Some of the quintessential movies of all time are sports themed, and they are memorable for a good reason. Many of these films include suspense, excitement, and a good moral lesson to tug on the heartstrings. Below you will find a good place to start your next sports movie marathon, a list of some iconic sports films:
Rush – The first movie in our marathon is about the sport of Formula One Racing. Rush stars Daniel Bruhl, Chris Hemsworth, and Olivia Wilde and tells the story of a 1970’s racing rivalry in Germany. Bonus point for this movie because it is based on a true story.
Million Dollar Baby – Starring Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, and Morgan Freeman, this popular movie is about a persevering woman who wants to be trained to be a professional boxer and the life changing results for both her and her trainer.
Silver Linings Playbook – This 2012 movie stars Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Robert De Niro. Silver Linings Playbook combines many popular movie themes, including sports, love, and gambling or more specifically sports betting.
Moneyball – This movie features the sport of professional baseball and stars Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. The 2011 film is about the Oakland A’s and assembling the team on a low salary constraint.
Miracle – A feel-good hockey movie based on the true story of the 1980 US Olympic ice hockey team. This movie stars Kurt Russell, Patricia Clarkson, Nathan West, and Noah Emmerich.
Seabiscuit – This movie is also based on a true story, like so many iconic sports films. The movie is about horse racing in the Depression era. Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, Elizabeth Banks, and Chris Cooper star in the film.
Jerry Maguire – This movie focuses on the sports agent side of the sports movie world. The film is star-studded, featuring Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Renee Zellweger.
Cool Runnings – Rounding out this marathon is a Disney movie. John Candy, Leon, and Doug E. Doug star in this family friendly film about a group of Jamaicans forming the country’s first bobsledding team to compete in the Olympics.
Originally published February 20, 2017. Updated November 12, 2018.
