Admittedly, I’m not a big movie person. I don’t watch very many, and when I do watch a film, it’s usually a rewatch of one I know I already enjoy. However, when I’m picking out a new movie, I know I can always rely on a sports movie.
Growing up, my family established Friday night movie nights — which would lead someone to believe that I’ve seen a lot more movies than I actually have. Once my brothers and I outgrew kids’ movies, my family almost exclusively watched films about war or sports. We’re a big sports family; we often settled on sports movies because they were the only thing we could all agree on watching.
There’s something comforting about a sports movie. The formulaic nature means you always know what you’re getting yourself into. Whether it’s a film based on a true story or one that’s completely fictitious, they typically follow a similar pattern.
There is almost always an underdog. In each film, what is considered an underdog is different. Sometimes it’s the team that couldn’t possibly win the championship. The coach no one believes in. The kid who’s hoping to stand up to his bullies. Or even a bobsled team from Jamaica.
Throughout the film, you follow the underdog and grow to love them. You watch them develop. Follow them throughout their journey. Sometimes a montage is thrown in there (you can never go wrong with a training montage). There will be setbacks or small challenges for the underdog to overcome to build their confidence.
Finally, the underdog wins … or doesn’t. Either way, the life of the underdog is changed; all their hardships mean something. The lesson is learned. Roll the end credits.
What’s not to love about that?
Films that do this well become household names — “Hoosiers,” “Rocky,” “Miracle” — the list could go on and on. The reason these movies become classics is that they follow the formula and do it well. Viewers grow to care for the underdogs featured in these movies, root for them to win and celebrate alongside them when they do. Even when the underdog doesn’t win the game, the fight or the race, they do win the hearts of the audience.
Now, don’t get me wrong here, the underdog story isn’t always done well. What differentiates the good from the great can be narrowed down to a few categories: the right balance of sports and storyline, pressure to perform and finally — arguably, the most important aspect — a relatable and lovable underdog.
A mixture of these three factors creates a compelling sports film. A good film likely has one of the three. However, a great sports movie distinguishes itself by having all three. Let’s look at some examples where each category is present, while one in particular stands out.
The balance of sport and storyline is a difficult one to achieve. Done well in “The Boys in the Boat,” this balance provides viewers with enough context outside of sports to understand why the sports aspect is so important. The film starts at the beginning of the rowing season and follows the team all the way to the 1936 Olympics. Throughout the duration of the movie, the focus is on training and races as the team paves its way. The time spent with characters outside of the boat creates the context behind their exceptional journey.
The pressure to perform is always present in underdog stories. One sports film that does an excellent job of highlighting this is “Friday Night Lights.” This movie follows a football team throughout their entire season and captures the unique pressure each player is under. Pressure on the team to win their state championship. Pressure on Boobie Miles to be the best athlete so he can play D1 football in college. Pressure on Don Billingsley to live up to his father’s expectations. Overall, there is a tremendous amount of pressure put on the young players featured in this film.
Without a relatable and lovable underdog, you cannot have a successful underdog movie. A favorite underdog of mine is Daniel LaRusso in “The Karate Kid.” He’s the new kid in town, and after attracting the unwanted attention of Johnny Lawrence and the other Cobra Kai kids, he’s bullied by the group. It’s hard not to grow fond of him while Mr. Miyagi is teaching him karate. How could you not root for this underdog?
“F1″ (2025) is another great example. It has some insane racing sequences. These visuals, combined with everything else that makes a good underdog movie, put it high on my list. Sonny Hayes is a former Formula One driver being given another chance. With the pressure to win at least one race, he is eager to prove himself and save the team.
I also really enjoyed “The Beautiful Game.” A group of homeless footballers (soccer players for us Americans) travels to Rome to compete in the Homeless World Cup. Vinny, a former professional player, struggles with his new identity but ultimately rediscovers his confidence and purpose through playing soccer.
Another standout is “Ford v Ferrari” because of what I’ve dubbed the double underdog story. Not only is Ford considered a long shot to win the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans, but Ken Miles is fighting to prove himself so he can be the pilot of the car he helped develop.
After looking at these examples of well-done underdog stories and recognizing how formulaic they can be, one might assume that I would grow tired of watching sports films. I don’t. While the undertones of these movies are very similar, the way they approach each point is unique. The highs and lows of sports are constantly urging me to consume these stories. Paired with protagonists that I can root for and a satisfying conclusion (most of the time), underdog stories are a no-brainer as far as I’m concerned when it comes to picking out what to watch on movie night.
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