There are a lot of great sports movies out there. Some are based on true stories and some are just made up. But what makes a sports movie really good? Is it that you know the story and you want to see it play out on screen and find out some things you didn’t know already know? Or is it that you want to get lost in the fantasy of something that could never happen? People enjoy watching them for various different reasons. Some watch them for the entertainment value and some for the facts.
In an article in the New York Times (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B06E5D61738F935A25750C0A961958260&scp=24&sq=%22sports%20movies%22&st=cse) written in 1997 the author wrote, “As megasports loses its traditional posture as a secular religion and becomes absorbed, physically and morally, into the larger entertainment industry, the joining of the two fantasies, sports and movies, becomes more and more historically useful” (Lipsyte). Sports movies have become more than just watching people play sports on a big screen, it’s about the story and the people behind the story. According to Wenner “In contemporary society, the mass media serve as the primary vehicles through which we learn of the extraordinary accomplishments, courage, and deeds of cultural heroes and the faults and ignominious deeds of villains and fools” (Wenner 152).
According to the handbook, “Fiction narratives involving sports have become a popular staple of the modern entertainment landscape” (Raney and Bryant 186). Every year there are various different types of coming out. There are the ones that are based on a true story, like The Rookie, and then there are ones that are based on fantasy, such as Angels in the Outfield. People watch sports movies for all different reasons. What are your reasons for watching sports movies? Do you watch them for the entertainment factor, or do you watch them for the historical content? And what are your favorite sports movies?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Christina Gaudino
ReplyDeleteMSS 420
March 2, 2009
I have many reasons for watching movies about sports. Sports movies tend to be the most dramatic movies usually resulting in a large heroic victory, or a diminishing loss. I can literally name at least one movie for every sport I’ve ever heard of. Every sport from Hockey (Mystery Alaska) to Bobsledding (Cool Running’s) has had a movie made about it. You can take a sports line and make it about anything. Movies like, Mighty ducks and Little Giants, have mastered taking a sports plot and applying it to a coming of age story about much more than the sport itself. Then there are movies like, Remember the Titans and Hardball, which is related to life topics such as poverty and racism intertwined around a sports story.
Obviously you’ve noticed during a game the camera always focuses in on athlete’s families in the audience. You can see the nervous excitement on their faces and it’s hard not to wonder how their lives were before this game, or how they will change prior to the game. A movie usually shows you all the in between factors. Isn’t being a million dollar athlete everyone’s dream? Don’t you want to imagine how athletes really live? The draw to sports films is about so much more than the sport itself, and that’s why they make great story lines. Bio pictures such as Cinderella Man and Raging Bull, allow the audience access into the lives of the greatest athletes. There is something magical about record breaking sports stars. We place these stars on a pedestal because no one else has ever been that great. Fans become fascinated with the lives of the athletes.
My favorite sports movie is The Sandlot, partly because it reminds me of being little, but mainly because it’s a perfect story plot. Each kid is just trying to grow up and deal with life, but the cute plot behind the game itself is so real and nostalgic. Another one of my favorites is A League of their Own. This movie touches on so much more than Baseball. It’s about women’s rights, and family during World War II. The cast is perfect and the movie is so dramatic and entertaining. Wenner refers to women as the “invisible heroes.” He goes on to explain that women are usually made out to be prizes or victims. “Throughout centuries men have treated women heroes as invisible,” he goes on to suggest men are afraid of women eventually over powering men. I found this interesting in relation to A League of their Own, because it really tests cultural values, and allows women to be seen in a different light.
My favorite kind of sports movie is one that takes everyday people and adds the competition of sport to their life. Movies like Little Giants and the Mighty Ducks trilogy take normal people and put them in extraordinary positions, like a lot of movies. The difference is, by adding the sports factor, it makes the story a little more believable simply because almost everyone can relate to the drama and entertainment of sports. This idea that sports are close to the heart is why sports fiction movies are so popular. According to the Handbook of Sports and Media, “The sports film genre is as prolific as it is popular…[with] approximately 2000 films made before 1985” (Cummins 186-7).
