltender for a prison soccer team. The final game takes up the last quarter of the movie and is riveting. Plus, the commentators of the game, two prisoners named Bob, are tremendously funny.
2. Slap Shot — Here’s where things got tough for me. I knew what my top two movies would be, but deciding who was top was not easy. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a slam against Slap Shot. This movie is a work of genius. The hockey action, while over-the-top, is gritty, somewhat realistic and hilarious. I know this movie back-to-front and could probably quote it word-for-word, but it still makes me laugh my ass off every time I watch it. Again, it’s very quotable, but like Major League I can’t repeat any of the quotes.
1. Bull Durham — It was a tough call, but this movie hits all the right notes. The lines are memorable, it’s extremely funny, it’s poignant, it has a tremendous love story and the baseball action is really good. This is one movie I have no problem quoting, repeatedly. What’s funny is that this movie is based loosely on the true story of a hard-drinking pitcher with who writer Ron Shelton played minor league baseball. The real player, Steve Dalkowski, like Tim Robbins, set records for both strikeouts and walks with his fastball and inability to control it. However, I don’t think Dalkowski ever intentionally beaned a mascot. And remember: “Don’t try to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring! Besides that, they’re fascist. Throw some ground balls — it’s more democratic.”
Jason Small can be reached at 691-1255.
