The underdogs, the top dogs, the challengers, and the champions. All of these are personas that are part of a character that wows us in asports film. There’s a quote from a movie starring George Clooney calledUp in the Airthat goes like this: “Kids look up to athletes because they chase their dreams”. And it’s true either in life or on the big screen. The sports film genre is full of characters that have uplifted us in our times of strife, and we are forever grateful for these moments in cinema.
What makes a great performance in a sports film? Is it the fact that the character is victorious in the end? Are they identical in the mannerisms of the real-life person they’re playing? Do they create an intimidating opponent for the film’s hero? Or are they defeated in the end, but they still continue to move forward towards victory? All of those descriptions make up this list, as all of them are the definitive sports figures in a movie.
15Dolph Lundgren as Ivan Drago - Rocky IV (1985)
His dialogue is very little, but his emotionless facial expressions say wonders. At the height of the Cold War in the 1980s, Sylvester Stallone would direct the fourth installment of the Rocky franchise,Rocky IV.The Italian Stallion would match up in a revenge fight against the indestructible Russian boxer Ivan Drago. Played byDolph Lundgrenin one of his earliest roles, Drago is a buy the books' countryman who believes that “if he dies, he dies”. Rocky had some worthy adversaries, but maybe the most intimidating hands-down has to be Drago.
This was one of those climactic fights where you weren’t sure if Rocky would make it through this one. Lundgren would go on to star in many action films in the decade to come. He would even reprise his role in Creed II as his son’s trainer, who was going to match up against Adonis Creed. But it was this first performance that left us in awe of his acting talents. You still can’t thwart off the chill that runs up your spine when he looks Rocky in the eyes and says, “I must break you”.
Related:Why Stallone Wanted Dolph Lundgren as Drago in Rocky IV
14James Van Der Beek as Mox - Varsity Blues (1999)
There could not have been a better role for someone likeJames Van Der Beekas Mox in 1999’sVarsity Blues.A film that is a time capsule of high school life in the later part of the decade, and also about real-life decisions being made by young kids who are local celebrities in their small Texas town. Van Der Beek plays Mox, a backup quarterback who’s just trying to ride out his senior year behind star player Lance Harbor (Paul Walker).
Once Lance gets a season-ending injury, it’s up to Mox to step up to the plate. Mox never feels like a jock who runs the hallways of the school he plays for, and that’s what makes you root for him to lead the Coyotes to a state championship. It’s an unforgettable performance in a film that doubles as both a sports film and a coming-of-age comedy-drama.
13Paul Newman as Reggie Dunlop - Slap Shot (1977)
Slap Shotis the quintessential hockey film. There are not many movies that take place within the sport. So, of course, you cast one of the greatest actors of all time in it,Paul Newman,to be in it.A comedy about a failing New England minor league hockey team that is playing its last season begins to draw a crowd as the team’s player and coach, Reggie Dunlop, utilizes a more violent style of play. Dunlop recruits the Hanson brothers to his team to help with the brawling on the ice, and the crowds begin to grow and grow.
Newmanhas done films that have stood the test of time already and will continue to, and if he didn’t doSlap Shot,who knows what would have happened to it? you’re able to tell he gets the humor and themes of the film, and it never feels like he’s doing it for a paycheck or to keep his star on the rise. He blends into this world and makes it another film, adding to his iconic filmography. He has also gone on record saying thatSlapShotwas the most fun he’d ever had making a movie.
12Al Pacino as Coach Tony D’Amato - Any Given Sunday (1999)
By 1999,Al Pacinohad about 30 years in front of the camera and a slew of iconic performances under his belt. InOliver Stone’sAny Given Sunday, he plays the head coach of the fictional Miami Sharks. He brings his intensity to a star-studded cast of actors that is nearly endless. D’Amato is a character who seems to be losing his stride in the world of professional sports. His team is no longer a championship contender; he’s clashing with ownership. And his marriage is falling apart, and he never sees his kids.
You feel the character being very burned out in most of his scenes. However, at halftime of a must-win game to reach the playoffs, D’Amato gives a motivational speech that echoes into the souls of anyone who’s enduring hardships. It’s not done in the cheesy kind of way we’ve seen in failed attempts at it; it’s done with grit and a realistic approach to what life throws at you. And it is still one of the best motivational moments in cinema history that will make a viewer want to run through a brick wall.
