Post by gt on Apr 21, 2007 6:45:25 GMT -1
Has this been done? I don’t recall as such so I’ll have a go
The worlds of sport and celluloid don’t always mesh quite as they should, but there are some truly inspiring films out there that at least manage to capture a glimpse of what it means to play the game.
My top 5 would be
1. The Rocky Series (Boxing) Ok it’s an obvious one, but having only ever seen the first 3 I have caught up with the rest and as a whole they make a great and touching story, with largely simple lessons for us all (some of the anti Cold War posturing in ‘IV’ was a bit hard to digest, but still a great story). My personal pick would be Rocky 3 for the simple fact that it shows we can all pick our lives back up when we hit rock bottom – but the first two are the popularly recognised classics.
2. TwentyFourSeven (Boxing) – A low key effort from the masterful Shane Meadows (it was his debut no less). It’s ostensibly a film about boxing but like Rocky the message resonates far beyond narrow boundaries. Bob Hoskins plays a kind hearted man in run down 80s Nottingham who is moved by the lack of direction for the youth around him to set up a boxing club and he watches the lives of the young men improve. External forces move to bring about tragedy but the film reaches a bittersweet coda guaranteed to have you reaching for the tissues.
3. Jerry Maguire (American Football) – A fine character piece from Cameron Crowe, with the sport of American egg tossing right at the heart. It is sport that drives the heart of this film, and elevates it into an inspiring tale.
4. Raging Bull (Boxing) – Robert De Niro piled on the pounds and the muscle to play the role of Jake La Motta in this epic Scorcese movie. It’s gritty and violent, but compelling viewing.
5. Cool Runnings (Bobsled) – Just an awesome, entertaining film and a heartwarming story!
No football films you say? Well, no because although I really enjoyed ‘When Saturday Comes’ and ‘Goal’ for instance they just took the Rocky template and sellotaped a football covering to it. They could remake that sort of film for any club really and there would be little to make them stand out. Hooligan films like Green Street and the Football Factory offer little mental stimulation (though they quite obviously tried to impart messages) and novelty efforts like ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ and ‘Mean Machine’ are just fast food for the eyes.
Honourable mentions for Karate Kid and This Sporting Life (Rugby League)
And when is someone going to write a genuinely good snooker film??
I may have to get my pen out…
The worlds of sport and celluloid don’t always mesh quite as they should, but there are some truly inspiring films out there that at least manage to capture a glimpse of what it means to play the game.
My top 5 would be
1. The Rocky Series (Boxing) Ok it’s an obvious one, but having only ever seen the first 3 I have caught up with the rest and as a whole they make a great and touching story, with largely simple lessons for us all (some of the anti Cold War posturing in ‘IV’ was a bit hard to digest, but still a great story). My personal pick would be Rocky 3 for the simple fact that it shows we can all pick our lives back up when we hit rock bottom – but the first two are the popularly recognised classics.
2. TwentyFourSeven (Boxing) – A low key effort from the masterful Shane Meadows (it was his debut no less). It’s ostensibly a film about boxing but like Rocky the message resonates far beyond narrow boundaries. Bob Hoskins plays a kind hearted man in run down 80s Nottingham who is moved by the lack of direction for the youth around him to set up a boxing club and he watches the lives of the young men improve. External forces move to bring about tragedy but the film reaches a bittersweet coda guaranteed to have you reaching for the tissues.
3. Jerry Maguire (American Football) – A fine character piece from Cameron Crowe, with the sport of American egg tossing right at the heart. It is sport that drives the heart of this film, and elevates it into an inspiring tale.
4. Raging Bull (Boxing) – Robert De Niro piled on the pounds and the muscle to play the role of Jake La Motta in this epic Scorcese movie. It’s gritty and violent, but compelling viewing.
5. Cool Runnings (Bobsled) – Just an awesome, entertaining film and a heartwarming story!
No football films you say? Well, no because although I really enjoyed ‘When Saturday Comes’ and ‘Goal’ for instance they just took the Rocky template and sellotaped a football covering to it. They could remake that sort of film for any club really and there would be little to make them stand out. Hooligan films like Green Street and the Football Factory offer little mental stimulation (though they quite obviously tried to impart messages) and novelty efforts like ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ and ‘Mean Machine’ are just fast food for the eyes.
Honourable mentions for Karate Kid and This Sporting Life (Rugby League)
And when is someone going to write a genuinely good snooker film??
I may have to get my pen out…
