Sports movies are more than just entertainment: they motivate us and shape our practice of sport.
When I was 10 years old, my club’s swim team went up to a box to watch “McFarland, USA” (2015), a film about a coach who turns a suffering cross-country team into champions. Watch the game together, and for a clever reason. The film conveys the importance of teamwork, resilience, and determination in the face of adversity. I left very motivated and encouraged to continue doing as productive as possible and show myself with my team.
It’s this ability to motivate the audience that makes sports videos so compelling. Through captivating narratives, those films have the power to awaken a sense of love and determination. Whether it’s “McFarland, USA” or “Remember the Titans” (2000), sports films stand out for depicting the narrative of the underdog. They show us that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible. You still can’t feel encouraged after such convincing displays of perseverance.
In my case, my coach wanted us to see the strength of teamwork. “McFarland, USA” did a wonderful job of showing the importance of unity and the fact that a team can accomplish more than the sum of its parts. These are themes that come up again and again in sports movies, but instead of looking for old stuff, they support those narratives.
Many of those topics have become common clichés, but you have to love them. That’s what helps us get back to those movies, even though we know they’re predictable. Who doesn’t love the classic clichés of the “big game” that the protagonist’s good luck or failure, the passionate, motivational speech after a critical moment, or the last-second victory when the protagonist suddenly returns dramatically?
That’s why sports movies have such an impact, because as viewers we really know that hard painting overcomes challenges, or that you can start from behind and go on to achieve wonderful things. Whether it’s Rocky Balboa’s rise from rags to riches in “Rocky” (1976) or Rudy Ruettiger’s relentless pursuit of his dream of betting on high school football in “Rudy” (1993), those characters include the human spirit of resilience and perseverance, universal themes that have the power to touch anyone, far beyond athletics. .
As spectators, we don’t just see athletes striving for excellence, pushing their limits, and chasing their dreams, as in “Chariots of Fire” (1981), where track and field athletes Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell battle it out to win the 1924 Olympics. We are also told that we can do the same. What’s amazing about those messages and stories is that you don’t have to be an athlete or a sports fan to be inspired. You can take those classes and apply them in any area of your life.
While those movies continue to motivate us, they also continue to have a significant effect on our culture. Think of the “Rocky” videos that disappeared in the 1970s and still continue to play a vital role in pop culture through iconic scenes like Rocky’s. montage of exercises or the many memorable quotes and heartfelt speeches. The “Rocky” series will remain a timeless classic.
These films play a role in how we perceive the game and athletes. They provide us with an avenue through which we can explore themes of teamwork, sacrifice, and the pursuit of excellence, helping us to better understand some of our favorite athletes and teams. They bring audiences together from all over the world and engage us with inspirational messages.
Regina Correa is a freshman who writes about the picture where play meets culture in her column, “The Cultural Playbook,” which appears every Monday.
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