Top Sports Documentaries

These are some of my favorite sports documentaries of all time. I’ve tried to include many different sports in this list but I’m sure I left some out so let me know if I forgot any of your favorites!

1. Undefeated

This documentary won an Oscar for Best Documentary and it’s not hard to see why. It follows an inner city high school in Memphis that’s run by a volunteer coach. The stories of these individual players is so touching and interesting. It just gives audiences a lot of insight into the struggles that these kids have to deal with. This is a documentary that’s pretty impossible not to cry over.

2. Baseball

One of the best documentaries about baseball and an extremely long one at that. It’s a very in depth look at the history of baseball. It makes sure to stick as close to the dates and important decades in the sport as possible. As a whole, it’s just a fun documentary that teaches you a lot about all of the players and dates that are significant for baseball.

3. The Endless Summer

A timeless documentary that changed the direction of surfing documentaries right around. It takes a unique first person point of view that had a way of making audiences feel that they were actually apart of the story. Bruce Brown’s approach to filming and narrating in this feature in general was something that we hadn’t yet seen. He also showed that the theory “less is more” can be a relevant one when used by the right filmmaker.

4. Hoop Dreams

This is a long one but it’s far from boring, the length is perfect for you to get involved in the lives of these two high school basketball players who have dreams of playing in the NBA. That plot sounds like a simple one, what basketball player doesn’t have that dream? But as you take a closer look, you realize the racial and economic challenges that these two African American boys have to deal with. It becomes a lot more about their lives outside of the sport and that’s what keeps you at the edge of your seat the entire time.

5. 30 for 30: Fab Five

ESPN 30 for 30 films never disappoint. They always manage to tell such fascinating stories from various points of view. This one in particular revealed a lot about how these underprivileged boys were given the opportunity to play basketball at Michigan. At the time, they came off as being “cocky” and “punks” but this gives us more insight as four of the boys (Chris Webber didn’t want to be apart of it) were interviewed as well as other coaches and reporters around during this time. I gained a lot of respect for them after watching this and seeing how much they truly changed culture and what people thought about them.

6. 30 for 30: Into The Wind

30 for 30 isn’t typically known for being so emotional and heartbreaking. Most of the time, just the facts are being presented and it isn’t exactly tear jerking. However, this story about Terry Fox is bound to make even the hardest of hearts shed a few tears. Canadian Terry Fox was a big runner when his leg was amputated at the age of 19 because of cancer. In 1980, he ends up running across Canada on one leg. His relentless work ethic and pure love for running is so heartwarming and inspiring.

7. We Could Be King

An inspiring look at two Philadelphia rival schools being forced to combine their football programs due to budget cuts. The horrors that these kids go through is really emotional. One of the boys Dontae is a big guy who is extremely sensitive and it breaks your heart when the boy struggles with reading out loud. The coach himself is also an inspiration, he began helping these boys after his close friend was murdered. He wanted to help these boys get away from the realities of their lives and focus on the sport they all love.

8. The Battered Bastards Of Baseball

The Portland Mavericks were an independent team owned by Bing Russell, father of actor Kurt Russell who also did some acting himself. The movie is hilarious but also touching to see these underdogs rise to the top in such hilarious fashion. The people interviewed including Kurt Russell, a batboy, players, coaches, Kurt’s mom, and many more give us new dimensions to the story.

 

10 Best Baseball Movies

If you can’t already tell based on my posts so far this month, I really love baseball. It’s one of my favorite sports and I also enjoy all movies about the sport. These are my personal favorite movies that are about the game I love so much.

1. The Sandlot

This movie shows the sport in the most innocent and honest way. It’s just a group of young boys who love baseball. They play the sport just for fun in a sandlot. Only one of the boys is actually any good at the sport. Like most movies about baseball, it’s about so much more than just that. We get to watch these boys come of age and interact with each other. It’s such an uplifting and timeless movie.

2. Field Of Dreams

This is a classic movie about Ray, a farmer in Iowa who begins hearing a voice whisper to him, “If you build it, they will come.” He then sees a vision of a baseball diamond and builds a baseball field by plowing under his corn. The famous deceased baseball player Shoeless Joe Jackson begins showing up, and only Ray can see him. He soon realizes this is happening because of his father, whom idolized Jackson. His father has previously passed away and didn’t really have a good relationship with his son. All in all, the movie focuses a lot on our dreams (obviously) and that sometimes you just have to put your trust into another person, even when you don’t know what the outcome might be.

