The best sports movies and documentaries to watch right now
Williams High School football team in “Remember the Titans.”(Getty Images/Courtesy)
With sports being put on pause for now, here are some films to live vicariously through.
Rudy
The 1993 film features 5-foot-nothin’ scrawny Rudy Ruettiger whose lifelong dream is to play football for Notre Dame. Despite his blue-collared family, neighbors, teachers and pretty much every other person in his life doubting his athletic and academic capabilities, Rudy gets accepted into the college and solidifies his position on the team as a live tackle dummy. “Rudy” has more depth to it than your typical sports movie and illustrates perseverance.
Do You Believe in Miracles
The documentary recounts “The Miracle on Ice” during the Winter Olympics of 1980, when the US Olympic hockey team played against the Soviets in the midst of the Cold War. Told from live footage taken at Lake Placid and interviews with members of both teams, the film features Mike Eruzione, Jack O’Callahan, Jim Craig, Coach Herb Brooks and Manager Craig Patrick, along with Soviet players Boris Mikhailov and Vladislav Tretiak. The documentary feeds into the underdog storyline and US nationalism.
Remember the Titans
Based on true events, the film portrays the prejudices of a small southern town during the 1970s. Denzel Washington and Will Patton star as the two football coaches of a racially divided high school football team who try to navigate through the animosity and pressure that the newly integrated team faces. While it can be predictable at times, it features award winning performances and sparks inspiration in its viewers.
Warrior
Featuring the ultimate family feud, “Warrior” tells the story of two estranged brothers who are forced to compete against each other in the championship match of a tournament. High on testosterone and emotion, this film highlights the MMA world and the crippling effects that addiction has on families.
“This movie shows how hardship and hurt can be overcome so that they can be brothers again,” said Juan Rosales, an older brother and MMA fan.
Jerry Maguire
A film about sports with Tom Cruise playing the lead role? I really don’t need to say much more on this one.
The Sandlot
Taking place in a small American town in the early ‘60s, this trilogy is about a group of young kids who are unabashedly in love with baseball. Instead of relying on a final big game to build up momentum or focusing on the importance of winning, this coming of age series creates a sense of nostalgia that plucks at everyone’s emotions, even those who do not share the same passion for the sport.
“I love these movies,” said 20-year-old Sammy Conger. “They’re hilarious and there are so many iconic scenes that I can always remember.”
Hoop Dreams
This documentary utilizes basketball to dive into the issues of education, competition, race and class that modern America faces. William Gates and Arthur Agee are two African American basketball players from inner city Chicago who dream of playing in the NBA. What was once intended to be a short film transformed into a documentary that spans six years in the lives of Gates and Agee, allowing viewers to watch them grow up and face their struggles and challenges with them.
The Last Dance
This 10-part documentary series covers the Chicago Bulls team during the championship season of 1997-98. Featuring never before seen footage from an NBA Entertainment crew and interviews with people who were close to the team, it dives deep into the Jordan legacy.
“For sports fans like me that have grown hearing how great of a player MJ was but never actually seeing him in action, this documentary puts everything into perspective,” said Joshua Golyer, a longtime fan of the Chicago Bulls. “You can see his drive, his work ethic and what really separated him from being good to becoming one of the all time greats.”
The first four episodes are released to date, you can watch the upcoming episodes on ESPN or Netflix on Sundays at 6PM PST.
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