The Ringer:
Released 30 years ago this week, the romantic comedy tells the tale of aging career minor league catcher Crash Davis (Kevin Costner), rocket-armed phenom “Nuke” LaLoosh (Tim Robbins), and wise English professor Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon), who keeps the two in check.
The movie’s uniqueness stems from its conflicted feelings toward baseball. The characters, like Shelton himself, both love the game and curse how cruel it can be. This blend of devotion and irreverence led to the most honest on-screen portrayal of the sport ever made. He may not have been able to re-create the visuals of a World Series broadcast, but the director did manage to take us inside an athlete’s world.
I don’t think there’s any doubt – Bull Durham is the best sports movie of all time.
I believe the greatest sports film of all time is “Mr. Baseball” with Tom Selleck.
I love Mr. Baseball.
The only other one that comes close is Slap Shot
Just don’t get caught watching the paint dry.
I think the most beloved sports movies tend not to be movies about sports, but movies about people where sports is a theme. Like the TV show Sports Night. “A show about a show about sports that’s not about sports.”
“The Natural” was right in my wheelhouse when I was a kid.
“My mother begged me to get out of this game, Red, she pleaded with me you know but she died.”
“Tough.”
Love Bull Durham. As a kid I used to psych out friends by calling them “Meat” when we were playing games. One day soon my kids will discover why being slow getting ready for school is called Lollygagging.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt – Bull Durham is the best sports movie of all time.”
So, not the Mighty Ducks? 😉
We’re gonna run the picket fence….
Hopper was amazing in that part.
Forgot about that one. Brilliant. So many great movies…
Forgot about that one. Brilliant. So many great movies…
Agreed. I like Bend it Like Beckham which is only marginally about soccer.
Love it. Also Raging Bull.
The best “sports” movie of all time, is — assuming you view golf as a sport — Caddyshack.
Hands down.
Bull Durham is definitely up there.
Criminal. It’s barely a sports movie. It’s a “fish out of water” story that uses baseball as its base.
What about Hoosiers. That remains one of my favorites.
The Blind Side
Trouble with the Curve
Breaking Away
The Fighter
I, Tonya
Jerry Maquire
The Karate Kid
Moneyball
White Men Can’t Jump…
For me, Hoosiers is the one.
Pick a movie by Kevin Costner about baseball. Pretty much any movie.
Edit: Great article. 🙂
Yep. It’s a rare anything about sports that’ll hold my attention, unless the writer has something wider in scope going on.
Also, “Bad News Bears.” Walter Matthau FTW.
It is a Japanese baseball movie. I am sorry if the message was too subtle for you.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt – Bull Durham is the best sports movie of all time.”
There’s plenty of doubt. Bull Durham isn’t even unquestionably the best baseball movie of all time. Field of Dreams, The Natural, Major League, Eight Men Out and Bad News Bears (original version) are all viable candidates.
Without a doubt? It’s excellent, but what about “Air Bud”?
Seriously, I’d put Raging Bull, Rocky, and The Bad News Bears in front of it, but it’s in my top 5.
Strong second for “The Bad News Bears”. They wouldn’t make that film today (remake was so watered down in the areas that made the original so vital).
I’m always on the fence about including Caddyshack in my sports move list. It’s such a pure comedy, that it feels wrong to be there as the golf was just a vehicle for lampooning those idiots. However, if it makes the sports list it’s top 10.
Some of those films on your list I really didn’t care for, but “The Fighter” is so under-appreciated I give you bonus points for recalling it. Also, “White Men Can’t Jump”, another Shelton film, is brilliant.
Then there’s Million Dollar Baby, and a sleeper that few saw: Bleed for This.
The Fighter is an incredible movie, and story: some of the best character acting ever.
I was involved in the making of Bend it Like Beckham! I played a key role! In that I mailed an item from my office that was requested that I didn’t know was going to be in the movie or *a* movie but it turned out on screen in Bend it Like Beckham which of course we’d never heard of even if they had identified it in the original request and we didn’t even know there was a movie even involved but there it is and I had mailed it!
So, see? A crucial role.
One of the best parts of owning the DVD is the short of of the director: Gurinder Chadha cooking aloo gobi with her mother and aunt looking on and irritating her in a London restaurant. It’s brilliant and it got me cooking Indian food at home.
Crash Davis: We’re dealing with a lot of shit.
Larry: Okay, well candlesticks always make a nice gift, and maybe you could find out where she’s registered and maybe a place-setting or maybe a silverware pattern. Okay, let’s get two! Go get ’em