Some sports movies strive for accuracy, realism, and believable sports action. Others have a rookie who’s never thrown a professional pitch starting Game 1 of the World Series. We stan you forever, The Scout (1994).
1. It features cameos from real-life ballplayers like Keith Hernandez, Ozzie Smith, Bret Saberhagen, executives like George Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman, announcers like Bob Costas and Tim McCarver, and Tony Bennett, for no real reason.
Not a film per se but I challenge any NFL or NCAA football team to pull off a TD + game-winning extra point choreographed to "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gCG9QXou8E
Never heard of it? It came out in the 1940s or so. A college professor invents a new chemical that repels wood the way North Carolina repels legitimate classes. He then uses it to become an all-star pitcher for the Cardinals.
Bull Durham (1988) A realistic, if comic, movie grounded in the realities of life in the minor leagues, featuring Tim Robbins, whose on-screen pitching motion looks like he's trying to kill a bee
Major League (1989) Far less realistic in approach, and yet Charlie Sheen took steroids to get his fastball close to major-league strength: https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=6716984
The Replacements. Because the bar-owning cheerleader that doesn't date football players still falls for Shane "Footsteps" Falco, because nothing bad ever happens to Ohio State.
Rookie of the Year, mostly because of my cubs fandom and being a 90s kid. along with the main unrealistic things (kid pitcher; not getting pulled when he can no longer throw) It also follows the great baseball movie tradition of the final game for the Pennant being the climax and the world series being won off screen cause of course they couldn't get the rights to the series
“Varsity Blues” for suggesting that a coach known to be violently abusive towards his players might ever be run off at the players’ behest, *before* he started losing.
Johnny Be Good -- not only does the film expect us to buy Anthony Michael Hall as the #1 HS QB recruit, it also expects us to believe the NCAA can move so fast that it's handing out penalties within a week of national signing day.
What's your favorite completely unrealistic sports movie of all time?
also we can include "Rudy" in this discussion merely for suggesting that Rudy Ruettiger is likable
Things to know about The Scout (1994):
1. It features cameos from real-life ballplayers like Keith Hernandez, Ozzie Smith, Bret Saberhagen, executives like George Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman, announcers like Bob Costas and Tim McCarver, and Tony Bennett, for no real reason.
2. It holds a 22% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
3. I love it.
VICTORY. It was on HBO every 5 minutes for a while, and I love it enormously.
Back to School. The Rodney Dangerfield movie about collegiate diving. THE TRIPLE LINDY
Rookie Of The Year
Space jam.
I don't think I really need to justify this
The Program: Because in the mid-1990s, it posits that Michigan would have a Heisman-candidate quarterback based on his ability to run and pass.
Dodgeball:
What's unrealistic about it? Nowadays, it wouldn't be on the Ocho, it would be on ESPN2 right after cornhole.
Not a film per se but I challenge any NFL or NCAA football team to pull off a TD + game-winning extra point choreographed to "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gCG9QXou8E
Dodgeball
It Happens Every Spring.
Never heard of it? It came out in the 1940s or so. A college professor invents a new chemical that repels wood the way North Carolina repels legitimate classes. He then uses it to become an all-star pitcher for the Cardinals.
The Realism Paradox:
Bull Durham (1988) A realistic, if comic, movie grounded in the realities of life in the minor leagues, featuring Tim Robbins, whose on-screen pitching motion looks like he's trying to kill a bee
Major League (1989) Far less realistic in approach, and yet Charlie Sheen took steroids to get his fastball close to major-league strength: https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=6716984
D2: The Mighty Ducks. Under no circumstances is the entire country rallying around a hockey team, much less a teenage one. This isn’t Canada.
This is a little out of left field but “A Knight’s Tale” with Heath Ledger is a great unrealistic sports movie.
The Replacements. Because the bar-owning cheerleader that doesn't date football players still falls for Shane "Footsteps" Falco, because nothing bad ever happens to Ohio State.
Eight Men Out. Especially after I learned the truth about Kenesaw Mountain Landis from the Jonathan Coulton song.
Rookie of the Year, mostly because of my cubs fandom and being a 90s kid. along with the main unrealistic things (kid pitcher; not getting pulled when he can no longer throw) It also follows the great baseball movie tradition of the final game for the Pennant being the climax and the world series being won off screen cause of course they couldn't get the rights to the series
*CTRL+F "draft day," sees 0 results*.... you pancake eating motherfuckers
Either GUS, the college football movie about a mule placekicker; or the original ABSENT MINDED PROFESSOR. I'm...an old soul.
“Varsity Blues” for suggesting that a coach known to be violently abusive towards his players might ever be run off at the players’ behest, *before* he started losing.
Johnny Be Good -- not only does the film expect us to buy Anthony Michael Hall as the #1 HS QB recruit, it also expects us to believe the NCAA can move so fast that it's handing out penalties within a week of national signing day.
*HOT TAKE ALERT*
The Sandlot is trash
*DUCKS*
The Natural
I was tempted to say herbie fully loaded
Days of Thunder without a doubt.
Rollerball. Even the soundtrack makes me want to unrealistically fight.
might be too realistic but air bud is mine