With the Academy Awards only two weeks away (February 28th, 7 pm EST), cinephilias are anxiously waiting to see who is going to take home the top prizes. While we wait, let’s look back at some of the best sports movies that were nominated in years past. While part of the nation fights the bitter cold, you might want to plan an indoor movie night. These flicks are worth watching, even if you’ve seen them before. Then make sure you follow my column for my Oscar predictions (I was 7-2 on the Golden Globes!).
Million Dollar Baby – seriously, one of the best sports movies out there and one of my favorites. Twelve years ago, it won four Academy awards, including best picture and starred Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman and Clint Eastwood – who also directed, co-produced and scored it. Swank was incredible as Margaret “Maggie” Fitzgerald, a waitress who wanted to become a boxer. Eastwood plays her trainer, Frankie Dunn, who only wants to teach her the basic and then hand her off to someone else. Maggie has to fight her way to the top and fights against her family. Then, it took just one sucker punch from a dirty fighter to change her entire life. Oh, so good. This one will get to you.
You can rent it on iTunes, YouTube and Amazon Video for less than $5.
Side note: Speaking of Morgan Freeman, this Sunday night, NBC Sports Films will debut More Than Gold: Jesse Owens and the 1936 Berlin Olympics at 12:30 pm on the broadcast channel. The documentary will see Morgan Freeman narrate Owens’ historic performance at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin and the historical impact of the Games via interviews with former Olympic teammates, historians, and family members.
Jerry McGuire – Show me the Money! No please, someone show me the money! I’m not a Tom Cruise fan, but this movie is really good. Cruise plays a sports agent who gets fired and starts his own firm. He hired a single mom, played by Renee Zellweger and does everything he can to keep his biggest fish, Rod Tidwell, played by Cuba Gooding, Jr. He was the same guy in A Few Good Men and Radio (another great sports-themed movie). He is currently portraying O.J. Simpson in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, which can be seen on FX.
You can rent it on iTunes, YouTube and Amazon Video for less than $5.
The Fighter: This year, Christian Bale is up for an Academy Award for his role in The Big Short, but he won an Oscar for his role in The Fighter in 2010. He portrayed Micky Ward’s half-brother, Dicky (Christian Bale), who was once a promising boxer, but who now helps his half-brother. Christian Bale is amazing in his role and what is it about boxing movies that make such great stories!
You can rent it on iTunes, YouTube and Amazon Video for less than $5.
Karate Kid: Wax on. Wax off. If you’re an 80s kid like I am, you have probably watched this Oscar-nominated series a dozen times. Now, if you are a parent, sit down and watch this movie with your kids, because it’s really good. Daniel, played by Ralph Macchio moves from New Jersey to California, but he doesn’t fit in. He gets quite a beating and Mr. Miyagi helps him by fighting off the teens. Miyagi takes on Daniel as a student and his unorthodox style makes Daniel wonder exactly what he’s going to learn.
You can rent it on iTunes, YouTube and Amazon Video for less than $5.
It is so hard to choose from so many good movies, but this is a start. There is also The Blind Side, The Wrestler, Rocky, Seabiscuit (another one of my favorites), and The Field of Dreams.
In other sports movie news this week, Variety reported that MGM is going to be producing a new movie set in the racing committee. It will be co-executive produced by Robert Munic, who producing Fox drama “Empire,” Munic’s credits including “Fighting” with Channing Tatum and “The Space Between.”
WWE keeps churning out movies too. They just released news that superstars Kane (See No Evil, See No Evil 2) and Dolph Ziggler are teaming up in the action-thriller from Lionsgate and WWE Studios, Countdown, which arriving on Blu-ray (plus Digital HD), DVD (plus Digital), Digital HD and On Demand on Tuesday, April 5. Countdown is a desperate race against time to save a helpless child. When a madman kidnaps a young boy and rigs him with explosives, Ray (Ziggler), haunted by the loss of his young son, defies his captain (Kane) and takes matters into his own hands. Now he must beat the clock to stop a psychopath and save an innocent child.
It features cameos by WWE Superstars Rusev® and WWE Diva Lana™, Countdown is the first-ever WWE Studios film to shoot and include live event footage. Countdown will be available on Blu-ray and DVD at the suggested retail price of $19.99 and $19.98, respectively.
