Jocelyn mentioned one of my favourite sports movies yesterday in her links (The Program) and I realized that many younger readers have probably never heard of it and several other great sports movies to watch as a team during your holiday break from school. Here is a rundown of 5 great sports flicks to watch during Christmas training.
1.)
The Program (1993) - different personalities exist and must mesh in order to make a team win. This movie is exciting and gritty but VERY dated (hair styles, fashion, etc). One of my favourites for sure.
2.)
Hoosiers (1986):
I think that Bob Halloran of ESPN describes this movie best - "Probably the best constructed of all sports movies. We're introduced to a team, given a chance to learn to like them, and then we root for them like they're the favorite team we grew up with. No gimmicks. No obvious attempts to pull at our heartstrings. No love story. Just a great high school basketball game with the underdog coming out on top." -- Page 2 columnist Bob Halloran
3.) Pride (2007): Sleeper movie, real life story about a swim coach Jim Ellis, who creates a swim program for troubled youth in Philidelphia. It's not often that we get to see great swimming stories on the big screen. I hope that I'm still alive to see the Bolles Swim Team movie or the Michael Phelps Story one day.
4.)
The Karate Kid (1984): Screw you, Will Smith, for making all of our youth think that Jayden Smith is the "Karate Kid"... Ralph Machio will always be the Karate Kid to me and this movie was a staple of my youth. Despite the rather silly plot holes, I still love this movie.
5.)
Murderball (2005): I addressed Murderball before in my blog, but I still contest that you'll be hard pressed to find a greater sports documentary (possibly Hoop Dreams... thats for another day). In this film, USA squares off against Canada in the ultra violent game of wheelchair rugby which leads up to the 2004 Paralympics in Greece. I have embedded the entire film below. Please note that there is strong language and some adult themes (athletes recovering from near death and dealing with their feelings, etc). This one is better suited for a more mature crowd. Enjoy.