3. The Natural

Roy Dobbs was an upcoming star pitcher who was full of potential. One night, a woman lures him into her hotel room and shoots him. After that, Dobbs goes off the grid for 16 years. He starts to play the game again sixteen years later, at the age of 35. He was considered “The best that never was,” and he tries to prove that name wrong. This movie is just one of those feel good movies that you can’t help but love. It’s extremely inspirational and you can’t help but love the charm of Robert Redford.

4. A League Of Their Own

A powerful tale about women playing baseball while the men are away in the war. It’s interesting that something that takes place decades before is still relevant to us today. The movie has an all star cast, which only makes the story more intriguing. Tom Hanks stars as their drunk washed up manager, even Rosie O’Donnell and Madonna make appearances as two other players on the team. The movie never gets old.

5. Bad News Bears

Walter Matthau plays a former minor league player who’s now an alcoholic who cleans swimming pools. He gets recruited to coach the least athletic players in the league, one of them just so happens to be his son. This movie is a classic because of the acting and the story is original and hilarious. Tatum O’Neal is amazing in this movie, her performance alone is worth tuning in to this one. Be sure to stay clear of the Billy Bob Thornton remake, the original is obviously better.

6. Bull Durham

Another movie starring Kevin Costner but this is one of the most beloved sports movies of all time. It tells the story of an older and mature player being asked to mentor the big upcoming star pitcher. I think the big reason why so many people love this movie is because it’s a lot about life and love, not just baseball. It’s a classic and timeless story that never gets old.

7. Bang The Drum Slowly

Bang The Drum Slowly stars a young and unknown Robert DeNiro. Two years after this movie, he won an Oscar for his role in The Godfather Part II. We all know what a great actor he is but it is pretty awesome to see his early work. He plays the role of Bruce, an uneducated catcher who finds out he has a terminal illness. The movie focuses on his relationship with his pitcher. It’s the baseball version of “Brian’s Song” except even better. It’s not overly cheesy, it’s just a naturally emotional story.

8. The Rookie

Dennis Quaid stars as Jim Morris, who is a real person and was briefly but notably in the major leagues for one season. Morris was supposed to be an incredible major league player. A shoulder injury shatters that dream and he hangs it up and makes a family. Slowly, he makes his way up throughout the movie until he finally reaches the major league. This is an uplifting movie that shows that dreams can come true no matter what age you are.

9. Moneyball

This is the true story of Billy Beane, the manager of the Oakland Athletic’s. This movie has become so popular in the past few years because it gives some insight into the operations behind professional baseball. Basically, Beane gets help from Peter Brand, a young graduate from Yale who has a degree in economics and has unique ideas about the values of players. Working with a limited budget, the two figure out their roster by taking these players that nobody wants and discovering those players strengths.

10. 42

This recent film looks at the life of the classic baseball player Jackie Robinson. There were many African American players who were good enough to play in the major leagues, who were around before and the same time as Robinson. However, Branch Rickey singled out Jackie because he believed he had the guts not to fight back. It’s a really compelling classic story that we all know but it’s beautiful to watch this come to life.

 

Sports Fashion In Movies

Okay stay with me here, it may seem weird to get any type of inspiration from characters in movies about sports. However, if you want a little bit of a sporty look, these can be some cool suggestions to take notes from! I tried to make this gender neutral. Basically, it’s more about the comfort that these characters provide then looking super fashionable.

Dottie Hinson from A League Of Their Own

Dottie from A League Of Their Own has an effortless tomboy look that is pretty chic and awesome. She also has really great hair that you probably wouldn’t want to have today when playing softball or whatever sport you play, since you’re bound to get that gorgeous hair extremely dirty. But hey, it’d look just as great pulled back as well. I love the uniforms that they wear in this movie although they are definitely more than a little bit outdated. I still think they look beyond cool.

Lizzie Bradbury from Wimbledon

Kirsten Dunst also has perfect hair in this movie. Her character has a fairly simple style as a tennis player. But again, her hair looks awesome and I really love her skirt. Plus, her scarf in the first picture also proves that the character herself has a great sense of style. You can look athletic on the court, and be a fashionista off the court and I love that fact.

