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"This is a simple game: You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball." -Bull Durham
"I sure miss playing basketball. I got depressed as hell when my athlete's foot and jock itch went away." -Breaking Away
In honor of Boston College's storybook football season thus far, The Heights thought it would be appropriate to celebrate other great sporting victories - and by victories, we mean movies. For the sake of brevity, sports documentaries are excluded and the following films are not featured on the basis of cinematic technique. Rather, those chosen included childhood favorites that are still talked about, universal classics that everyone knows and loves, and then the films that we wouldn't let our grandmothers watch. Here's our top 10 countdown:
10: The Mighty Ducks 1 & 2
(1992, 1994) Quacking, Emilio Estevez, and hockey - what more could we ask for? They're overtly family-friendly and simplistic, which might just be why we love them. A rare case in which a sequel is as good, if not better, than the original.
9: Rudy
(1993) Regardless of his alma mater, Rudy might be the single most inspirational football go-getter ever. Unabashedly corny, its merits are a toss-up - but it sure makes you feel good. Hey, don't hate the movie - hate the college's real football team.
8: A League of Their Own
(1992) Madonna and Geena Davis give the boys (including a drunken Tom Hanks) a run for their money. Because sports movies aren't just for boys.
7: Slap Shot
(1977) As violent as it is hilarious, organized sport has never looked so unorganized. An unprofessional glimpse into professional ice hockey, this bad boy's Paul Newman is the best coach this side of Hoosiers' Gene Hackman.
6: Chariots of Fire
(1981) Despite what many spectator sports fans may believe, running actually is a sport. This British Best Picture winner succeeds on almost every level, elevating its sports status to an art form.
5: Friday Night Lights and Remember the Titans
(2004, 2000) Even if they weren't both great football movies, they would still be stirring portraits of high school life. Luckily, they explore aspects of both worlds - adversity, prejudice, and hope - making for keen explorations of the darker side of small-town glory.
4: Field of Dreams
(1989) Gut-wrenchingly nostalgic with a sometimes overwhelming display of Americana. "If you build it they will come" remains an iconic sentiment nonethelss. Only Kevin Costner could make hearing voices so inspirational - but having the support of a gent like James Earl Jones probably helps.
3: Raging Bull
(1980) If Robert De Niro's unbeatable portrayal of legendary Jake LaMotta weren't enough, Raging Bull also happens to be one of Martin Scorsese's best. Its brutal, in-your-face boxing sequences are spectacular.
2: Bull Durham
(1988) Not only did it single-handedly revive the sports movie as a genre, it also had plenty to say about sex. Oh, and baseball. Bet you didn't know that strikeouts were fascist, did you?
1: Rocky
(1976) Everyone loves an underdog, and Rocky Balboa never pretended to be anything but. Fifteen rounds later - with some of the best movie escapism and music ever - the Italian Stallion shows us how it's done. The narrative might be predictable, but Roger Ebert put it best: "Rocky isn't about a story, it's about a hero." Losers call it make-believe. Winners just stand up and cheer.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Hoosiers at No. 11 and Breaking Away at No. 12, with The Sandlot, The Natural, Major League, Caddyshack, Angels in the Outfield, and The Hustler finishing close behind.
Reporting by The Heights board. Compiled by Stuart Pike.
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