ReplyDeleteMany people, including me, have a certain bond with sports because it gives them something in common with hundreds of thousands of other people around the country. According to Media, Sports & Society, “…sport, as part of the social and economic structure of American society, reflects and reaffirms such American cultural values as achievement, youthfulness, experience, courage, individualism, cooperation, tradition, progress, and hard work” (Trujillo 204). Sports give people from different parts of the country and of different ages a common ground. Even though I may not be able to relate to the political or social era that my grandfather lived in, I can talk to him about the way baseball was played. Sports movies, especially ones based on fact, only add to this common ground. After watching the Hurricane with Denzel Washington, I was able to learn a lot about the social problems of the sixties by observing the life of Rubin Carter. Historical sports movies, when done right, do a good job of portraying the social issues of the time they are in because most sports have such a strong tie to society.
I love sports movies, but the section entitled "Themes and Cliches in Sports Fiction" on pages 188-9 of the Handbook are dead-on.
ReplyDeleteR. Glenn Cummins writes, "Early in his analysis of baseball films, Good (1997) profiled the numerous cliches that populate such films - the mythical status of the ballpark; the fatherly team manager; the presence of dual contrasting female leads, one pure, one tempting. ... In addition, a host of other cliches can be found in virtually all sports fiction. For example, a review of the recent boxing film Against the Ropes complimented the film for its successful use of several conventions of the sports film genre, most notably the 'slow clap' and the 'big fight' at the climax of the film (Ebert, 2004)."
Sports movies are very cliche, as demonstrated above - the protagonists rarely lose. Angels in the Outfield has all of the crowd shots of the fans flapping their wings and tugs at our heartstrings, as the children are optimistic even though they are parentless.
So why do I love them so much if they are so predictable? I like being able to see the "players" as humans. Shots of their family life and life in the clubhouse put the sport into context for me. Sometimes I pretend that they're a real team that I am a fan of. Being able to see the team as humans fascinates me. Movies like Major League, while a comedy, gives me the inside look at the team that I crave.
It's even more interesting if a historical sports movie comes along, like 61*. I'm a huge Yankees fan, but I obviously was not around in 1961. To be able to see "Mickey Mantle" and "Roger Maris" playing baseball in color was like living in a dream. Though I knew the outcome, I was glued to the television, rooting for Maris to hit the 61st home run.
Sports movie may in fact be cliche, but for a lot of us, the so-called "little people," they give us hope. They allow us to dream and imagine the unimagineable, at least that's how I see it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Andy, that real sport's movies allow us to see the humanistic side of athletes and sports figures. Don Haskins in Glory Road and the struggles he had to endure, Team USA in Miracle and what they meant to America. It was more than just a game. Movies based on true stories allow us to see, or better yet picture what it was like. I had no idea, and still have no idea, how Don Haskins dealt with all of the racism that took place. And he was white. He stood by his players regardless of color or race. Sports movies show us the reality of life.
On the flip side, sports fiction dares us to step out of ourselves and see and experience something greater. Rocky for example is probably as cliche as you can get for a sports movie. But you know what, I love it. It's my favorite MOVIE of all-time. Seeing the obstacles that he had to face and what he had to do to be great makes me want to do something with my life and be great. It makes me want to do more and push myself no matter how difficult life is.
"An Internet search for 'sports films' yields an abundance of 'top 10' lists, providing more evidence that the genre has an extremely loyal following eager to discuss at great length the various qualities that make certain sports films great" (Raney and Bryant, 186).
We can poke fun at how "cliche" these movies are, but these movies allow us, even if for one hour, they allow us to be something we can only dream of. Field of Dreams is a perfect example of how powerful the imagination is through sports. It gives life lessons and still has an historic aura about it.
There is nothing like it.
Sports movies are great outlets for writers/directors to insert real, dramatic themes into something that audiences are already familiar with – sports. For example, Remember the Titans is a drama based on actual events. The movie takes place in 1971 when racism was a prominent issue in America. The movie shows how a team of high school football players overcome their distrust, misunderstanding, and differences to become a force to be reckoned with on the field. People love to see triumphant movies like this classic.
