Top 5 most INSPIRING sports movies of ALL TIME

Let us bring about some nostalgia with the five most inspiring sports movies of all time.

The drama of sports lends itself perfectly to the movies. Stories of underdogs battling against adversity are realistic enough to make for some of the greatest films ever made.

Rooting for the underdog just comes naturally, so these films tell a story we all want to be true.

Sometimes the films are actually at least based on true stories, making them even more inspirational to the viewer.

You can’t really beat a good sports feel-good film celebrating the beauty of sports and how it can inspire all of us in our everyday lives. Here are five of the best.

5. Remember the Titans (2000) – hostility leads to triumph

If Denzel Washington is involved in a movie, you know it is going to be worth your time – and this inspirational classic is a must-see.

Based on a true story, Remember the Titans follows Washington as an American football coach who attempts to integrate a high school team in the 1970s.

Met with distrust and outright hostility by the local community, the school, and even the players themselves, it is not really a spoiler to reveal that Washington succeeds in his aim and even wins over some of the white coaches who forget their prejudices to come together as a group.

4. Hoosiers (1986) – how sport can bring a community together

Indiana is a basketball state, and this film, very loosely based on a true story, follows Gene Hackman as the outsider coach who arrives at a rural, small-town high school and turns the team into formidable contenders.

It is regarded as a classic – and anything with Gene Hackman is always going to be worth checking out.

Not only is this David v Goliath story an inspirational one, but it also shows perfectly just how much high school sports can mean to entire communities in many places in the US.

Hackman finally wins over the star player to help him with his cause and puts them on course for a shot at the state championship.

3. Rocky (1976) – one of the most famous sports epics of all time

Possibly the blueprint for all sporting hero stories, Rocky tells the tale of a small-time boxer who is given the chance to become the heavyweight champion of the world.

He is set up to be an easy win for the current champion, but Sylvester Stallone (who wrote the screenplay as well) stars as a fighter on a mission.

Boxing, possibly more than any other sport, is perfect for this kind of inspirational tale, and the training scenes are some of the most memorable ever featured on the silver screen.

Plus, the Rocky franchise went on to produce countless sequels that all – just about – remain eminently watchable.

2. Field of Dreams (1989) – a heart-wrenching story

Kevin Costner was just about the biggest box office draw of the time when this movie came out. He plays an Iowa farmer who hears voices telling him to build a baseball diamond in his cornfield. Apart from being visually stunning, this film captures baseball’s appeal perfectly.

Field of Dreams is inspirational in that it shows that we should all be making sure we spend as much time as possible with the ones we love.

Costner builds the baseball diamond and is in disbelief when he starts to see long-dead players coming to play. The real kicker, though, is when he realizes why everything is happening.

1. Cool Runnings (1993) – an inspiring tale

Loosely based on the real-life story of the Jamaica bobsled team attempting to qualify for the 1988 Winter Olympics, this movie goes a slightly different route than most inspirational tales in that it uses humour to get its message across.

Getting the legendary John Candy on board made sure that tactic would work. Candy plays a disgraced former US bobsled athlete who is asked to train the Jamaica team.

Together the coach and his team overcome embarrassment and harassment to make it to the games in Calgary. Thus, becoming one of the most memorable Winter Olympics stories ever.