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May Blogathon: The Lacrosse Blog (Jane’s Top 10 Sports Movies Chicks Love, Too)

by Jane Boursaw on May 15th, 2008

Continuing with my May Blogathon with my blogger-pals, today’s entry is for Barb Adamski’s Lacrosse Blog. Since I know little about Lacrosse (but have had fun learning from Barb’s blog), I thought it might be fun to do a list of Sports Movies Chicks Love, Too. Hey, chick-flicks can be sports-flicks, too. So here they are, my top five. And feel free to add your own in the comments!

1. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (2004). Touchdown! Even if you don’t care a wit about football, you’ll love this story about one small town’s obsession with their high school football team. It’s all about human emotion and the pressure put on high school boys to pull out the big win for: 1) their town; 2) their parents; 3) their coach; and, finally, 4) themselves. All the actors are outstanding, especially Billy Bob Thornton as coach Gary Gaines.

More after the jump…

2. TIN CUP (1996). If you could assemble the perfect cast for a romantic comedy about golf, who would it be? For me, it’s Kevin Costner as a washed-up golf pro living in a Winnebago at a crummy driving range in West Texas; Rene Russo as a beautiful but ditzy psychologist who shows up for golf lessons; Don Johnson as Costner’s longtime golf rival who’s also Russo’s boyfriend; and Cheech Marin as the wisecracking caddy who helps Costner try to win the U.S. Open against all odds. Pure movie magic.

3. CINDERELLA MAN (2005). I’m usually not fond of watching guys pummel each other in the ring, but I’ll make an exception for this movie. It tells the story of Depression-era boxer Jim Braddock (Russell Crowe) and his wife, Mae (Renee Zellweger). After Jim breaks his hand, the couple and their three children spiral into poverty, and he has to fight his way back, one victory at a time, until he faces heavyweight champ Max Baer (Craig Bierko), who’s already killed two men in the ring. This movie gave me goosebumps, took my breath away, and made me want to learn more about this inspirational folk hero who gave people some hope during a really tough time in our nation’s history. I even bought the book, “Braddock,” by Jim Hague.

4. CADDYSHACK (1980). Wander onto any golf course in America and you’ll likely overhear golfers ruminating on the Dalai Lama and cracking jokes about “being the ball”. Hard to believe this laid-back gem still ranks as one of the most quotable sports movies of all time. But you don’t have to be a golfer to love a movie that features scene-stealer Rodney Dangerfield (”Did somebody step on a duck?”), Chevy Chase, Ted Knight, and Bill Murray as a goofy groundskeeper on a mission to kill that gopher.

5. FIELD OF DREAMS (1989). “If you build it, they will come.” That’s right, and all questions are answered in this strangely beautiful story that’s not so much about baseball as it is about loss, reconciliation, family, and having the courage to pursue your dreams – even when everyone else on the planet thinks you’re nuts. Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, Ray Liotta, James Earl Jones, and Burt Lancaster are all this movie needs to make you believe that the ghosts of baseball past really do exist.

6. A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN (1992). Great movies have a lot going for them: good cast, believable story, fun music, and great locations. This movie has it all. Geena Davis and Lori Petty play two sisters who join the first female pro baseball league and help it succeed amidst their own rivalry. With a cast of Tom Hanks, Jon Lovitz, Madonna, and Rosie O’Donnell, and directed by Penny Marshall, this is a must-see for both guys (”…and whoops, my bosoms come flying out!”) and girls (”There’s no crying in baseball!”).

7. PAT AND MIKE (1952). Ah, Hepburn and Tracy…it just doesn’t get any better than that. Pat (Katherine Hepburn) is a brilliant golfer, except when her domineering fiancé is around – she gets flustered by his presence on the golf course. He wants them to get married and forget the whole thing, but she can’t give up on herself that easily. So she enlists the help of Mike (Spencer Tracy), a slightly shady sports promoter, and together they face mobsters, a jealous boxer, and, of course, their growing mutual attraction. It’s the stuff legends are made of.

8. BULL DURHAM (1988). Take Kevin Costner, Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon, and throw them all together in a movie about sex and baseball. The result? A funny, semi-realistic look at the sport that you’ll never find in the sports section of the local paper. And when Sarandon says, “I believe in the Church of Baseball,” and claims to make better players out of guys by sleeping with them and reading Walt Whitman at their bedside…well, who are we to argue with her?

9. ROCKY (1976). The movie that launched a thousand sequels – ok, really only five – is one of the best sports movies of all time. It takes place in Philadelphia, where Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) struggles to make a living as a small-time boxer and the brawn of a loan shark. When he gets a chance to fight against Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) for the World Heavy-Weight Title, his trainer, Burgess Meredith, and shy girlfriend, Talia Shire (”Yo, Adrian!”) won’t let him quit. Why do we love this movie? Because it’s emotional, electrifying, excruciating and inspiring, all at the same time. And don’t forget that Stallone wrote the screenplay - that’s pretty awesome!

10. BRIAN’S SONG (1970). You didn’t really think I’d get through this list without mentioning “Brian’s Song,” did you? Well, get your hankies out, because when it comes to tear-jerkers, this one’s a doozie. It tells the real-life story of Brian Piccolo (James Caan) and Gayle Sayers (Billy Dee Williams), and the bond they shared as Chicago Bears teammates in a time when blacks and whites didn’t mix all that much. When Piccolo is diagnosed with cancer, and Sayers declares at the end that he loves him…well, check your guy’s tear-ducts, because I bet they’ll be misty, too. Sniff…

So, what’d I miss? What are your favorite sports flicks?

Images: Friday Night Lights, Universal Pictures, 2004; Cinderella Man, Universal Pictures, 2005; Bull Durham, Orion Pictures Corp., 1988; A League of Their Own, Columbia Pictures, 1992.

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