ReplyDeleteAnd as you know, everyone loves a good underdog story (see Happy Gilmore or Miracle). People like to see others put into extraordinary situations, and you can’t help but get emotionally involved and root for the underdog. Sports fans have a deep, often emotional, connection to their sports; and when directors are able to tap into that they have hit the Hollywood jackpot.
Another reason why sports films are so powerful is that people want to know what’s going on in the sports industry behind the scenes. Fans always want to know more about their favorite teams or players off the court/field/rink/etc. This is why the media tries so hard to take the audience into the locker room after the game.
In the Handbook of Sports and Media, Sayre argues that “if our emotions are to be involved in winning or losing, we need to give a hoot about the individual who’s sweating glycerin and gnawing his lip and panting like the athlete he isn’t.” And when people care about players/teams, they want to know everything about them – even if it means learning the ugly truths. People don’t always want to see the pretty side of things; they just want to see the unrefined reality.
Take for example, one of my favorite sports movies - Blue Chips. This movie examines greed, cheating, and the pressure of winning in the world of college basketball. I think this film became so popular because it’s raw and gritty and provides an inside look at a sport that draws countless fans every year. As long as there will be sports fans, there will be a market for sports movies.
-Leigh Weissman
Sports have always played a central role in the American life. It embodies our core ideals such as teamwork, hard work, and fairplay to name a few. For instance, Trujillo and Ekdom in MediaSport state that a sport such a baseball “affirms many American values as well as the apparent tensions between them, including the juxtaposed values of work and play, tradition and change, teamwork and individualism, youth and experience, logic and luck, and the power of winning versus the character—building lessons of losing.” (138) From these values, athletes become idolized and take on the role of heroes. This is why I love sports movies. Every sport, no matter what kind, has its inspirational stories of athletes overcoming obstacles, coaches lifting the spirits of their players, or towns rallying together in hopes of an underdog victory. Movies provide us with a look into those stories. Like Wenner states in, “contemporary society, the mass media serve as the primary vehicles through which we learn of the extraordinary accomplishments, courage, and deeds of cultural heroes and the faults and ignominious deeds of villains/fools.” (152) Movies allow us to take part in athletes’ special moments, their amazing plays, and their triumphs. These heroes will always be remembered through these movies (unfortunately not all movies do the event much justice). My favorite sports movie is a tossup between Miracle or Remember the Titans. One can’t help, but sit on the edge of their seat while watching—rooting for the football players who have just been forced into integration or cheering when the U.S. Men’s hockey team triumphed over the Russians. I know what the outcome will be before I press play on the DVD player, but every time I watch a sports movie, I am engrossed by its power to inspire those who watch. And because sports will always play such a large role in our lives, there will always be stories to tell which means there always will be movies to watch.
ReplyDeleteTo start I believe that a true sports movie makes the best one, however now a day there are so many sports movies being released you begin to loose interest in the feel good story. There is a new true story about a sports team who had to fight adversity all season being released once a year, this is great but I don’t want to watch a movie on how a team overcame a certain situation just to loose in the end. There are obviously certain circumstances like the Marshall football tragedy or a fight to stop racism. Regardless how a sports team season turned out you have to respect what they were able to achieve.
ReplyDeleteSports movies that are purely entertainment based can be hit or miss. Major League 1 and 2 were great movies, however Major League 3, Back to the Minors was a complete waste of time. The idea is to create a sports movie that is realistic enough to capture the audience, which in most cases are sports fans. I like how fictional sports movies are usually comedy based, which takes some of the seriousness out of it. This is necessary in a fictional story because the audience is not going to sit through a drama about a fictional sports figure if it is not a true story. Nobody is going to watch a sports movie about the man who breaks Barry Bonds homerun record if it is not true. Sports fans are educated and when it comes to telling a true story the audience is captured before the movie starts.
The fact is that all of sports historic achievements and story’s have already been made into movies and those that have not are too late. The Handbook of Sports and Media says “ Sports films as a whole display an astonishing lack of thematic diversity and that every sports film ever made utilized one of only three themes: the triumph of the underdog, the fall of the mighty, and the sporting event as a pretext”. (Raney and Bryant 186) I agree with this quote and as I mentioned earlier today’s sports movies are all based around a similar idea and this is where the sports fan may stray away. All the historic stories have been produced and now I think we have to wait a few decades before new sports movies can be released with the same impact. Movies on A-Rods life and Bonds ability to hit homeruns with just a needle are next in line.