11Kevin Costner as Crash Davis - Bull Durham (1988)
Kevin Costnerplays veteran catcher Crash Davis, who takes new recruit pitcher Ebby Clavin Laloosh (Tim Robbins) under his wing inBull Durham.The movie takes place in Durham, North Carolina, and centers around the town’s minor league team, the Durham Bulls. What’s so compelling about Kevin Costner in this film? It is one of the few roles where you get to see Costner play against type. He’s always kind of been America’s dad in most roles.Either onYellowstoneor inMan of Steel, he always fits the bill of a man with strong principles that reflect the environment he lives in.
Bull Durhamshows him playing more of a carefree, comical role that has more of an exploration of masculinity. Crash is also slightly immature, and we don’t get that out of the usual Costner role. There are a lot of great elements in the film that support those character traits, whether it is the plot or Susan Sarandon’s performance as the team’s groupie, Annie. Or the fact that Crash knows he won’t ever make it in the pros, and he’s an aging athlete. It’s a brilliant character with a lot of depth for a comedy.
10Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed - Creed, II, III
Spanning three films now,Michael B. Jordanhas delivered an unforgettable performance as Adonis Creed, the son of heavyweight champ Apollo Creed from theRockyfilms. TheCreedmovies are a brilliant spinoff from theRockyfilms that tie everything together well. Michael B. Jordan has been so great in these films that he has now been given the same treatment Stallone did withRocky.He got to direct the franchise’s third installment, which was released this past year.
Thus, it shows its talent range quite well in front of and behind the camera. Another commitment he has to the character is his strong physical appearance. Jordan would train three to four times a day with cardio, boxing, and lifting while preparing for the film. That is a serious commitment to the craft.
Let’s move to a different kind of sports film now.MoneyballearnedBrad Pittan Oscar nomination for his efforts playing real-life Oakland Athletics GM Billy Beane. The film is adapted from the book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. It’s about Beane’s epiphany that some of the ideology of baseball in current times isn’t working anymore. He clashes with old-school scouts and ends up building a team of bargain-bin players who can get on base in order to go toe-to-toe with some of the best teams in the league, and in true underdog fashion, it starts to work.
The film takes place during the 2002 season, as the A’s went from obscurity to title contenders but fell short. And once Beane’s methods get out to other general managers, they begin to follow suit. Pitt is at his best in the movie, as he maintains a positive attitude in the role, and yet you feel his mental obstacles in the characters private moments. A movie that edits in radio calls and actual footage masterfully. It’s an underdog story, but in this situation, rather than rooting for the players, you’re rooting for the outcast front office members.
8Geena Davis as Dottie Hinson - A League of Their Own (1992)
There are plenty of female-driven sports films out there and great roles within them. But ask yourself: do they topGeena DavisinA League of Their Own? Playing the role of farm girl Dottie Henson, who gets a shot to play in the women’s professional baseball league during World War II. Hinson is played as a humble team player by Davis. The best of the best that never brags about it. She’s a woman who would also give it all up to be with her husband when he gets back from the war. And she does, as she only plays one season before calling it quits.
Thus making her one of the best in the sport who knew to leave on top.The film is highly fictionalized and yet drawn from an actual eventin America, but boy does it capture how life seemed to be in during World War II here in the States. The set design, the swinging 1940s music for the score, and Davis being an absolute star at this time helped launch this film into the stratosphere, where it still sits today.
7Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed - The Rocky Franchise
A worthy adversary to Rocky in the franchise’s first two films, he then returns inRocky IIIto become Balboa’s trainer, only to meet his sad demise inRocky IVat the hands of Ivan Drago.Carl Weatherscontribution to theRockymovies, and even theCreedfilms through archival footage that Adonis watches, is highly regarded. Weathers never really got any massive awards for the role, but he has received praise from fans.
Creed’s character arc of going from Rocky foe to friend tracks beautifully. He’s a bit of an arrogant showman, but he’s also a highly likable character. Stallone has stated that he was loosely inspired by the likes of the great boxers of the era when writing the character. Creed is a combination of Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Joe Louis, and Jack Johnson.
6Tom Hanks as Jimmy Dugan - A League of Their Own (1992)
Not to take a single thing away from Geena Davis, butTom Hankskind of steals this movie. It’s the early 1990s, and Hanks is very much on the rise. It’s hard to pinpoint where you can see what makes him a great dramatic actor, but there has to be a case that it’s his role as the fictional baseball coach Jimmy Dugan inA League of Their Own. Hanks comedic talent is on full display here, with unforgettable lines like, “Did anyone ever tell you that you look like a penis with a hat on?” and the iconic rant of “There’s no crying in baseball!”
His chemistry with his predominately all female-castwithout there being some sort of romance involved makes the film so much more special. He fits into the world of old-time baseball. Like a player ripped right out of black-and-white footage of a game. It was after this film that Hank’s career in more serious movies began to take off, and rightfully so.