Missy Pantone from Bring It On!

Okay, so this one is on a more goth route than the other two for sure. But I thought it’d be best to represent a lot of different styles and this is certainly mixing the list up quite a bit so why not? I picked to talk about Missy because I already talked about one character played by Kirsten Dunst so I figured this was the best choice. Plus I dig how different Missy is from other characters. She auditions for the squad in the outfit that can be seen here in the first picture. Then she has a transformation in a sense, and becomes a cheerleader. However, she doesn’t become preppy by any means. She still keeps her attitude throughout the movie which is great to watch. And I love the personal addition she adds to her style. Missy is definitely the coolest cheerleader in movie history.

Best Football Movies

As promised, here’s a list of my favorite football movies. These movies are uplifting and always heartwarming. Sometimes they might be a bit cliche but you can’t help but love them anyway.

1. Rudy

There’s not a more uplifting movie than Rudy. Everytime it’s on cable, I always have to watch it. Everybody loves a good underdog story and this one certainly is an amazing one. It also makes me tear up during that classic scene towards the end. If you’ve never seen this movie, what are you doing with your life?

2. Remember The Titans

This is a heartwarming Disney movie about a high school being desegregated in 1971. Both blacks and whites are also forced to combine their football teams. The white coach gets the shaft when a black head coach takes over the position. The boys and the coaches butt heads and see themselves as being different. It’s really inspiring when the boys start to put aside their differences and become brothers.

3. Jerry Maguire

Show me the money! This one is definitely the best about the business of football. We learn a lot about the personal and business life of sports agent Jerry Maguire. Rod is an older player who makes Jerry yell, “Show me the money!” when Jerry is trying to be his agent. Cuba Gooding Jr. won an Oscar for his role of Rod Tidwell which you can’t help but love.

4. Friday Night Lights

Billy Bob Thornton does a great job playing the head coach of this high school football team which is actually based on a true story. It makes it even better that it’s a true story. The characters are all amazing and realistic. What’s not to love?

5. The Blind Side

Sandra Bullock is absolutely amazing in this role. This is the inspiring true story of NFL offensive linemen Michael Oher. Before he was able to go to the NFL, he had to face many trials in his life including homelessness and poverty. He found a home with the Tuohy family, who have money like Oher has never seen before. It’s hard not to be touched by the kindness and love that this movie has.

Welcome to April

Wow, it’s hard to believe that it’s already April. This year has flown by so quickly and now I’m nearly done with my freshman year of college. That is equally awesome and also very terrifying. I’m really excited about this month, even though I already mentioned that it may bore some of you to death. I’ve always been a big fan of sports. Like it or not, it’s a big part of our society as a whole and there are so many books, movies, TV shows, songs, and much more about the subject of sport.

I’ve chosen this month because sports are important to me. I’m like the least athletic person on the planet. However, I love sports because it’s something that I’ve always loved watching. The games of football, basketball, and baseball have always fascinated me. The lives of the athletes and how whatever game I’m watching is played in general has managed to fascinate me endlessly.

This month, I hope to tell you stories. Some of these stories about big sports scandals or profiles on hot shot athletes are things you know a lot about. My personal stories about growing up at the baseball field and having absolutely zero athletic ability are some things you won’t know. I hope my own personal spin on things will make the theme more interesting for everyone. Take care!

End Of March & Intro To April

Hey! I’ve loved writing about this month’s theme education all month. Hopefully you’ve learned some random facts or something like that. The month of April is going to be about sports: organized and unorganized. April marks the kick off to baseball season. While some of you may not care about it since this isn’t a sports blog, there’s still interesting stories and facts about baseball. I’m sorry if you find it boring, but hopefully you at least enjoy a good sports movie. I mean, Sandlot is a classic and I’ll definitely be talking about it a number of times during the month.

I plan on dedicating a lot of lists to different sports. For instance, I’m going to have a list of the ultimate sports movies then break some down by the main sports. I also plan on profiling athletes that everyone keeps talking about. For books this month, I’m going to talk about the best nonfiction sports books: both memoirs and biographies. There’s not a lot of great fiction sports books so I’m just going to do it that way.

This is just a little preview of what is to come. I plan on talking a little more about why I chose this theme and why you should care about it. That’s about it! Hope you guys stay with me this month.

