Jackson Free Press

Sports Girl has a lot on her plate these days between watching every single March Madness game possible, keeping up with pre-season baseball, and what's this about Terrell Owens going to the Bills? So when the craziness starts to settle in, Sports Girl's remedy is to kick her feet up on the couch with her sports man and watch a sports movie. Which are her favorites of all time? Well, glad you asked. In no particular order, here are her top picks. And yes, I will arm wrestle you about this.

The Basketball Diaries
This 1995 film depicting the life of Jim Carroll, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, chronicles the rise and fall of the teenage basketball star turned-drug addict in New York. There is an absolute chance that watching DiCaprio beg and plead for his mother to give him drug money and then cuss her out with absolute rage was the most terrifying thing she's ever seen. It only got worse when he was forced into prostitution in order to pay for his drug habit. While not the most "sporty" movie of all time, it scared the Sports Girl straight for sure and she will always hold it in high regard.

A League of Their Own
Sports Girl will stand by this 1992 woman's power movie till the day she dies. The movie chronicles women playing in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in 1943 at the height of World War II. The League was created to fill the void that professional players like Joe Dimaggio left when they were drafted for the war. The cast is unique and slightly astonishing: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna, Rosie O'Donnell and Ann Cusack. Life lesson that Sports Girl takes from this movie: Women can play in a man's world any time they darn well please.

The Sandlot
You're killing me, Smalls! The honor of this quote isn't always given proper respect, but this 1993 film about childhood friends is more laughable and quotable than you remember. The boys figure out life on the baseball field against their rival team, at the pool with a sexy lifeguard, on the rides at the county fair with a box of chew or in the backyard with the dreaded neighborhood dog, The Beast. Sports Girl still giggles to herself when she remembers how the main character uses his stepfather's prized baseball in a game and knocks it over the fence into The Beast's yard. His utter shock in realizing it was autographed not by the lady "Baby Ruth" but by The Great Bambino himself is priceless.

The Karate Kid
The Sports Girl confesses to originally watching this movie because she thought Ralph Macchio was such a hunk. But it was 1984, and who didn't go for the "bandana on the forehead" look? The plot is pretty stereotypical for the era: Daniel is the new boy in town who falls in love with the prettiest girl in school; the good-looking bully claims her as his territory and fights the new guy. Daniel struggles with his self-esteem and how to harness his inner potential until Mr. Miyagi, an unlikely teacher, helps him find his way. The things Sports Girl remembers most from this movie were the most remarkable soundtrack and the budding fascination with martial arts movies that has blossomed into a full-blown love of kung-fu films.

Previous Comments

ID

145166

Comment

Sports Girl, Doctor S thinks you have come up with an interesting list. Way back in the day (so far back I can't find it in the JFP's online archive), Doctor S did a list of best football movies. Maybe it's time to revisit the subject of sports movies. I do have one problem with "A League of Their Own." It would be one of the best sports movies ever if it didn't have the sappy modern prologue and epilogue. ("There's no crying in baseball!") And Geena Davis, Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell have never done anything better. OK, Doctor S has to admit that Geena's movie "The Long Kiss Goodnight" is a guilty pleasure.

Author

Doctor S

Date

2009-03-27T04:38:01-06:00

ID

145305

Comment

This list is way jacked up. Bull Durham is better than anything on this list. Breaking Away is also an obvious omission. Then there's Hoosiers, Caddy Shack, & For the Love of the Game, just to mention a few. Karate Kid? Really?

Author

bill_jackson

Date

2009-03-31T15:16:52-06:00

ID

145315

Comment

Everybody's All-American

Author

saint H

Date

2009-03-31T15:59:42-06:00

ID

145317

Comment

Field of Dreams Any Given Sunday The Replacements On Any Sunday Semi Tough Slap Shot Dust to Glory

Author

BubbaT

Date

2009-03-31T16:06:05-06:00

ID

145345

Comment

How could I have missed Slap Shot? The Hansen Bros were great. One of Paul Newmans' most under rated films. And Rudy, the original Longest Yard, and any number of others. Sports girl needs to get to Blockbuster. Start with Slapshot and for the Love of the Game, the most obvious "guy" and "chick " flicks of the above mentioned titles.

Author

bill_jackson

Date

2009-03-31T19:56:05-06:00