Thursday Movie Picks: Sports Movies

Hello Thursday. I'm back. As usual I'm armed with some suggestions based on a theme selected by Wanderer at Wandering Through the Shelves as part of her weekly meme. I've had a great time participating in this. If not, I wouldn't still be doing it, silly. She's always open to having more bloggers take part, so check it out and join in.

This week's theme might be my favorite - sports movies. I'm a sports fan and yes, I do like sports movies. But what should I suggest? Just last Thursday, I suggested Bull Durham as part of "Movies Set Locally." On Sunday, I shared some of my favorite scenes from football movies. Rattling around in my head as I type this are titles like Raging Bull, Major League, Rocky, Rudy, Friday Night Lights, Hoop Dreams, He Got Game, The Fighter, Million Dollar Baby, The Bad News Bears, Little Giants, Hoosiers, Moneyball...and on and on. But you know all of these movies. Even if you haven't seen them, they are at least on your radar. When someone mentions them, you have an idea of what they're talking about. In other words, you know my style, let's journey a bit off the beaten path. Let's go with three movies that you may or may not have heard of.

Goon

(2012)

One thing to know about me right off the bat is that, while I don't hate hockey, I'm not really a fan. Another thing you should know is that, while I don't hate Seann William Scott, I'm not really a fan. So here I am recommending a hockey movie starring Seann William Scott. Well, it's that good. Scott stars as a guy with no ability to actually play hockey, or do much of anything else, but man can he fight. A minor league coach takes note of this due to an incident between the protagonist and one of his players. Next thing you know, our hero is suited up, thrown onto the ice and basically sent to fight whoever gets near the team's star player. However, despite the fact that there's plenty of fisticuffs with blood splattering all over the ice, it's a comedy. Scott plays against type, very well I might add, and we get an excellent turn from Liev Schreiber. (My full review)

The Heart of the Game

(2005)

When I say basketball documentary, most people automatically think Hoop Dreams. Believe it or not, there are others out there. A number of them are pretty good, too. That includes this one. In it, we follow the Roosevelt Rough Riders, a Seattle area high school girls’ basketball team. Their eccentric coach Bill Resler is infectious. He keeps things as loose as possible. However, the real heart of this documentary is star player Darnellia Russell and the trials and tribulations she goes through.

Rudo y Cursi

(2008)

I've already mentioned that I'm not much of a hockey fan. Well, I have no use for soccer other than games my own daughter is involved in. Even that's reluctantly. Okay, I'll occasionally watch the Women's World Cup whenever that rolls around because the US is actually good at that. Such an ugly American thing for me to say, but it is what it is. That said, I really am going with a soccer flick for my third sports movie. Though soccer is the vehicle through which it all plays out, this is really a movie about sibling rivalry. It's an entertaining ride with plenty of ups and downs as two brothers battle their demons, each other and themselves. However, as harsh as that sounds, this is no dark, brooding affair. It's light but builds nicely until we get to the appropriately heavy finale. It also includes a wonderful performance by fabulous Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal. Subtitleophobes beware: we're speaking Spanish.