Robservations: The silver screen’s top sports films
Tired of watching boring games in person? Check out a sports movie, where you’re sure to see an exciting finish.
In this day and age, where the Internet has transformed us into a society which insists on debating even the most mundane topics, the information superhighway naturally has numerous sites dedicated to sports-themed movies, and rating which are the best of the lot.
One such site, titled “RateItAll.com,” has compiled a list of 69 such films, a list that is constantly subject to change based on visitors’ ratings.
So on the next rainy day, if you’re unable to head out to your favorite ballpark, here are a few samples — sport by sport, with my own two cents thrown in from time to time — to help your selection process at the video store.
Baseball: Films on the national pastime dominate their list, and rightly so. Baseball has been shown on the silver screen almost since the inception of the medium. But while three of RateItAll’s top five (No. 2 “The Natural,” No. 3 “Bull Durham” and No. 4 “Field of Dreams”) involve hardball, I’m not sure I agree with their rankings.
First of all, “Bull Durham” has too much lovey-dovey stuff in it for my tastes, especially now that we all know how the Tim Robbins-Susan Sarandon relationship eventually worked out. “The Natural” is just too magical and mystical for my liking, and “Field of Dreams” makes me cry. I can admit that.
Now “Major League,” which made No. 10 on their list, now that’s a good baseball movie. Just do yourself a favor, and don’t rent either of the sequels.
Football: I can’t argue with RateItAll’s top football movie, “The Longest Yard.” Just thinking about the Mean Machine and Paul “Wrecking” Crew taking it to the guards and showing up Eddie Albert at the end (Stick this in your trophy case) brings back warm memories. But this great piece of cinema is stuck at No. 14? What a travesty.
“Radio,” which isn’t necessarily a football movie since part of it takes place during basketball season, doesn’t even get a spot in the entire list. Do yourself another favor and pick that one up, if for no other reason than the DVD extras featuring the real-life characters the film’s based on.
Basketball: Not my favorite sport, by any stretch of the imagination. But “Hoosiers,” No. 9 on the RateItAll list, is a great, great movie. Just don’t get caught watching the paint dry when you’re running the old Picket Fence.
You’ve got to go all the way to No. 36, by the way, to find the next hoops movie — “White Men Can’t Jump.” Another good renter, if you’re TV’s speakers can withstand Rosie Perez’s voice.
The big one: In the end, there can be only one — or, in this case, one No. 1. And the visitors to RateItAll hit the sweet spot with their selection.
“Caddyshack” may go down in history as the breakthrough vehicle for Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray and Chevy Chase. It may also go down in history as the only cinematic appearance of John F. Barmon, who played everyone’s favorite grandson, Spaulding.
But in the end, Harold Ramis’ 1981 opus will be remembered as the greatest send-up of the sport of golf, and the country-club culture surrounding it, ever. If you don’t have this one in your video library, you should add it — today.
I already own it, of course. “So I’ve got that going for me… which is nice.”