10 sports movies I am watching instead of the FIFA World Cup

10 sports movies I am watching instead of the FIFA World Cup

Jul 05

So, the FIFA World Cup 2010 is on, and while Australia’s Socceroos crumbled to yet another dismal early-exit from the tournament, I’ve decided to re-watch some of my favourite sporting movies instead of enduring what remains of the event. After all, the running time for a lot of films is pretty close to a single game of soccer. I might just tune in to the final.

Note: I’m not saying these are the greatest sporting movies of all time. They are films from my collection that I’ve been watching while the World Cup is on, since I’m not much of a soccer fan but the hype has put me in a sporty mood. If there’s a sports movie you enjoy, please leave a comment below (or nag me on facebook like everyone else).

#10 THE KARATE KID (1984)

Forget the recent remake with Will Smith’s kid and Chackie Chan, the 1984 original will always stand as the first martial arts film to break into the children’s market. Wax on, wax off! Daniel Larusso coming to terms with his new town and bonding with Mr. Miyagi, whooping that gangs ass after they beat him up on the beach (oh, spoilers, by the way…). The Karate Kid has actually gotten better with age, the retro style adds a timeless quality that most films lack when they age so quickly. My kids will be seeing this, and they will always understand that, as a 6 year old boy, this movie meant a great deal to their Daddy. That little bastard on the playground never picked on me again the day after I saw this…

#9 HAPPY GILMORE (1996)

Please bear with me…  I saw this as a teenager and, at the time, it was the funniest thing on the planet. Of course, now I’ve matured past the humour of it, but the nostalgia still remains when I put it on. Adam Sandler as a no-good hockey player whooping Shooter McGavin’s ass on a golf course? Timeless. Who hasn’t tried the Gilmore Shot when playing golf with their buddies? This film sprung to mind because I find myself partly quoting this flick whenever I try to watch soccer: “Get in the net, baaalll!”

#8 CADDYSHACK (1980)

If I’m going to watch Happy Gilmore, I’ll need to watch Caddyshack right afterwards to wash the taste out. Bill Murray, Chevy Chase and a gopher on a golf course. This will always be a classic.

#7 SLAPSHOT (1977)

Wonderful things happen when you put Paul Newman in a hockey jersey and let him swear a whole bunch.  Still the best ice hockey film ever made, you’ll find this on any of those ‘proper’ best sports movies lists and with good reason. Helps that I adore ice hockey, a sport that, like soccer, usually results in only a few goals per game, but at least you can smack the shit out of your opponent in the process.

#6 COOL RUNNINGS (1993)

John Candy, how I miss your delightful humour. Remember, kids, your bones do not break in a bobsled. No, no. They shatter. Would you believe I only discovered recently that Cool Runnings is based on the true story of the Jamican bobslead team qualifying for the Winter Olympic Games? I mean, I was 12, how was I supposed to know? I always thought it was just a super-clever original premise. Anyway, this Disney classic hasn’t aged well at all, but nothing beats that delicious early-90s nostalgia.

#5 THE WRESTLER (2008)

The return to form for Mickey Rourke snagged him a Golden Globe for Best Actor (he was robbed at the Oscars) and put one of the most controversial ’sports’ back under the spotlight for a brief moment. Yeah, I consider it a sport. The stuff these guys can achieve in the ring is (sometimes) staggering, and this film wonderfully illustrates how much they go through to entertain their huge fan-base. Tell you what, you go and tell one of these beefy blokes in person that what they do isn’t real, and if you can still speak coherently afterwards, I’ll listen to your side of the argument.

#4 FIELD OF DREAMS (1989)

Lads, don’t watch this one with your Father. I had no intention of seeing this (baseball AND Kevin Costner? No thanks…) until my wife enforced it with one of those embargos where I had no choice. Sorta maybe had me a little sooky toward the end there… Let’s just leave it at that.

#3 ROCKY (1976)

Not just for the thumping music, inspiring journey and slurring Sly, but also for the screenplay. Rocky is an independent film that is pure legendary. People are often surprised when I remind them Rocky won the Oscar for Best Picture that year… might have something to do with all of those average sequels that blurs their appreciation. Still, any budding screenwriters out there who need a good template and an inspirational story to keep them going, remember Sly wrote the script in a matter of days and it landed him an Oscar nod.

#2 JERRY MAGUIRE (1996)

Cameron Crowe’s would-be romantic comedy Jerry Maguire is easily forgotten as a sports film. It coined one of the most repeated and mocked lovey-dovey quotes of the past two decades: “You had me at ‘hello’.” whimpers a tearful Renée Zellweger to a desperate Tom Cruise (who wasn’t quite completely nuts yet). There’s also the aged classic “Show me the money!!” which Tom screams down the phone in an effort to sign Rod Tidwell, a role which won Cuber Gooding Jr. an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. The less said about his career after that night, the better. It’s the corporate backstabbing and eventual success of Tidwell that keeps me coming back to this one.

#1 RAGING BULL (1980)

Beyond being a great sports movie, Raging Bull is a brilliant film that stands above many others. Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci up-front and Martin Scorsese behind the camera, the cinema lessons learned from watching this classic boxing film about Jake La Motta are endless. Unfortunately, watching Scorsese’s directorial brilliance in Raging Bull now also serves as a reminder to just how horrible Shutter Island actually is. I guess you really can’t win ‘em all.