My list would not be exactly the same, but it would be quite similar. It's a list that encompasses much of cinema history because the article was not written by some illiterate 12-year-old blogger, but by a veteran reviewer, Time's Richard Corliss.
On the other hand, here are some he might have included instead of the execrable Speed Racer:
The Natural. So he put Speed Racer on the list and not The Natural? I'd love to hear him defend that selection.
Cinderella Man. I don't see how you can leave that one off either.
Gentleman Jim. A wonderfully quaint Errol Flynn flick which, though dated, is full of so much energy and humor that it's still eminently watchable.
Horsefeathers. Groucho and the boys send up football.
Blind Side
Remembering the Titans
Miracle
Rudy
Brian's Song
Kingpin (I guess that would be my Speed Racer, a film I love in spite of everyone else's opinion.)
Heaven can Wait.
On the subject of sports movies:
There has never been a really good movie about golf. I agree with his quirky selection of Caddyshack as the best.
I'm so glad he left Chariots of Fire off the list. I've tried to watch that three times, fell asleep each time.
Greatest curling movie: Men with Brooms. Also probably the worst. But still better than Speed Racer.
Now that I think about it, The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh, Son of Flubber, Ed (Matt LeBlanc and the chimp) and Gus (remember the mule who could kick field goals?) were all probably better than Speed Racer. Maybe even Air Bud 4: Seventh Inning Fetch, although I haven't seen that one.
Off the top of my head, the only sports film I can think of which was clearly worse than Speed Racer was the bizarre Rollerball remake with Chris Klein.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
TIME's 25 Favorite Sports-Related Movies
TIME's 25 Favorite Sports-Related Movies
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Yikes. No Semi Tough?
ReplyDeleteHow about Somebody Up There Likes Me?
Grand Prix?
The Champ?
Remember One on One, with Robbie Benson? I first fell in love with Annette O'Toole in that one, and there were many times after that, but I digress.
A few years ago there were two movies about Steve Prefontaine -- one good, one poor -- but I can't remember which was which.
Best baseball movie not on this list:
A League of Their Own
Oh well, there were only 25 spots to fill, but I would have left Esther Williams off the list
I think Speed Racer is underrated. Maybe just a bit. Yeah, it was slow paced and boring with an emphasis on special effects, but there was a very unique artistic style to it. There's something strangely "revolutionary" or avant-garde about it.
ReplyDeleteScoop, I whole heartedly agree with your pick of The Natural (one of the best baseball flicks, even for people who aren't fans to appreciate the game along with Field of Dreams)
ReplyDeleteHowever I vehemently disagree with your assessment of Chariots of Fire, as a former Track and Field athlete, every time I watch the races I get the nervous energy I used to get before I ran events.
So I think that has a major catch behind its appeal (to me at least) just like baseball or football movies for others (speaking of which you had way too many current football films on there and none of which I consider "classics" (Eg. Remember the Titans or Blind Side) I'd go with Rudy instead of those.
When you name sports movies certain names come to mind, but those aren't it.