Yes, I'm sure this has been messageboarded to death on the interwebnet. Just relax.
Some of my favorites, in no real order:
Slap Shot (1977 - Paul Newman, Strother Martin). My all-time favorite. Probably the best parody of a sport ever. The film version of Boys on the Bus. Reggie, Killer, Ogie Oglethorpe (Ogeltorp!??), and Dr. Hook McCracken. Incidentally, did Steve Hartman audition for the role of Jim Carr? "You go to da box for two minutes...you feel shame...then you are set free." You want to have a really freaky night? Forget the porn store, watch
Cool Hand Luke, then
Slap Shot.
Brian's Song (1971 - James Caan, Billy Dee Williams). It's the
Old Yeller of football movies. Obviously you can't watch this now without thinking of James Caan in
The Program and Billy Dee in all those Colt 45 ads, but just imagine back then...being a Bears fan. Oh yeah, and I once bought a car from Gayle Sayers, so there.
The Sandlot (1993 - Dennis Leary, James Earl Jones). If you're a Dodger fan and this is not on your list, please turn in your man card right now. I grew up playing hockey in the Midwest, but it was the same spirit.
Caddyshack (1988 - Bill Murray, Chevy Chase). I hesistate to call golf a sport, but similarly, if you haven't memorized at least five scenes from this flick, turn in the man card. Aside from the obvious quotes ("I want ya to kill every golfer on the course"...etc" didn't ya get a little queasy when Mrs. Smails held that sponge out of the show and said, "Elihu, would you come and lufa my stretch marks?" Eeewwwww.
The Natural (1984 - Robert Redford, Wilford Brimley). Has to be the best baseball film out there.
Major League was funny and all, but there's a distinct otherworldly feel to the beginning of the film, which is brought to a crashing halt when Roy begins to encounter the sleaziness of big-ball ownership. I wonder hot Reford's fastball flies up there in Park City.
Tin Cup (1996 - Kevin Costner, Cheech Marin). Yeah, I know it's got Renee Russo & M00bs Mickelson & Jim Nantz & Gary McCord and all that crap, but any film that can fuse Cheech, WaterworldKev and Sonny Crockett has got some run. Incidentally, Ben Wright was in this one. I guess that was before he got fired for guessing that women can't play golf better than men because of their hooters.
Your thoughts?
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