Sports movies: The good, the bad and the end zone
Remember the Titans is a classic sports film that was a part of our generation’s collective maturation. We all remember Louie Lastik’s spontaneous cafeteria karaoke, Sunshine’s locker-room kiss and schoolyard yoga routine and Denzel Washington yelling, “What is pain?” Other sports films have become classics for different generations, with 1993’s The Sandlot and 1989’s Field of Dreams affecting their respective generations in the same way.
However, since Remember the Titan’s release in 2000, sports movies have rapidly declined in quality.
I ask myself what makes me enjoy certain sports movies such as Remember the Titans and The Sandlot in comparison to contemporary flops such as The Greatest Game Ever Played and The Rookie. Is it simply because the first pair was a part of my childhood, or is there something more to making a good sports movie?
While it is inseparable from my formative years, I still enjoy watching Remember the Titans — as do my mom, my younger brother and many other individuals who are not my age. This leads me to believe that the basic ingredient for a quality sports film is originality that spans all age groups — maintaining unique elements while capitalizing on a much-loved, much-watched and much-played American sport.
Remember the Titans more than adequately fills this recipe for an entertaining sports film. While other football films like 1983’s All the Right Moves preceded it, Remember the Titans took a creative approach to the football genre by focusing on a high school team — not college ball — and adding the historical, real-life element of the racial tension of the ’70s.
The Sandlot also deserves recognition for avoiding the plot model of preceding baseball movies such as Field of Dreams in 1989. And, not only did The Sandlot focus on baseball but also on small-town life of the 1960s, adding a somewhat historical yet kid-focused perspective on the decade.
By being family-friendly and funny, The Sandlot garnered the attention of audiences of families and individuals by creating a simple yet original story about a group of boys who play baseball on hot summer days, all the while running into mischief with the cute lifeguard at the local pool and the neighbor’s dog Hercules.
In comparison to these quality sports movies, films like Invincible, The Greatest Game Ever Played and Glory Road have filled the role of uninspired sports movies that seek only to make a profit for Hollywood tycoons and fail to inspire audiences as their predecessors did.
The basic reason for the artistic failure of current sports films is their formulaic plots. The underdog team or victory-aspiring athlete becomes discouraged and defeated until an encouraging coach or sudden burst of inspiration causes them to spring to action and trounce their intimidating opponents. Consider Pride. This film tells of a swim team that can barely dogpaddle but goes on to win the state championship. In the end of such overused plots, the good guys always win, and they usually find some respect for their menacing rivals. And, of course, there is always the love interest tagged on to the plot to appeal to moviegoers who are not ardent sports fans.
While The Sandlot and Remember the Titans contain these formulaic elements, they are still original simply by the fact that they executed these formulas in new, relevant and challenging contexts. They provided insightful reflections on small town life in the ’60s and definitions of race.
But, if the other films are so bereft of quality, then why are they even created? The answer is simple: Hollywood moviemakers love the outstanding box office results of sports films, and moviegoers enjoy the momentary adrenaline rushes at the end of the films. That last touchdown, goal or homerun is truly addicting for so many audience members. Consequently, Remember the Titans took in $115 million; the hockey film Miracle made $64 million; Friday Night Lights scored $61 million.
Hollywood is luring trapping audiences into seeing boring, uninspired sports films. Filmmakers are destroying the legacy of classics such as Remember the Titans and The Sandlot by constantly copying their plots and only slightly altering themes or team names. My personal wish is that Hollywood leaves the sports genre alone for a while until it is able to pursue more original — and exciting — films.
Jackie Ammons is a Brown College sophomore.
Other arts & entertainment stories
- Comedic attempt Balls of Fury hits, misses jokes
- Lyrical Cartel mixes unique youth, ambiguity
- Self-Medicated suffers boring, ineffective story
News
- Directors hired in preparation for enrollment increase
- Hispanic Studies plans future programs, adds to faculty
- Students demand alcohol policy input
Sports
- An overabundance of water washed away our win
- New teammates see loads of potential, not uncertainty, in lineup
- New uniforms usher in era of tradition, simplicity
- Rain, turnovers cause season-opening defeat
- Soccer starts new season without a loss
- Volleyball ends home swing with split