Best Movie by Sport
Happy Olympics! In honor of the Olympics I’m going to provide you with a comprehensive list of sports (50 sports!) and the best movie representing each sport. Reaching 50 I had to stretch it just a little bit and some surprisingly popular sports don’t have very notable movies. Also, I’m adding this after I’ve finished typing the rest of this. I’m sorry. I struggled writing 50 entries for 50 films. This may be a long ride.
Archery (Brave)- There were a couple of movies that are archery-adjacent like ‘The Hunger Games’ & any Robin Hood film, but to me ‘Brave’ feels the most related to archery since there is a literal competition.
Arm Wrestling (Over the Top)- As far as I know, this 1987 Sylvester Stallone movie is the only one that centers on arm wrestling. And that’s probably for the best.
Auto Racing (Cars)- Here we have some contenders. You have comedies like ‘Talladega Nights’ & biopics like ‘Ford v Ferrari,’ but for me personally, ‘Cars’ easily takes the cake here.
Baseball (The Sandlot)- One of a handful that has a TON of contenders. There are genuinely so many baseball movies and most of them are decent. But ‘The Sandlot’ is one of the best kid/family movies that is just so incredibly nostalgic of childhood, no matter when you were a kid
Basketball (Space Jam)- This was the hardest one for me. There are so many basketball films and I personally love so many of them. With dramas like ‘Coach Carter,’ ‘Hoosiers,’ & ‘He Got Game,’ and some hilarious comedies in the vein of ‘Like Mike,’ ‘Semi-Pro,’ & ‘White Men Can’t Jump.’ But to me, getting the (2nd) best hooper of all-time to act across the Looney Tunes? That is impossible to beat.
BMX (Rad)- A 1986 film starring Bill Allen, Lori Loughlin, Talia Shire, & Bart Conner, ‘Rad’ is a movie about a teenager BMX racer who is torn between competing in a BMX competition or taking his SATs. How rad.
Bobsled (Cool Runnings)- I’m not confident that there are any other movies featuring bobsled, but even if there is, this film about the Jamaican bobsled team making the 1988 Winter Olympics still comes out on top.
Bowling (The Big Lebowski)- I really thought about putting the ‘96 comedy, ‘Kingpin,’ due to its primary focus being bowling. Even though ‘The Big Lebowski’ focuses on a few things outside the alley, it just a vastly superior movie, so it made my list.
Boxing (Rocky)- There are a surprisingly high number of boxing movies. People love watching movies about boxers. ‘Raging Bull,’ ‘Southpaw,’ ‘The Fighter,’ ‘The Hurricane,’ ‘Ali,’ ‘Million Dollar Baby,’ & countless lesser known films. There are also 9 movies just belonging to the Rocky/Creed franchise. While I prefer ‘Rocky IV’ I think Rocky is the best movie in the series and is also just the definitive boxing movie.
Cheerleading (Bring It On)- Who knew cheerleading could be so dramatic? Probably everyone.
Climbing (127 Hours)- Yes, again I’m being loose here with my definition of sports and what qualifies. No, this isn’t a sport movie. Yes, I’m having a hard time writing short entries about fifty movies.
Cricket (Lagaan)- This 2001 movies was the the first Indian film to be Oscar nominated since 1957’s ‘Mother India.’ This is one of the most popular Hindi films of all time and won a record 8 awards at India’s Filmfare Awards.
Cross Country (McFarland, USA)- The true story of Coach Jim White, this motivational Disney film stars Kevin Costner in the lead role and fables a 1987 high school cross country team.
Cycling (Breaking Away)- This 1979 film features a young Dennis Quaid & Daniel Stern as the friends of Dennis Christopher’s character, Dave, a recent high school grad who wants to ‘race the Italians’ This film was nominated for 5 Oscars, winning for Best Original Screenplay.
Dancing (Step Up)- I don’t think this is actually the best movie about dancing. That would be ‘Dirty Dancing’ or even ‘Footloose.’ But this movie features dancing on a more competitive level, which makes it feel more sports-like to me. And Channing Tatum.
Dirtboarding (Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board)- You probably only know this movie if you’re a 90s-00s kid who was an avid DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie) watcher. I know this a random shout, but I quite enjoyed it as a kid.
