As I grade finals watching Major League, I want to know your favorite baseball movie.
First, what makes a good baseball movie, maybe sports movie in general? I think relatively good realism, drama, intriguing characters, and a little comedy are a must. I can't get past a sports movie where they don't look the part.
My all time favorite baseball movie is Field of Dreams. Second, Eight Men Out. Third, Bull Durham. Fourth, The Sandlot. Fifth, Fever Pitch.
ReplyDeleteMajor League, Bull Durham, The Natural, Eight Men Out, Field of Dreams.
ReplyDeletehonorable mention to Soul of the Game- which is better than 42.
I hated The Rookie and absolutely will not go see Million Dollar Arm
Those mentioned above are definitely in there... mostly Major League, Field of Dreams, Bull Durham, and The Sandlot.
ReplyDeleteI'll also add in For the Love of the Game and The Fan... I know plenty of people didn't like those... but the Fan was a 'slump buster' for me when I played, so i watched it more than than all of the others, I think!
I'm not too big on sports movies, but Sugar is probably my favorite baseball one. League of Their Own is fun. Agree that 42 was pretty average.
ReplyDeleteA good sports movie has to thwart expectations, since 95% of sports movies follow the same formula. Rocky does good in this area, so does Friday Night Lights. Anything as boring as 'underdog wins in the end' or 'sports brings different people together' has been played out.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm weird, but I don't consider movies where the outcome a big game is inconsequential to be "sports" movies. IE. A League Of Their Own isn't a "baseball movie"... it's a movie about sisterhood that happens to have baseball interwoven. The Sandlot is moreso about childhood friendship and coming of age. Field of Dreams is about a son connecting with his father.
ReplyDeleteSo with my crazy criteria, Major League is the hand-down winner for me. It's also got the added bonus of being a great movie to drop into. I always get sucked in for a little while when it's on.