The Most Inspirational Sports Movies

Originally by Ranker Community

Updated January 22, 2021 48.8k votes 5.9k voters 234.3k views150 items

List RulesMovies must feature sports and inspiration

From football movies to baseball films, these are the most inspirational sports movies of all time. This list of the best sports films has been chosen by the wisdom of the crowd, which means anyone can vote up their favorite inspirational sports movies.

What are the most inspirational sports movies? You can pick from favorites like Rudy and The Natural and vote for the best inspirational sports film. You can even add your own list of the best sports movies to these rankings. Whether you're a film geek, a sports fan, or a little bit of both, this list is a winning play when it comes to finding the best movies about sports.

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A League of Their Own
Madonna, Tom Hanks
Released: 1992
Directed by: Penny Marshall
A League of Their Own is a 1992 American comedy-drama film that tells a fictionalized account... more
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#88 of 549 The Greatest Epic Movies Ever Made#3 of 12 Movies Where The Cast And Crew Disagreed About Its Meaning
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Jerry Maguire
Tom Cruise, Lucy Liu
Released: 1996
Directed by: Cameron Crowe
Jerry Maguire is a 1996 American romantic comedy-drama sports film written, produced and... more
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#42 of 50 The 50 Highest Grossing '90s Movies, Ranked#578 of 1,540 The Most Rewatchable Movies
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The Karate Kid
Elisabeth Shue, Ralph Macchio
Released: 1984
Directed by: John G. Avildsen
The Karate Kid is a 1984 American martial arts romantic drama film directed by John G.... more
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#15 of 65 The Best Adventure Movies for Kids#75 of 382 The Greatest Movie Themes
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Bull Durham
Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon
Released: 1988
Directed by: Ron Shelton
Bull Durham is a 1988 American romantic comedy sports film. It is partly based upon the minor... more
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#145 of 522 The Greatest Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked#182 of 480 The Greatest Movies For Guys
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The Natural
Kim Basinger, Robert Redford
Released: 1984
Directed by: Barry Levinson
The Natural is a 1984 sports drama. It is a film adaptation of Bernard Malamud's 1952 baseball... more
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#114 of 372 'Old' Movies Every Young Person Needs To Watch In Their Lifetime#9 of 14 Movies That Threw Book Endings Out The Window Completely
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The Champ
Faye Dunaway, Jon Voight
Released: 1979
Directed by: Franco Zeffirelli
The Champ is a 1979 remake, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, of the 1931 Academy Award-winning... more
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#175 of 553 The Best '70s Movies#128 of 196 The Biggest Tearjerker Movies of All Time
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Coach Carter
Samuel L. Jackson, Channing Tatum
Released: 2005
Directed by: Thomas Carter
Coach Carter is a 2005 American biographical teen sports drama film directed by Thomas Carter,... more
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#2 of 33 The 30+ Best Black Sports Movies Ever Made#4 of 40 The Most Inspirational Black Movies
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Secretariat
Diane Lane, John Malkovich
Released: 2010
Directed by: Randall Wallace
Secretariat is a 2010 biographical sports drama film produced and released by Walt Disney... more
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#37 of 190 The Greatest Animal Movies Ever Made#39 of 79 The Best Live Action Animal Movies for Kids
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Brian's Song
Dick Butkus, James Caan
Released: 1971
Directed by: Buzz Kulik
Brian's Song is a 1971 ABC Movie of the Week that recounts the details of the life of Brian... more
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#48 of 101 The Best Bromance Movies#12 of 39 The Best Medical Movies Based on True Stories
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Rudy
Vince Vaughn, Sean Astin
Released: 1993
Directed by: David Anspaugh
Rudy is a 1993 American sports film directed by David Anspaugh. It is an account of the life... more
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Miracle
Kurt Russell, Patricia Clarkson
Released: 2004
Directed by: Gavin O'Connor
Miracle is a 2004 American sports docudrama about the United States men's hockey team, led by... more
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Rocky Balboa
Sylvester Stallone, Milo Ventimiglia
Released: 2006
Directed by: Sylvester Stallone
Rocky Balboa is the sixth installment in the Rocky franchise, written, directed by, and... more
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Slap Shot
Paul Newman, M. Emmet Walsh
Released: 1977
Directed by: George Roy Hill
Slap Shot is a 1977 comedy film directed by George Roy Hill, written by Nancy Dowd and... more
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#12 of 175 The Best Comedy Movies Of The 1970s#138 of 223 The Best R-Rated Comedies

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Tin Cup
Kevin Costner, Rene Russo
Released: 1996
Directed by: Ron Shelton
Tin Cup is a 1996 romantic comedy film co-written and directed by Ron Shelton, and starring... more
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#170 of 252 The Funniest '90s Movies#20 of 34 The Funniest Movies About Sports
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42
Chadwick Boseman, Nicole Beharie
Released: 2013
Directed by: Brian Helgeland
42 is a 2013 American biographical sports film directed by Brian Helgeland. The powerful story... more
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#152 of 661 The Best Black Movies Ever Made, Ranked#5 of 102 The All-Time Best Baseball Films
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Any Given Sunday
Cameron Diaz, Al Pacino
Released: 1999
Directed by: Oliver Stone
Any Given Sunday is a 1999 American drama film directed by Oliver Stone depicting a fictional... more
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#57 of 204 The Best Sports Movies Ever Made#58 of 261 The Best Ensemble Movies
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The Replacements
Keanu Reeves, Gene Hackman
Released: 2000
Directed by: Howard Deutch
The Replacements is a 2000 American sports comedy film directed by Howard Deutch. It stars... more
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#409 of 922 The All-Time Greatest Comedy Films#59 of 151 The Most Rewatchable Comedy Movies
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Soul Surfer
Carrie Underwood, Helen Hunt
Released: 2011
Directed by: Sean McNamara
Soul Surfer is a 2011 American biopic drama film directed by Sean McNamara. It is a film... more
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McFarland, USA
Kevin Costner, Maria Bello
Released: 2014
Directed by: Niki Caro
McFarland, USA is an American 2015 sports drama film directed by Niki Caro and produced by... more
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#25 of 63 The Best High School Sports Movies#43 of 63 The Best Sports Movies About Coaches
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Angels in the Outfield
Matthew McConaughey, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Released: 1994
Directed by: William Dear
Angels in the Outfield is a 1994 remake of the 1951 film of the same name. The film stars... more
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#92 of 97 The Best Disney Live-Action Movies#463 of 1,137 The Absolute Funniest Movies Of All Time
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The Legend of Bagger Vance
Charlize Theron, Will Smith
Released: 2000
Directed by: Robert Redford
The Legend of Bagger Vance is a 2000 American sports drama directed by Robert Redford and... more
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#61 of 132 The Best Films Directed by Famous Actors#475 of 524 The Best Fantasy Movies
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For Love of the Game
Kevin Costner, Kelly Preston
Released: 1999
Directed by: Sam Raimi
For Love of the Game is a 1999 American drama sports film based on the novel of the same title... more
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#202 of 291 The Greatest Soundtracks of All Time#21 of 57 The Best Sports Romance Movies
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The Wrestler
Evan Rachel Wood, Mickey Rourke
Released: 2008
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
The Wrestler is a 2008 American sports drama film directed by Darren Aronofsky, written by... more
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Chariots of Fire
Stephen Fry, Kenneth Branagh
Released: 1981
Directed by: Hugh Hudson
Chariots of Fire is a 1981 British historical drama film. It tells the fact-based story of two... more
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Million Dollar Baby
Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman
Released: 2004
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Million Dollar Baby is a 2004 American sports drama film directed, co-produced and scored by... more
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