Dodgeball (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story)- Dodge. Duck. Dip. Dive. Dodge. The legacy of this film led to ESPN actually introducing ESPN8: The Ocho for certain events.
Equestrian (Seabiscuit)- When your horse movie gets 7 Oscar nominations, it beats all the other horse movies. Even if it loses all 7 nominations (6 of them to LOTR Return of the King).
F1 (Rush)- I’m counting F1 different from auto racing due to it’s increased popularity in the US in recent years. This movie focuses on the rivalry between two of the greatest Formula One racers, James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) & Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl). We’ll see if Brad Pitt’s 2025 movie ‘F1’ can surpass it.
Fishing (On Golden Pond)- This movie about an old couple who connects with their daughter’s soon to be stepson doesn’t feature on a competitive level. The fishing that occurs is what forms the connection between the old Norman and young Billy and is very heart-warming.
Football (Remember the Titans)- There is no lack of football movies. Like basketball & baseball they fulfill a variety of genres outside of sports. Personally I’d go ‘Remember the Titans’ as the best with Denzel’s performance as Coach Boone standing so tall. The dynamics between the players and the individuality each player has makes this movie relatable for any watcher.
Golf (Happy Gilmore)- Really the only other golf movies I know of are ‘The Greatest Game Ever Played’ & ‘The Legend of Bagger Vance.’ ‘Caddyshack’ would be up there, but if I’m going to go for a comedy, I’m takin Adam Sandler’s classic role as Happy Gilmore.
Gymnastics (Peaceful Warrior)- I’m shocked there is such a lack of gymnastics movies. This 2006 German produced film starring Scott Mechlowicz as a gymnast who seeks guidance from Nick Nolte.
Hockey (The Mighty Ducks)- I really thought I’d put ‘Miracle’ here over films like ‘Goon’ & ‘Slap Shot,’ but I think ‘The Mighty Ducks’ stands out. Basically ‘The Sandlot’ on ice, this Emilio Estevez led film did lead to the creation of the actual NHL team, the Anaheim Ducks.
Ice Skating (I, Tonya)- While Will Ferrell & Jon Heder’s ‘Blades of Glory’ could also be here, ‘I, Tonya’ was nominated for 3 Oscars, winning 1 and helped solidify Margot Robbie’s status as a leading lady and versatile actress.
Karate (The Karate Kid)- Duh.
Kickboxing (Kickboxer)- I debated putting ‘Bloodsport’ here, but that’s really just martial arts (maybe MMA?) focused than specifically kickboxing. But the movie called ‘Kickboxer’ is actually centered on kickboxing and features real world kickboxing champion, Dennis Alexio in a starring role.
MMA (Warrior)- Featuring Tom Hardy & Joel Edgerton as brothers who must eventually confront each other and their problems, this 2011 film also features Nick Nolte in an Oscar-nominated role as the two’s father.
Pool (The Hustler)- This 1961 film features Paul Newman as ‘Fast Eddie’ Felson, a pool hustler, and received 8 Oscar nominations. It’s 1986 sequel ‘The Color of Money’ could probably also have been here, starring Tom Cruise and getting 4 Oscar nominations, winning Paul Newman the Best Actor Award in the process.
Pro Wrestling (The Iron Claw)- Up until 2023, Mickey Rourke’s ‘The Wrestler’ would be the distinct #1 here, but ‘The Iron Claw’ is just elite. A sad, tragic, real-life story about the Von Erich Family starring Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, & Harris Dickinson, I think this is an extremely underrated film that everyone should watch.
Quidditch (Harry Potter)- How crazy that Harry Potter is so influential Quidditch is now a real sport you can play?
Rodeo (The Longest Ride)- After just recently seeing ‘Twisters’ I wanted to put it here, but just featuring a rodeo isn’t enough to qualify it in my eyes. ‘The Longest Ride’ however depicts the Nicholas Sparks’ novel of the same name and stars Britt Robertson, Alan Alda, & nepo-babies, Scott Eastwood, Oona Chaplin, & Jack Hutson.