Chris Myers
Sports films can be enjoyable for almost everyone; athletes or non-athletes sports films are a feel good escape. "Fictional narratives involving sports have become a popular staple of the modern entertainment landscape." (Raney, Bryant186) This quote from the Sports Handbook proves to be true and one particular film that sticks out in my mind is the infamous Academy Award winning film Rocky. Rocky is a film produced in 1976 is a movie that almost everyone has seen or knows the famous scene of Rocky running up the steps in Philadelphia. It is amazing that this movie that was produced 33 years ago is still a household name in the sports film industry. Rocky the ‘Italian hero’ is an action-packed movie that tells the story of an uneducated underdog street fighter Rocky Balboa and his chance to fight the heavy weight champion. I don’t particularly care for the sport of boxing and would never watch a boxing match on television but enjoyed the film because of the rags to riches story line. The movie wasn’t just about fighting; it shows that with hard work nothing is impossible. After watching Rocky people feel a sense of catharsis.
ReplyDeleteThe catharsis theory explains why individuals watch these violent films, “put simply, the catharsis argument rests on the notion that individuals are able to release pent-up frustrations, hostilities, and desires vicariously through viewing others”(198).
There are many different reasons for one to watch a sports film, I watch sports films for entertainment and a form of escapism. Being a female I never had the opportunity to play football and I enjoy watching films like Remember the Titans and The Replacements. I like to watch teams get psyched for games and the brotherly bonds players make with each other.
Danielle Pouliot
On page 197 of the handbook, many reasons are given for why audiences enjoy watching sports films. Some theories are that athletes are easier to relate to than other figures such as scientists. Another theory is that we identify with the character development. Then the authors say that none of these theories really explain why we get enjoyment out of sports fiction. I would have to agree with the authors.
ReplyDeleteI get enjoyment for many reasons from sports movies, none of which are reasons the text stated. My top three favorite sports movies are A League of Their Own, Miracle, and Major League. I have separate reasons for liking each of these films. My reasons for liking A League of Their Own probably come closest to the text. This is the film where I focus more on the individual characters than the team itself. However, I focus more on the relationships between characters not the characters themselves. I also enjoy the historical context of this film. This is defiantly a film where I’m watching more for the history, but that still doesn’t stop me from wishing Gina Davis wouldn’t have dropped the ball at the end.
Miracle is another film that is historical and I love the history that goes along with that movie too. When viewing Miracle I’m defiantly team orientated, even though I know they are going to win every time I can’t help but feeling so patriotic when the movie is over. I don’t really relate to any of the characters but I watch it cause of the winning aspect.
The last film Major League I strictly watch for entertainment value. I watch it because it’s a clever parody of baseball. You are of course routing for the team to win but mostly you are just enjoying the movie for what it is a comedy.
There are many reasons people watch sports movies in today’s society. One reason I watch sports movies is because I am an athlete myself and I am interested in the stories of other athletes. I like the thrill of watching unpredictable things happen in movies such as seeing the underdog team win. A good example of this can be seen in the movie The Mighty Ducks where a group of kids are taken off the streets and made into a team that has to go through many things before they start winning big games. They have to overcome diversity and disagreements amongst themselves and their coach. These are the kinds of sports movies I like to watch because they are realistic and I can easily relate to the characters and events in them, but they are exciting at the same time.
ReplyDeleteR. Glenn Cummins argues “And despite some claims that sports films are “box-office poison” (Sayre, 1977, p.182), sports films continue to be popular draw in the theaters.” Over the years sports movie became more popular due to the thrill of the sport and plot of the movie. I feel like sports fans do not only want to depend on the game itself, but also see it in the movies. Movies give sports a little spin on stories. For example, “He Got Game”, staring Denzel Washington and NBA super star Ray Allen, gave a twist to a story about another NBA player born and raised in New York City. It showed how college coaches would do anything for a good player to attend their college. It also showed how a young star in the making handled the spotlight at a young age. Another big sports movie was “SandLot.” This showed how a group a friends could get together everyday in the summer and play baseball in a yard for hours. These two movies are on the top of my list of the best sports movies.
