Top 20 Sports Movies
of All-Time

ESPN's Page 2
(2002)

Excerpts from reviews of each film are included.

2. Rocky (1976)
Rocky Balboa remains the lovable lughead of an underdog who will register with the everyman inside all of us.

3. Raging Bull (1980)
A definitive movie about any sport has yet to be made, but this one comes closest. There's nothing formulaic or feel-good.

4. Hoosiers (1986)
While "Rocky" shows what one individual can do in the face of overwhelming odds, "Hoosiers" is the ultimate parable for the underdog "team."

5. Slap Shot (1977)
Paul Newman demonstrates how goofball sports movies ought to be done (this should be required viewing for Adam Sandler).

6. The Natural (1984)
Authentic in the nostalgia that's in every adult heart -- the career, game, love, girl that got away; then turns up again, backlit.

7. Field of Dreams (1989)
Just an odd and wonderful premise with baseball acting as a metaphor for so much more about life, and love, and passions.

8. Caddyshack (1980)
Perhaps the funniest sports movie ever made, and 22 years later, it still ranks as definitely the most "quotable" sports film.

9. The Hustler (1961)
Unbelievable acting, especially by Newman. The scene at the beginning, when he plays Gleason for the first time, is one of the best.

10. The Longest Yard (1974)
One of the best things about sports is the sometimes obvious, sometimes subtle bird they flip at the establishment.

11. North Dallas Forty (1976)
From the opening scene, when Nick Nolte struggles to get out of bed, we get an up-close look at the brutal world of pro football.

12. Jerry Maguire (1997)
Somehow they managed to turn a movie about an agent into a statement against the greed and selfishness that has overrun professional sports.

13. Hoop Dreams (1994)
The viewer develops more of an emotional attachment to the lead characters than in any other movie -- because you know they're real.

14. Breaking Away (1976)
The scene where Dave rides to keep up with the truck is one of the two most inspiring training scenes in movie history.

15. White Men Can't Jump (1992)
"The sun even shines on a dog's ass some days." The constant yammering of trash talk shines throughout this playground hoops saga.

16. The Bad News Bears (1976)
The kids are ruthless, funny, honest and vulnerable. Which is to say, they're just like real kids.

17. Chariots of Fire (1981)
Behold an intelligent dissection of what makes a championship athlete tick when it really isn't about the money.

18. Brian's Song (1970)
A tearjerker that captures the ideal interracial relationship, even in a competitive situation, so rarely achieved.

19. Eight Men Out (1988)
One of the great period-piece movies ... it brought 1919 alive. Like most of John Sayles' movies, it features tremendous ensemble acting.

20. When We Were Kings (1996)
It has a wonderful beat and rhythm that sweeps you up into the film. And when Ali is the central figure, you can't possibly look away.

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21. The Pride of the Yankees (1942)

22. A League of Their Own (1992)

23. Bang the Drum Slowly (1973)

24. Tin Cup (1996)

25. Hurricane (1999)

25 Greatest Sports Movies

Total Film Magazine
(Summer 2004 issue)

Genre categorizations are provided for each film.

1. Rocky (1976)
Boxing Drama

2. Escape to Victory (1981)
Soccer Drama

3. Hoop Dreams (1994)
Basketball Documentary

4. Raging Bull (1980)
Boxing Biopic

5. Field of Dreams (1989)
Baseball Drama

6. The Karate Kid (1984)
Karate Drama

7. Big Wednesday (1978)
Surfing Drama

8. When We Were Kings (1996)
Boxing Documentary

9. The Hustler (1961)
Pool Hall Drama

10. Kingpin (1996)
Bowling Comedy

11. Rollerball (1975)
Extreme Sports Drama about Rollerball (a hybrid of hockey, soccer, rollerblading, and polo)

12. Bull Durham (1988)
Minor-League Baseball Drama/Romantic Comedy

13. Jerry Maguire (1996)
Sports Management Drama

14. Beyond the Mat (1999)
Professional Wrestling Documentary

15. Caddyshack (1980)
Golf Comedy

16. Chariots of Fire (1981)
Olympic Games Track/Field Drama

17. Slap Shot (1977)
Minor-League Ice Hockey Drama/Action

18. This Sporting Life (1963)
Professional Rugby Drama

19. The Longest Yard (1974)
Football Prison Drama/Comedy

20. The Natural (1984)
Baseball Drama

21. Tin Cup (1996)
Professional Golf Romantic Comedy

22. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962)
"Angry Young Man" 'Kitchen-Sink" (Running) Drama

23. I.D. (1995)
Minor-League British Football (Soccer) Drama

24. Rocky IV (1985)
Boxing Drama

25. Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001)
Extreme Sports Skateboarding Documentary