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Here is the ultimate list of the best sports movies ever made. Most guys, even some girls can't resist a tale about mostly make believe athletes. Sports may be the overarching theme in these movies, but that doesn't mean that there's anything deeper beneath the surface. These movies allow us guys to connect with our inner emotions through hidden love stories, tales of adversity, humor and ultimately the triumph of the human spirit.
At the heart of the best sports movies is relationships between the characters. Some of the best sports films like Rocky, Raging Bull and the Blind Side have either been nominated and/or won multiple Academy Awards. Others like Brian's Song, Hoosiers and Field of Dreams often times will cause viewers to feel triumphant with the characters, if they don't shed a tear as well.
But people can't resist an amazingly funny sports film. You can point to classics like Major League, Caddyshack, Bad News Bears and White Men Can't Jump as the best sports comedies.
Anyone can contribute to this list of the best sports movies, which makes this ranking an accurate, real-time reflection of the crowd's collective opinion. Rank your favorites or add whatever sports movie you see missing.
list ordered by
1
1,933 925
RockySylvester Stallone, Joe Frazier, Burgess Meredith Rocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen. A small-time boxer (Sylvester Stallone) gets a supremely rare chance to fight a heavy-weight champion (Carl Weathers) in ...more
2
1,783 1,045
Remember the TitansHayden Panettiere, Ryan Gosling, Denzel Washington Remember the Titans is a 2000 American sports drama film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Boaz Yakin. The screenplay, written by Gregory Allen Howard, is based on the true story of ...more
3
1,581 796
HoosiersGene Hackman, Dennis Hopper, Barbara Hershey Hoosiers is a 1986 sports film written by Angelo Pizzo and directed by David Anspaugh. It tells the story of a small-town Indiana high school basketball team that wins the state championship. It ...more
4
1,652 798
Field of DreamsBen Affleck, Matt Damon, Kevin Costner Field of Dreams is a 1989 American fantasy-drama film directed by Phil Alden Robinson, who also wrote the screenplay, adapting W. P. Kinsella's novel Shoeless Joe. It stars Kevin Costner, Amy ...more
5
1,627 811
RudyVince Vaughn, Sean Astin, Jon Favreau filmography Rudy is a 1993 American sports film directed by David Anspaugh. It is an account of the life of Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, who harbored dreams of playing football at the University of ...more
6
1,813 667
Major LeagueCharlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Rene Russo Major League is a 1989 American sports comedy film written and directed by David S. Ward, starring Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Dennis Haysbert, Wesley Snipes, James Gammon, Bob Uecker and ...more
7
1,769 523
The SandlotJames Earl Jones, Denis Leary, Karen Allen The Sandlot, also known as The Sandlot Kids, is a 1993 American coming-of-age film Comedy directed by David M. Evans, which tells the story of a group of young baseball players during the summer ...more
8
1,441 701
CaddyshackBill Murray, Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield Caddyshack is a 1980 American sports comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and written by Brian Doyle-Murray, Ramis and Douglas Kenney. It stars Michael O'Keefe, Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, ...more
9
1,384 615
MiracleKurt Russell, Patricia Clarkson, Ken Dryden Miracle is a 2004 American sports docudrama about the United States men's hockey team, led by head coach Herb Brooks, that won the gold medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics. The USA team's victory ...more
10
1,177 631
Bull DurhamKevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins Bull Durham is a 1988 American romantic comedy sports film. It is partly based upon the minor league experiences of writer/director Ron Shelton and depicts the players and fans of the Durham ...more
11
1,261 631
The NaturalKim Basinger, Robert Redford, Robert Duvall The Natural is a 1984 sports drama. It is a film adaptation of Bernard Malamud's 1952 baseball novel of the same name, directed by Barry Levinson and starring Robert Redford, Glenn Close, and ...more
12
1,287 587
A League of Their OwnMadonna, Tom Hanks, Rosie O'Donnell A League of Their Own is a 1992 American comedy-drama film that tells a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Directed by Penny Marshall, the ...more
13
1,222 593
MoneyballBrad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Robin Wright Moneyball is an American 2011 biographical sports drama film directed by Bennett Miller from a screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. The film is based on Michael Lewis's 2003 ...more
14
1,173 711
The Blind SideSandra Bullock, Lily Collins, Kathy Bates The Blind Side is a 2009 American semi-biographical sports drama film. It was written and directed by John Lee Hancock, and based on the 2006 book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael ...more
15
1,124 661
Happy GilmoreAdam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Julie Bowen Happy Gilmore is a 1996 sports comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan and produced by Robert Simonds. It stars Adam Sandler as the title character, an unsuccessful ice hockey player who discovers ...more
16
959 516
Rocky IISylvester Stallone, Burgess Meredith, Roberto Durán Rocky II is a 1979 American sports drama film directed by Sylvester Stallone, and the second film in the series. Rocky (Stallone) struggles in family life after his bout with Apollo Creed (Carl ...more
17
912 521
Rocky IVSylvester Stallone, James Brown, Mr. T Rocky IV is a 1985 American sports film written and directed by Sylvester Stallone, who also starred in the film. The film co-stars Dolph Lundgren, Burt Young, Talia Shire, Carl Weathers, Tony ...more
18
720 574
Raging BullRobert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Martin Scorsese Raging Bull is a 1980 American biographical black-and-white sports drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, produced by Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler and adapted by Paul Schrader and Mardik ...more
19
949 513
Slap ShotPaul Newman, M. Emmet Walsh, Swoosie Kurtz Slap Shot is a 1977 comedy film directed by George Roy Hill, written by Nancy Dowd and starring Paul Newman and Michael Ontkean. It depicts a minor league hockey team that resorts to violent ...more
20
822 520
Rocky IIISylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young Rocky III is a 1982 American sports drama film directed by Sylvester Stallone, and the third film in the series. After winning the ultimate title and being the world champion, Rocky (Stallone) ...more
21
748 498
42Harrison Ford, Christopher Meloni, Nicole Beharie 42 is a 2013 American biographical sports film written and directed by Brian Helgeland about the racial integration of American professional baseball by player Jackie Robinson, who wore jersey ...more
22
909 465
The Longest YardBurt Reynolds, Bernadette Peters, Ray Nitschke The Longest Yard is a 1974 American sports comedy film directed by Robert Aldrich. Written by Tracy Keenan Wynn based on a story by producer Albert S. Ruddy, the film follows inmates at a prison ...more
23
758 442
Brian's SongDick Butkus, James Caan, Billy Dee Williams Brian's Song is a 1971 ABC Movie of the Week that recounts the details of the life of Brian Piccolo, a Wake Forest University football player stricken with terminal cancer after turning pro, ...more
24
862 602
Cool RunningsJohn Candy, Malik Yoba, Jay Brazeau Cool Runnings is a 1993 American sports film directed by Jon Turteltaub, and starring Leon, Doug E. Doug, Rawle D. Lewis, Malik Yoba and John Candy. The film was released in the United States on ...more
25
774 602
White Men Can't JumpWoody Harrelson, Wesley Snipes, Rosie Perez White Men Can't Jump is a 1992 American sports buddy comedy film written and directed by Ron Shelton, starring Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson as streetball hustlers. The film was released in ...more
