Sports enthusiasts around the world are mourning the loss of professional leagues and games amid the coronavirus pandemic. However, The Brown and White compiled a list of movies that bring the excitement of athletics — along with drama, comedy and animation—- to your TV screen without a live broadcast.
Remember the Titans
In a film based on a true story that not only highlights high school football, but also the integration of schools in the 1970s, director Boaz Yakin tells the story of T.C. Williams High School located in Alexandria, Virginia. Released on Sept. 23, 2000, the story depicts the journey of how head coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington), assistant coach Bill Yoast (Will Patton) and the football team overcome mental and physical boundaries.
The Blind Side
Based on the 2006 book “The Blind Side” by Michael Lewis, director John Lee Hancock tells the story of Michael Oher, an American football offensive lineman. Sandra Bullock stars as Leigh Anne Tuohy and Tim McGraw as Sean Tuohy, the new legal guardians of the once homeless Oher, played by Quinton Aaron. The film follows Oher’s upbringing, along with his academic and athletic journey into college and the National Football League.
Rocky
This boxing drama film series was written by Sylvester Stallone, who also stars as the main character Rocky Balboa — also known as the Italian Stallion. In this Academy Award winning film, Rocky is to face Apollo Creed, the undefeated heavyweight champion of the world, who is played by Carl Weathers. With the support of his girlfriend Adrian (Talia Shire) and trainer Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith), the unlikely small-time boxer from Philadelphia fights against the odds for the title in a match for the ages.
Space Jam
This 1996 Warner Brothers animated sports comedy film features National Basketball Association Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, as he aids Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Looney Tunes cartoon characters against aliens, who plan to steal them for a new theme park attraction. The movie also stars basketball legends Larry Bird and Charles Barkley, as the aliens steal their talents, among other NBA players, in an attempt to use their powers to defeat the “Dream Team,” composed of the Looney Tunes and Michael Jordan.
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
Rawson Marshall Thurber directed this sports comedy movie released in 2004, starring Ben Stiller as White Goodman and Vince Vaughn as Peter La Fleur. When Peter’s “Average Joe’s Gym” becomes threatened to go out of business by Goodman’s “Globo Gym,” it’s up to him and a team of gym members and staff to enter a dodgeball competition to win a big cash prize and keep the gym running.
Kicking & Screaming
This 2005 sports comedy film stars Will Ferrell as Phil Weston, the father and coach of his son Sam Weston’s (Dylan McLaughlin) recreational soccer team. Weston takes the responsibility of turning his son’s last-place team, the Tigers, into champions, despite having to beat their biggest rivals — who are coached by his own father, Buck Weston (Robert Duvall). With the special appearance of Mike Ditka, a 1988 NFL Hall of Famer, this movie speaks to many generations in a family-friendly story.
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