American Sports Movies, a list by Adam McGready

8.3

/29329/

79

/782/

76

/322/

4.4

/50913/

98

/60/

92

/881/

98

/19/

4.0

age 13+

Every school day, African-American teenagers William Gates and Arthur Agee travel 90 minutes each way from inner-city Chicago to St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois, a predominately white suburban school well-known for the excellence of its basketball program. Gates and Agee dream of NBA stardom, and with the support of their close-knit families, they battle the social and physical obstacles that stand in their way. This acclaimed documentary was shot over the course of five years.

87

8.1

/405954/

78

/5821/

79

/4610/

4.2

/521776/

92

/151/

93

/7166/

90

/28/

4.0

age 17+

The life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.

87

8.0

/10985/

79

/643/

77

/188/

4.3

/47926/

100

/130/

90

/117/

89

/28/

4.0

age 16+

Three young men bond together to escape volatile families in their Rust Belt hometown. As they face adult responsibilities, unexpected revelations threaten their decade-long friendship.

86

IMDb 3

8.2

/32688/

80

/631/

80

/117/

4.2

/894092/

93

/292/

83

/1316/

89

/58/

4.0

age 15+

In 1950s New York, table tennis player Marty Mauser, a young man with a dream no one respects, goes to Hell and back in pursuit of greatness.

86

7.9

/90488/

76

/1546/

77

/1038/

4.1

/56754/

94

/47/

92

/1351/

90

/18/

4.0

age 14+

Fast Eddie Felson is a small-time pool hustler with a lot of talent but a self-destructive attitude. His bravado causes him to challenge the legendary Minnesota Fats to a high-stakes match.

86

8.1

/22143/

81

/1064/

80

/336/

4.1

/23276/

100

/18/

96

/59/

81

/6/

The definitive film on the climb that captured headlines and ignited imaginations worldwide. Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson ascend the hardest big wall of all time: a 19 day ascent of The Dawn Wall, on the 3,000 foot vertical face of El Capitan, in Yosemite National Park. The film travels deeper than the climb, digging into the history of the climbers and painting an intimate portrait of Caldwell's harrowing life experiences that culminated in a single-minded drive to complete this impossible climb. The Dawn Wall is a heart-warming and inspiring movie that celebrates perseverance, camaraderie, and the universal spirit of dreaming big, and never giving up.

85

8.1

/759988/

80

/13478/

79

/10115/

4.0

/430761/

90

/268/

90

/15860/

86

/39/

4.0

age 14+

Despondent over a painful estrangement from his daughter, trainer Frankie Dunn isn't prepared for boxer Maggie Fitzgerald to enter his life. But Maggie's determined to go pro and to convince Dunn and his cohort to help her.

84

7.9

/329637/

76

/6212/

75

/3880/

4.1

/215379/

99

/227/

88

/15179/

80

/36/

4.0

age 18+

Aging wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson is long past his prime but still ready and rarin' to go on the pro-wrestling circuit. After a particularly brutal beating, however, Randy hangs up his tights, pursues a serious relationship with a long-in-the-tooth stripper, and tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter. But he can't resist the lure of the ring and readies himself for a comeback.

84

7.8

/2712/

78

/166/

75

/35/

3.9

/3466/

98

/117/

97

/50/

82

/25/

3.5

age 11+

In a moving portrait of resilience, Alex Holmes chronicles the unprecedented journey of 24-year-old Tracy Edwards and the first all-female sailing crew to enter the Whitbread Round the World Race.

84

7.7

/27237/

74

/537/

71

/283/

4.0

/25093/

95

/42/

88

/641/

91

/15/

4.0

age 12+

Dave, nineteen, has just graduated high school, with his three friends: the comical Cyril, the warm hearted but short-tempered Moocher, and the athletic, spiteful but good-hearted Mike. Now, Dave enjoys racing bikes and hopes to race the Italians one day, and even takes up the Italian culture, much to his friends' and parents' annoyance.

83

7.9

/20249/

77

/516/

75

/243/

4.1

/20959/

100

/50/

94

/466/

83

/21/

3.0

age 14+

It's 1974. Muhammad Ali is 32 and thought by many to be past his prime. George Foreman is ten years younger and the heavyweight champion of the world. Promoter Don King wants to make a name for himself and offers both fighters five million dollars apiece to fight one another, and when they accept, King has only to come up with the money. He finds a willing backer in Mobutu Sese Suko, the dictator of Zaire, and the "Rumble in the Jungle" is set, including a musical festival featuring some of America's top black performers, like James Brown and B.B. King.

83

7.6

/13357/

75

/860/

75

/275/

3.8

/25602/

100

/60/

93

/37/

85

/12/

3.5

age 13+

Follow the Indianapolis Star reporters that broke the story about USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar's abuse and hear from gymnasts.