Roller Derby (Whip It)- This 2009 film features Elliot Page’s character who joins a roller derby team featuring Kristen Wiig & Drew Barrymore. Roller derby scares me.
Rowing (The Boys in the Boat)- I really contemplated putting ‘The Social Network’ on here since it features scenes of the Winklevoss Twins rowing. But that wasn’t a strong enough case even though that’s a great film. Instead I’m going to put George Clooney’s 2023 film ‘The Boys in the Boat’ about the University of Washington’s team competing for a spot in the 1936 Olympics.
Rugby (Invictus)- Rugby serves as more of a backdrop for this Morgan Freeman-Matt Damon led film about Nelson Mandela and the South Africa national team in post-Apartheid South Africa.
Skateboarding (Mid90s)- This 2018 coming of age drama was written, produced, & directed by Jonah Hill and follows a young teenager who spends time with an older group of skateboarders in LA in the Mid-90s. That last part was probably obvious.
Skiing (Eddie the Eagle)- This film stars Taron Egerton as Michael ‘Eddie the Eagle’ Edwards, a British ski jumper who represents his country in the Olympics. Based on a true story, this film also features Hugh Jackman & Christopher Walken.
Snowboarding (Johnny Tsunami)- Yea that’s right both DCOMs starring Brandon Baker as Johnny Kapahala made this list. These films are about a young surfer who picks up snowboarding (and later dirtboarding in the 2nd), so really its just like Shaun White the Movie.
Soccer (Bend it Like Beckham)- I’m shocked at how much of a lack there is in soccer films. I could really only think of a couple and this is the most popular. Featuring a young Keira Knightley & Parminder Nagra as two young woman who choose to pursue their dreams as pro soccer players, against their parents’ wishes.
Softball (The Broken Hearts Club)- This 2000 rom-com focuses on a group of LGBT friends led by John Mahoney’s Jack, a restaurant owner who sponsors a softball team. The ensemble also features Timothy Olyphant, Dean Cain, Zach Braff, Billy Porter, Nia Long, Andrew Keegan, Justin Theroux, & Jennifer Coolidge.
Street Racing (The Fast and the Furious)- I feel like I don’t really need to explain what this movie is to you. I’m sure you know. Vin Diesel. Family. Right now there are 11 movies and they’re still coming out. I think they’ve been to space?
Surfing (Point Break)- My runner up was ‘Surfs Up,’ but Keanu Reeves’ Johnny Utah & Patrick Swayze’s Bodhi take the cake in this action crime drama about a group of surfers/robbers infiltrated by Utah.
Swimming (Nyad)- I actually really don’t like this movie. But I haven’t seen 2024’s ‘Youn Woman and the Sea’ and really couldn’t think of any other one. Starring Annette Bening as Diana Nyad in a true story that garnered Bening and co-star, Jodie Foster, Oscar nominations.
Table Tennis (Forrest Gump)- Yes there is also 2007’s ‘Balls of Fury.’ I’m not quite sure that that film reaches the quality level of ‘Forrest Gump’ which really also could’ve been featured under cross country.
Tag (Tag)- Is tag a sport? I’ll let you decide. I just know this 2018 film starring Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm, Jake Johnson, Ed Helms, & Hannibal Buress as group of friends playing a lifelong game of tag is really funny.
Tennis (Challengers)- Somehow all the tennis scenes are about sex and all the sex scenes are about tennis?
Track & Field (Race)- This film about Jesse Owens dominant run (haha pun) at the 1936 Berlin Olympics is pretty good and features Jason Sudeikis as an American football coach who moves to England to become a soccer coach. No, I’m sorry. Wrong one. In this one he’s just a track coach.
Triathlon (Luca)- Yep, I’m going with it. The climax of this movie features our young protagonist and his friends Alberto & Giulia competing in a triathlon where you must swim, cycle, and eat pasta.
Volleyball (The Miracle Season)- Another true story. There’s a lot of those for sports movies. About an Iowan high school volleyball team who is shaken by the death of their star player.
Wrestling (Foxcatcher)- Based on the true story (another one!) of the Schultz brothers joining up with wrestling fanatic John du Pont to coach younger wrestlers, that tragically becomes a story about murder and betrayal. What a fun note to end on.