Everyone has their reason for watching sports movies. I like to watch sports movies because they are true life stories. In sports movies, many people if not all athletes can relate to what happens in them. Most of the plots that occur in these movies are realistic and actually happen in real life. There is always inspiration or a theme that comes from these movies. Personally, I really enjoy sports movies because I am an athlete. Although I do watch them for the entertainment factor I enjoy the historical content as well. “Miracle” is one of the most inspirational movies in my opinion because it showed how a hockey team can unite the whole nation. My favorite part is when one player on the United States Team said “I play for the United States of America Sir” this showed how individuals from all over worked together as one functioning unit. This movie content was very historical as well.
ReplyDeleteIn media sport it Barney and Barnery argue "Athletes becomes heroes because of long term, consistently outstanding performance as well as their morality, social responsibility, and intellectual capabilities" an example of this is with the movie "Glory Road" this is one of my favorite sports movie also because of the players and coach. That team and coach went through so much discrimination but because they did not let the color of a person bother them that team became heroes.
Another movie that's not in my top ten of sports movies but its a great movie. It's called "Gridiron Gang" that is based on a true story of how kids who got in trouble and was sent to a jail for juveniles turnned their lives around. And in that the movie the coach was the hero because he took those kids who did not have anything going for themselves and made them feel like they were somebody and made them into winners not just in football but also in life.
I'm a huge fan of sports movies, and I always have been. Part of it is what Baron & Davis say on page 197. "We simply do not identify with scientists or painters in the way we identify with athletes" [B&D 197]. Almost everyone has played a sport at some time in their life, so they can understand the emotions that the athletes are dealing with. Like Kyle said, these movies give us hope.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite sports movie is Miracle. It’s a really good story about an underdog, and about real people who just happened to have their dreams come true. It makes you feel really good after watching it, and you get to experience the journey with the athletes to see whether or not they make it all the way.
I also really love corny sports movies, like Little Big League. These movies allow you to just relax and enjoy yourself for an hour and a half. Sports movies are something different than the normal romantic comedy or drama. They are real life. I'll pretty much watch any sports movie and its almost guarenteed that I'll enjoy it.
I think Kyle put it well when he said " They allow us to dream and imagine the unimaginable." I think that when people watch these movies they are seeing people they look up to (their heroes) weather it be real or not. When I watch a sports movie I dream the unimaginable, wishing I was a part of it, but also feeling that I am apart of it by watching.
ReplyDeleteIn our textbook Media Sport chapter 9 talks about sports heroes, and how they influence the fans and the sport itself. It says " sports heroes embody, articulate, and interrogate abstract ideals and cultural values; they highlight social problems and they proffer hopeful solutions" (Wenner 152). This quote depicts what a sports hero is, and when watching a sports movie we can really see what our heros really are and what they stand for.
I like to watch both realistic sports movies and non realistic, I enjoy both in different ways. My favorite sports movies that are realistic are Rudy and Cool Runnings. As you can see this is a big difference, two completely different sports but still great stories . When I watch these movies (especially Rudy) I love to watch and see how passionate someone is even if its just football or bobsledding. Rudy will do anything to just put that uniform on and run out of the tunnel with the rest of the team. He puts so much effort into his dream it inspires me to go after my dreams. In Cool Runnings the boys will do anything to be accepted by the others, and they eventually are. They hold such a strong passion for the sport that even if they don't get a medal its alright at least they competed. The energy of these movies and the music just gets my heart pumping, it feels like I am really apart of the movie.
As for the other non realistic sports movies, I really just watch them for the entertainment factor. These movies usually seem funny to me, they are not really serious but I still get very into the movie. I really like to watch Major League and in the end the Indians make it to the world series and I am just sitting on the edge of my chair hoping they will win (even though I know what happens).
I think both kinds of movies really allow the viewer to relate to the athletes, I am sure that people really enjoy the true life stories because it really happened and its something to be proud of, but the lighter side of the sports movies are pretty entertaining and will always keep us dreaming the unimaginable dream.
Farrell Henneberry