The Paris Olympics 2024 has just ended, and as expected, there is a growing interest in the lives of athletes and the sports itself. And even outside the Olympics, more and more people are becoming more into sports. The great news is, if you’re looking for a great sports movie based on real life, there are quite a handful of quality films about athletes and their personal and professional lives.
If you want to see some of the greatest athletes of all time on and off the field or court, stick around and check out the list we’ve prepared. Many of these movies can be watched on various streaming services, so you won’t have a hard time looking for them.
1.The Blind Side (2009)
Michael Oher is a notable football tackle player who defied a lot of odds to prove his talent to the world. He played at the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons, and he was a sight to see definitely. The Blind Side is about his story and how he became who he is despite his family issues. Oher’s biological mother has a drug addiction, which created a lot of complications early in his life.
About the accuracy of the film, according to Oher, it was mostly accurate, except for the fact that he wasn’t adopted. Instead, he was put into a conservatorship, which is a completely different thing. The film received a lot of awards mainly for Sandra Bullock. So if you’re planning to watch this 126-minute film, you need to have a fast connection like cable or fiber internet to avoid lags and buffering.
2.Eddie the Eagle (2015)
If you’re a fan of ski jumping, you’ve probably heard of Michael Edwards, a.k.a. Eddie “The Eagle”. This comedy-drama movie is all about Edwards’ story, despite not having any experience or talent in the sport, he defied all odds to compete in the 1988 Winter Olympics. While it’s past our time, The Eagle’s legacy in this sport and how he became the first ski jumper who represented Great Britain at the Olympic ski jumping.
3. Race (2016)
Let’s turn back the clock and go to the 1933 Olympics where an African-American track-and-field athlete named Jesse Owens. We all know that during that time, racial inequality is a big issue. The movie is about Owens’ story and his journey in making his name in an Aryan-dominated sport. It wasn’t an easy task, that’s for sure, but his determination made him one of the most important athletes in the entire sports industry.
This 2-hour-long movie is a beautiful film about courage and resilience while overcoming adversity. Racism is still an issue up until today, so this movie is definitely a good watch. Just make sure you have a stable wireless service to enjoy watching it.
4. The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005)
Love golf? You’ll love this movie even more. The Greatest Game Ever Played is about the story of Francis Ouimet (played by the great Shia LeBeouf). There was a lot going on in the film, and everything worked together to make this one of the best sports movies out there. Ouimet joined the US Open, in which he won. The best thing about this win? The competition was for the rich, but the winner was a part of the working class.
5. Woodlawn (2015)
If you want another sports film about overcoming racial prejudice, then we highly recommend Woodlawn. This movie is about the first black football player in Alabama high school history named Tony Nathan. He attended Woodlawn High School, hence the film’s name, but his story is more than that. He joined the football team, along with other black players. The thing is, the team is predominantly white. Of course, fighting off racism during the early 1970s wasn’t easy, but Nathan’s journey played a big part, specifically in Alabama’s football history, in embracing people of color.
The Bottom Line
There are a lot of real life movies about athletes, but these five topped our list – not because of the sport or the artist, but about the story and the lessons that we learned from them. If you’re just starting out, you can never go wrong with these five titles. Please do give them a try and let us know what you think. Have fun watching!