83

8.1

/84432/

80

/4608/

79

/1444/

4.1

/209721/

97

/159/

93

/460/

83

/25/

3.0

age 11+

Follow Alex Honnold as he attempts to become the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's 3,000 foot high El Capitan wall. With no ropes or safety gear, this would arguably be the greatest feat in rock climbing history.

83

8.0

/38444/

80

/1713/

77

/471/

4.0

/35149/

97

/100/

93

/5429/

83

/23/

3.0

age 11+

In this hilarious arcade showdown, a humble novice goes head-to-head against the reigning Donkey Kong champ in a confrontation that rocks the gaming world to its processors! For over 20 years, Billy Mitchell has owned the throne of the Donkey Kong world. No one could beat his top score until now. Newcomer Steve Wiebe claims to have beaten the unbeatable, but Mitchell isn't ready to relinquish his crown without a fight. Go behind the barrels as the two battle it out in a vicious war to earn the title of the true King of Kong.

83

7.6

/501670/

76

/13373/

72

/5557/

3.9

/732617/

94

/273/

86

/7837/

87

/42/

4.0

age 12+

The story of Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to put together a baseball team on a budget, by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players.

83

7.6

/330398/

75

/18154/

74

/7784/

3.8

/663868/

95

/313/

89

/3804/

82

/42/

4.0

age 13+

The former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed.

82

7.3

/45464/

73

/1177/

70

/617/

3.6

/30395/

98

/44/

85

/753/

89

/23/

4.0

age 8+

A seven-year-old chess prodigy refuses to harden himself in order to become a champion like the famous but unlikable Bobby Fischer.

82

7.4

/186/

72

/26/

73

/7/

100

/15/

98

/56/

3.0

age 8+

Introducing his never before seen 'leaping one-hander' to the masses on a national level, Kenny Sailors quickly grew to be a fan favorite while leading his Wyoming Cowboys to the Collegiate National Championship in Madison Square Garden in 1943. But after playing on several losing teams in an unstable, emerging league now known as the NBA, Kenny disappeared into the Alaskan wilderness only to be forgotten by the sport he helped pioneer. Now, nearly sixty years later, the multitude of people he has touched along the way have forced Kenny’s humble reemergence.

82

7.2

/11392/

68

/225/

70

/171/

3.9

/19513/

100

/27/

83

/146/

89

/16/

4.0

Two men, working as professional boxers, come to blows when their careers each begin to take opposite momentum.

81

7.4

/3062/

74

/196/

77

/139/

3.9

/17128/

94

/32/

93

/35/

77

/5/

3.5

age 14+

Iranian female judokas Leila and her coach Maryam, travel to the Judo World Championship, intent on bringing home Iran’s first gold medal. Midway through the Judo World Championships, they receive an ultimatum from the Islamic Republic ordering Leila to fake an injury and lose, or she will be branded a traitor of the state. With her own and her family’s freedom at stake, Leila is faced with an impossible choice: comply with the Iranian regime as her coach Maryam implores her to do, or fight on, for the gold.

81

8.2

/1608/

75

/82/

71

/12/

3.8

/2200/

98

/57/

96

/65/

79

/13/

3.0

The life and times of New York Yankee catcher Yogi Berra, a 10 time World Series champion whose unique personality and unforgettable Yogi-isms sometimes got in the way of his being recognized as one of baseball’s greatest players.

81

7.9

/2080/

76

/150/

74

/22/

3.6

/3339/

96

/25/

95

/15/

73

/5/

3.5

In the world of Major League Baseball no one has created a mythology like Nolan Ryan. Told from the point of view of the hitters who faced him and the teammates who revered him, Facing Nolan is the definitive documentary of a Texas legend.

81

7.7

/7490/

76

/293/

74

/82/

3.9

/3919/

96

/100/

89

/213/

71

/29/

3.5

age 11+

Set against the backdrop of a high school football season, Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin’s documentary UNDEFEATED is an intimate chronicle of three underprivileged student-athletes from inner-city Memphis and the volunteer coach trying to help them beat the odds on and off the field. For players and coaches alike, the season will be not only about winning games — it will be about how they grapple with the unforeseeable events that are part of football and part of life.

81

8.2

/8206/

81

/595/

77

/159/

3.9

/2481/

87

/51/

Iconic snowboarder Travis Rice and friends redefine what is possible in the mountains. Experience the highs, as new tricks are landed and new zones opened, alongside the lows, where avalanches, accidents, and wrong-turns strike.