Magazines to Read

Spring break can get a little busy, especially if you’re planning on hitting the beach or something like that. These suggestions are magazines that you should read while in a long car ride or on a plane. Whatever it may be, these suggestions obviously don’t require too much of your time. Anyone can make just a little bit of time for some magazine reading! Hey, who knows, if you love it you might even subscribe to the magazine so you’re able to read more and more of it!

This magazine always has the most famous celebrities on the cover. It also is filled with a lot of pictures and wise style and relationship advice. Glamour is starting to become more like Cosmo, it has a lot of really sexual tips. But I still recommend it because the fashion and general articles are still amazing. Plus getting a subscription to Glamour is so cheap and you won’t regret it!

W magazine is filled to the brim with stunning photographs. It always has such stunning photoshoots with the models and celebrities. It also is just an incredible fashion magazine and general magazine for women. It’s hard not to love these stories and pictures.

Hey, you gotta stay educated right? Time is the biggest news magazine out there. It has so many issues and always keeps you up to date on what’s going on in the world. If you like reading in-depth articles, this is the magazine for you. I find it so interesting because it informs you about facts you may not know about. Plus so much research is spent on these stories and you can’t help but respect that.

If you just really want to read about what’s going on in the movie and television world, look no further than EW. It’s filled with so many interesting celebrity interviews and general news. It always keeps me updated on what’s going on in the entertainment world and that’s always fun to read about. It’s not too heavy but it’s always entertaining and what more can you ask for during your break?

The New Yorker is definitely my personal favorite “literary” magazine. I included the quote marks because that’s not really what it is. It talks about everything and so many different topics. The New Yorker has pretty much everything stacked inside the magazine. It’s filled with pieces from some of the greatest writers. It also has detailed profiles on certain popular celebrities and it’s news stories are always on issues that are ongoing.

Despite the fact that the swimsuit cover is the most popular issue, Sports Illustrated actually has some really cool stories about sports. It keeps up with what sports on going on when. If you’re a fan of sports, this is obviously the top magazine. It profiles all the best and most popular athletes, both current and old. The stories are really in-depth looks and you can always count on them to be extremely well written.

An Education From Movies & TV Shows

Sometimes we don’t really associate movies and TV shows with learning something. We typically consider it to be just a form of entertainment and there’s nothing educational about it. However, these movies and TV shows prove that there’s still many lessons to be learned here.

The Rise Of ISIS

PBS’s Frontline takes on a popular topic in our world today. For those of you that have heard of ISIS but know next to nothing about it, this is perfect for you. It’s really vital information that we all need to know and this documentary does a great job at laying out all of the pieces for us.

Brain Games

I happened to accidentally stumble upon this show one day and I’m pretty happy I did. This show is filled with interesting and random facts about the brain that you definitely don’t know. The games are fascinating and challenging. They make you think but in a fun way that you thoroughly enjoy. The show is set up in such a cool and unique way you can’t help but love.

Crimes Of The Century

CNN’s multi-episode Crimes Of The Century takes a closer look at some of the most popular criminal cases in recent years. They present each case with many different interview subjects as well as candid and old footage surrounding the case. Among the stories include: the D.C. Sniper, Amanda Yates, Unibomber, Amanda Knox, Oklahoma City bomber, Ronald Reagan attempted assassination, and the John Lennon assassination. The John Lennon one in particular really pissed me off because it looked at so many different sides that I was unaware of until I watched this. It’s deeply informative and I certainly learned from these events in history that aren’t talked about enough.

10 Things You Don’t Know About

Henry Rollins hosts this fascinating H2 show. I can’t tell you how much I’ve learned from this show. It’s filled with people and event that you learned about in history class but you didn’t learn these facts. It consists of a lot of lesser known facts that are often overlooked. The show makes me really remember exactly why I love learning so much.

Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey

This Carl Sagan reboot is much better than I expected it to be. Neil deGrasse Tyson has one of those commanding deep voices that makes you shut up and listen to what he’s saying. The general sights and technology used here is incredibly innovative and awesome to watch.

Birdman Review

Birdman is a weird yet brilliant film starring Michael Keaton, who is most famous for playing Batman. In this role, he plays Riggan Thomson, a washed-up actor who played the superhero Birdman in the popular franchise decades earlier. He attempts to make a comeback by acting on Broadway.

