Sports movie, the historical (and hysterical) context
Author Randy Williams says his book, "Sports Cinema 100" may be in the process of being turned into a TV special. That'd be cool. The book itself is rich in research about 100 of the best sports-related movies ever made, and doesn't shy away from including two from the Marx Brothers and two from Buster Keaton among the usual "Hoosiers," "Field of Dreams" and "The Natural" naturals.
How about "Gladiator," with Russell Crowe. Sports? That made the list at No. 33.
"Absolutely," Williams said. "It was the Super Bowl, World Series and Daytona 500 of its day, only the stakes were higher. Losers went home in a coffin or were eaten. If pay-per-view television were available then, its revenue records would still stand today."
Sports-related movies coming out in 2007 that could make Williams' list include a Baldwin brothers production of Max Schmeling.
As for the current 100, here's how Williams decided they deserved to be ranked:
100. Million Dollar Legs
99. All the Right Moves
98. Knute Rockne: All-American
97. Mr. Baseball
96. The Love Bug
95. Remember the Titans
94. On Any Sunday
93. Friday Night Lights
92. Le Mans
91. The Freshman
90. The Black Stallion
89. Cool Runnings
88. Rollerball
87. Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream
86. Victory
85. The Bingo Long Traveling
All-Stars and Motor Kings
84. Junior Bonner
83. Bend It Like Beckham
82. It Happens Every Spring
81. Love and Basketball
80. Gregory's Girl
79. Kingpin
78. Blue Chips
77. Big Wednesday
76. Everybody's All-American
75. Personal Best
74. Dogtown and Z-Boys
73. Rudy
72. Enter the Dragon
71. Tin Cup
70. A League of Their Own
69. Major League
68. Fear Strikes Out
67. 16 Days of Glory
66. The Stratton Story
65. Damn Yankees
64. City for Conquest
63. Jim Thorpe: All-American
62. The Endless Summer
61. Battling Butler
60. The Champ
59. He Got Game
58. Bang the Drum Slowly
57. The Bad News Bears
56. The Great White Hope
55. Blood and Sand
54. Grand Prix
53. Cinderella Man
52. Cobb
51. Pat and Mike
50. White Men Can't Jump
49. Without Limits
48. The Color of Money
47. The Rookie
46. Soul of the Game
45. Jerry Maguire
44. Fat City
43. The Pride of the Yankees
42. Phar Lap
41. The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner
40. National Velvet
39. Caddyshack
38. Here Comes Mr. Jordan
37. 61
36. Miracle
35. When We Were Kings
34. A Day at the Races
33. Gladiator
32. Million Dollar Baby
31. Horse Feathers
30. Downhill Racer
29. College
28. The Natural
27. The Harder They Fall
26. Eight Men Out
25. Night and the City
24. Field of Dreams
23. Seabit
22. Somebody Up There Likes Me
21. Heaven Can Wait
20. Hoosiers
19. Gentleman Jim
18. The Longest Yard
17. Body and Soul
16. Hoop Dreams
15. The Set-Up
14. Brian's Song
13. Tokyo Olympiad
12. North Dallas Forty
11. Champion
10. Slap Shot
9. Requiem for a Heavyweight
8. Breaking Away
7. Rocky
6. Olympia
5. Raging Bull
4. Chariots of Fire
3. This Sporting Life
2. Bull Durham
1. The Hustler
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