80

7.4

/191417/

74

/7718/

72

/2229/

3.6

/509509/

93

/348/

97

/1341/

73

/59/

3.5

age 15+

Discover the game-changing partnership between a then undiscovered Michael Jordan and Nike's fledgling basketball division which revolutionized the world of sports and culture with the Air Jordan brand.

80

7.5

/47923/

74

/1110/

72

/667/

3.7

/27390/

92

/138/

85

/1579/

81

/27/

3.5

age 15+

Taking over Leeds United, Brian Clough's abrasive approach and his clear dislike of the players' dirty style of play make it certain there is going to be friction. Glimpses of his earlier career help explain both his hostility to previous manager Don Revie and how much he is missing right-hand man Peter Taylor.

80

7.9

/16555/

79

/817/

77

/162/

3.9

/34912/

93

/45/

97

/24/

67

/13/

3.0

age 13+

Marc-André Leclerc, an exceptional climber, has made solo his religion and ice his homeland. When filmmaker Peter Mortimer begins his film, he places his camera at the base of a British Columbia cliff and waits patiently for the star climber to come down to answer his questions. Marc André, a little uncomfortable, prefers to return to the depths of the forest where he lives in a tent with his girlfriend Brette Harrington. In the heart of winter, Peter films vertiginous solos on fragile ice. He tries to make appointments with the climber who is never there and does not seem really concerned by this camera pointed at him "For me, it would not be a solo if there was someone else" . Marc-André is thus, the "pure light" of the mountaineers of his time, which marvel Barry Blanchard, Alex Honnold or Reinhold Messner, interviewed in the film. An event film for an extraordinary character.

80

7.8

/6660/

74

/120/

73

/77/

3.8

/3420/

97

/32/

92

/169/

82

/20/

3.0

The full story of the 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre and the Israeli revenge operation 'Wrath of God.' The 1972 Munich Olympics were interrupted by Palestinian terrorists taking Israeli athletes hostage. Besides footage taken at the time, we see interviews with the surviving terrorist, Jamal Al Gashey, and various officials detailing exactly how the police, lacking an anti-terrorist squad and turning down help from the Israelis, botched the operation.

80

7.5

/168226/

76

/6407/

76

/2741/

3.7

/322350/

90

/303/

98

/598/

76

/53/

3.0

age 13+

The story of how Richard Williams served as a coach to his daughters Venus and Serena, who will soon become two of the most legendary tennis players in history.

80

7.5

/37025/

73

/1450/

74

/778/

4.0

/493558/

84

/257/

81

/92/

80

/45/

4.0

age 16+

A controlling father’s attempts to ensure that his two children succeed in high school backfire after his son experiences a career-ending sports injury. Their familial bonds are eventually placed under severe strain by an unexpected tragedy.

80

7.6

/6815/

77

/231/

71

/132/

3.8

/11941/

100

/23/

91

/296/

82

/12/

3.0

age 11+

Bruce Brown's The Endless Summer is one of the first and most influential surf movies of all time. The film documents American surfers Mike Hynson and Robert August as they travel the world during California’s winter (which, back in 1965 was off-season for surfing) in search of the perfect wave and ultimately, an endless summer.

80

7.4

/15164/

71

/436/

70

/315/

3.7

/11247/

90

/31/

83

/578/

84

/10/

4.0

age 8+

While traveling with his father, young Alec becomes fascinated by a mysterious Arabian stallion that is brought on board and stabled in the ship he is sailing on. When it tragically sinks both he and the horse survive only to be stranded on a deserted island. He befriends it, so when finally rescued both return to his home where they soon meet Henry Dailey, a once successful trainer. Together they begin training the horse to race against the fastest ones in the world.

83

80

7.9

/6781/

81

/345/

75

/125/

3.8

/1762/

100

/19/

95

/261/

76

/6/

By vividly recounting the TT's legendary rivalries and the Isle of Man's unique road racing history, this 3D feature documentary discovers why modern TT riders still risk their lives to win the world's most dangerous race. The Isle of Man Tourist Trophy is the greatest motorcycle road race in the world, the ultimate challenge for rider and machine. It has always called for a commitment far beyond any other racing event, and many have made the ultimate sacrifice in their quest for victory. A story about freedom of choice, the strength of human spirit and the will to win. It's also an examination of what motivates those rare few, this elite band of brothers who risk everything to win.

80

7.4

/56254/

74

/1333/

70

/566/

3.5

/43320/

92

/48/

88

/2280/

77

/13/

4.0

age 9+

Failed college coach Norman Dale gets a chance at redemption when he is hired to coach a high school basketball team in a tiny Indiana town. After a teacher persuades star player Jimmy Chitwood to quit and focus on his long-neglected studies, Dale struggles to develop a winning team in the face of community criticism for his temper and his unconventional choice of assistant coach: Shooter, a notorious alcoholic.