A lot of this film deals with Riggan being haunted by the role he previously played. Literally, he hears the voice of Birdman and it even follows him around. He also has magic powers and can fly which is definitely the weird thing about the movie.

However, it’s directing is really great and there isn’t a bad acting performance in the movie. Emma Stone shines as Riggan’s daughter who just got out of rehab and is now acting as his personal assistant. She resents her dad for missing out on most of her life and holds it over his head every chance she gets. This is one of the best performances I’ve seen from the Hollywood star.

As far as Oscars go, Boyhood started winning Best Picture awards early on in the award season. But Birdman hasn’t been counted out just yet. It’s pretty clear that the race is between Boyhood and Birdman to take the top award. Personally, I think Boyhood should win the award for reasons SMJ already talked about. The movie is easy to relate to and Birdman is only something that a specific group of people- those in show business can relate to.

Edward Norton has a memorable performance as an experienced Broadway actor Mike Shiner, who fills in for an actor that gets injured just days before the show opens for previews. Mike causes Riggan more harm than good. The two constantly clash and don’t agree on really anything. The tension between them creates an interesting but small part of this complicated plot.

There’s some dark moments of the film. Such as, the times when Riggan constantly battles with the fact that he wasn’t there for his wife and daughter. The movie is actually depressing at times. I heard that it was a comedy but I didn’t expect it to be so dark. The funny moments are brief but also memorable.

In my opinion, the best scene comes towards the end of the film. You’ll have to watch it, but I’ll give just a little hint. Basically, let’s just say that Michael Keaton’s character ends up running around Times Square in nothing but his pair of briefs. The moments in the show that go horribly wrong are when the movie finds it’s funny moments.

All in all, the movie is unique and I’ve never seen a movie quite like it. It’s also one of those movies where so much happens that you have to watch it back a second time just to catch everything. Whether or not it wins Best Picture, Best Actor, or any of the other Oscars it’s nominated for, this is still a movie worth watching. Did any of you see Birdman? Do you think that Michael Keaton played too much like Batman in this role? Let me know your thoughts!

Cutest Movie Couples

These are some of my favorite movie couples.

Baby and Johnny from Dirty Dancing

How can you not love them? They both have extremely obvious chemistry. I think it’s funny and pretty much a major testament to their acting abilities that the pair didn’t get along in real life. They were able to sell it on screen in the most convincing way possible.

Sam and Molly from Ghost

Even though Sam dies in the movie and becomes a Ghost, it’s obvious the love that Sam and Molly had. We get to see that in the Unchained Melody scene especially. I just really love how much the two cared for each other.

Princess Buttercup and Wesley from The Princess Bride

By far my favorite movie and couple. Wesley was her farmboy but we all know that “As You Wish” is one of the best lines in movie history. All of the lines the two share about love makes even the hardest heart crumble just a little bit. I mean, even death couldn’t keep the two from reuniting which is rather romantic if you ask me.

Latika and Jamal from Slumdog Millionare

This is a really tragic movie but the ending is beautiful. This couple endures horrible circumstances together. Jamal gets separated from Latika but he never forgets her and he always dreams of finding her. “This is our destiny” is one of my favorite lines. I just absolutely adore Jamal’s endless dedication to Latika.

Pat and Tiffany from Silver Linings Playbook

Two people that suffer from mental illness and who feel as if no one really understands them. After Pat comes to his friend Ronnie’s house for dinner, things change for him. That’s where he meets Ronnie’s wife Veronica’s sister Tiffany. Tiffany is a widow who also understands mental illness. Her and Pat bond instantly over the medication that they’ve both taken in a heartwarming and hilarious scene. Yeah, the two definitely fight the romance to the point where you doubt the relationship is going to happen entirely. But it’s not a cliché type relationship, it’s real and that’s why I love it.

Allie and Noah from The Notebook

Obviously, I have to mention the book. But I’d feel weird leaving the movie couple off of this list. In my mind, they are one of the best simply due to the chemistry these two bring to the screen. They make the couple seem very much alive. The love story itself is so touching and you can’t help but love it.

Ellie and Carl from Up

Yes, this is an animated Pixar film. But it’s also one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve ever watched unfold that’s under about 30 minutes. We watch the pair age together and more importantly, dream together. This is the only Pixar movie besides Toy Story 3 that’s ever made me cry and this movie just really touched me.