Sports Films

As someone who appreciates both sports and films, I do love a good movie about sports.   There is no shortage of lists of great sports movies.  Typically they include movies like Rocky, The Natural, A League of Their Own, etc.   Being partial to hockey, I have always been drawn to movies like Slapshot, Mystery Alaska and Miracle.

Miracle is a favorite, as it encompasses a great story, good acting and is truly inspirational.   I recently watched another sports movie called Warrior starring Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton and Nick Nolte.   Now I had heard and read many good things about Warrior, but for some reason I was reticent to see it.  Now I am so glad that I did watch it, as it has so many parallels to Miracle that I have to rate it as a one of my favorite sports films.

First of all the acting is top notch.   I had only seen Tom Hardy in films with his British accent, so it took a moment or two to adjust to his American accent.    Nick Nolte was so quietly amazing, I don't think I have seen him in a better role.  His Oscar nod was totally deserved.   And then there is Joel Edgerton.  I had heard of him before, but this was the first starring role I had seen him in.   I was impressed with his quiet and powerful performance.    The other film I saw this weekend was Zero Dark Thirty and he was in that as well.   I enjoyed that movie on so many levels, and Edgerton's character as a Navy Seal was short on screen time, but certainly noticeable.

Like Warrior, Miracle has strong performances.  Particularly Kurt Russell as Herb Brooks.  It can be so difficult to tell a sports story, particularly one that involves an event as monumental as the Miracle on Ice.    But rather than waiting around for sports action, the viewer is drawn into the personal, social and political dramas surrounding the characters.  Warrior is able to achieve this same level of storytelling throughout the movie as well.   Though many might be compelled to watch for the MMA (mixed martial arts) fighting, the turmoils and difficulties of the characters are deeply affecting.  I don't even really care for MMA fighting that much, but the movie created interest for me by showing the strategy behind it and made the story and outcome seem realistic.    Between the story and acting, I found Warrior to be an extremely well-round movie.

I feel that a thesis might arise from comparing these films, so I will stop there :).  A dissertation could come out of Zero Dark Thirty!  Until I find the time (or courage) to spend more time parsing these movies, I will be content to just sit back and enjoy watching them.    I can use this blog as my opportunity to be an "armchair" movie reviewer.