80

7.9

/57606/

78

/2842/

76

/798/

4.0

/67269/

92

/49/

93

/154/

68

/16/

3.0

age 15+

While investigating the furtive world of illegal doping in sports, director Bryan Fogel connects with renegade Russian scientist Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov—a pillar of his country’s “anti-doping” program. Over dozens of Skype calls, urine samples, and badly administered hormone injections, Fogel and Rodchenkov grow closer despite shocking allegations that place Rodchenkov at the center of Russia’s state-sponsored Olympic doping program.

80

8.1

/524483/

80

/10414/

78

/4860/

4.0

/260883/

84

/191/

92

/5900/

71

/35/

3.0

age 14+

The youngest son of an alcoholic former boxer returns home, where he's trained by his father for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament – a path that puts the fighter on a collision course with his estranged, older brother.

79

7.7

/16960/

76

/829/

76

/168/

3.8

/34179/

85

/65/

93

/38/

69

/18/

3.5

age 13+

Bonded by their love of freediving, a record-setting champion and a heroic safety diver try to make history with a remarkable feat, ready to risk it all.

79

8.0

/5242/

78

/416/

76

/64/

3.9

/12595/

96

/23/

91

/21/

75

/8/

2.5

age 15+

A wide-ranging, definitive look at Hawk’s life and iconic career, and his relationship with the sport with which he’s been synonymous for decades, featuring unprecedented access, never-before-seen footage, and interviews with Hawk and prominent figures in the sport including Stacy Peralta, Rodney Mullen, Mike McGill, Lance Mountain, Steve Caballero, Neil Blender, Andy MacDonald, Duane Peters, Sean Mortimer, and Christian Hosoi.

79

6.7

/3488/

74

/470/

74

/60/

3.4

/15104/

93

/123/

93

/314/

76

/28/

3.5

age 13+

Claressa Shields, a high school junior from Flint, Michigan, aided by her tough-love coach, Jason Crutchfield, pushes past all limitations to become the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. But even at the pinnacle of success, Claressa has to reckon with the fact that not all dreams are created equal, and the real fight has only just begun.

82

79

7.9

/4869/

77

/254/

75

/94/

3.8

/6252/

100

/16/

94

/76/

75

/8/

Hollywood veteran Bing Russell creates the only independent baseball team in the country—alarming the baseball establishment and sparking the meteoric rise of the 1970s Portland Mavericks.

78

7.7

/33178/

75

/1159/

73

/360/

3.7

/36057/

92

/12/

93

/80/

68

/4/

3.0

age 13+

In 2019, Nepalese mountain climber Nirmal “Nims” Purja set out to do the unthinkable by climbing the world’s fourteen highest summits in less than seven months. (The previous record was eight years). He called the effort “Project Possible 14/7” and saw it as a way to inspire others to strive for greater heights in any pursuit. The film follows his team as they seek to defy naysayers and push the limits of human endurance.

78

7.6

/115421/

75

/5403/

75

/1137/

4.1

/979384/

89

/277/

94

/459/

73

/55/

2.5

age 15+

The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.

78

7.3

/161330/

75

/6501/

77

/2734/

3.6

/404245/

94

/174/

93

/10/

68

/41/

3.0

age 16+

After discovering a once-in-a-lifetime player with a rocky past abroad, a down on his luck basketball scout takes it upon himself to bring the phenom to the States without his team's approval. Against the odds, they have one final shot to prove they have what it takes to make it in the NBA.

78

7.6

/106890/

76

/2105/

74

/1484/

3.7

/32681/

82

/113/

87

/1687/

74

/30/

3.5

age 16+

The story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, a boxer wrongly imprisoned for murder, and the people who aided in his fight to prove his innocence.

80

78

7.9

/8977/

76

/293/

71

/108/

3.7

/2971/

100

/5/

85

/53/

A detailing of the rise to prominence and global sporting superstardom of six supremely talented young Manchester United football players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville). The film covers the period 1992-1999, culminating in Manchester United's European Cup triumph.

78

7.6

/13744/

76

/468/

70

/159/

3.8

/12575/

92

/96/

88

/625/

76

/27/

3.0

age 15+

This award-winning, thrilling story is about a group of discarded kids who revolutionized skateboarding and shaped the attitude and culture of modern day extreme sports. Featuring old skool skating footage, exclusive interviews and a blistering rock soundtrack, DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS captures the rise of the Zephyr skateboarding team from Venice's Dogtown, a tough "locals only" beach with a legacy of outlaw surfing.

78

7.5

/14041/

74

/516/

68

/133/

3.5

/4055/

96

/76/

81

/945/

80

/20/