[Leftcoast]

Good choices, Terry.  Let me give you a case for Bull Durham as my sports flick fave.

There's this thing about sports movies - They often take themselves too darn seriously. 

In 1981 I loved Chariots of Fire.  I bought the Vangelis soundtrack and I admired Eric Liddell living out his morals even when they weren't mine.  Sadly, when I watched it recently my 50 year old self wasn't as thrilled.  It all felt a little too ponderous and self-important.  The tight shots of the team running on the beach or prepping for their races with the background music surging were too beautiful, too nostalgic and a bit too whitewashed.  I still enjoyed the flick but the movie no longer is in my personal top-5.  (Of course, your mileage will probably vary!)

The great thing about Bull Durham is the way the director both respects baseball and knocks it off the pedestal that  movies like "The Natural" have placed it upon.  We know our sports heroes better these days and it is hard to believe they are worthy of worship when they step outside the lines.  I appreciate their struggles and endurance but movies treating my sports heroes as god-like exemplars of humanity cause me to roll my eyes.  In Bull Durham you learn that Susan Sontag and William Blake really can't help you throw a fastball, strikeouts are fascist and find out what the team is REALLY discussing in those long conferences at the pitcher's mound.  We also get the ultimate in anti Nerd Nation advice for young pitchers -  "Don't think - It can only hurt the ball club."

I no longer believe in Roy Hobbs but I see Nuke Laloosh and Crash Davis on the sports page every baseball season.

My Personal Top 5?

1  Bull Durham
2  League of their Own
3  Slapshot
4  Hoosiers
5  Friday Night Lights

That is unless we consider Caddyshack a sports movie ..... ;-)

[Leftcoast]

Good choices, Terry.  Let me give you a case for Bull Durham as my sports flick fave.

There's this thing about sports movies - They often take themselves too darn seriously. 

In 1981 I loved Chariots of Fire.  I bought the Vangelis soundtrack and I admired Eric Liddell living out his morals even when they weren't mine.  Sadly, when I watched it recently my 50 year old self wasn't as thrilled.  It all felt a little too ponderous and self-important.  The tight shots of the team running on the beach or prepping for their races with the background music surging were too beautiful, too nostalgic and a bit too whitewashed.  I still enjoyed the flick but the movie no longer is in my personal top-5.  (Of course, your mileage will probably vary!)

The great thing about Bull Durham is the way the director both respects baseball and knocks it off the pedestal that  movies like "The Natural" have placed it upon.  We know our sports heroes better these days and it is hard to believe they are worthy of worship when they step outside the lines.  I appreciate their struggles and endurance but movies treating my sports heroes as god-like exemplars of humanity cause me to roll my eyes.  In Bull Durham you learn that Susan Sontag and William Blake really can't help you throw a fastball, strikeouts are fascist and find out what the team is REALLY discussing in those long conferences at the pitcher's mound.  We also get the ultimate in anti Nerd Nation advice for young pitchers -  "Don't think - It can only hurt the ball club."

I no longer believe in Roy Hobbs but I see Nuke Laloosh and Crash Davis on the sports page every baseball season.

My Personal Top 5?

1  Bull Durham
2  League of their Own
3  Slapshot
4  Hoosiers
5  Friday Night Lights

That is unless we consider Caddyshack a sports movie ..... ;-)