The silver screen has had a long-running love affair with the sports industry. Hollywood has produced many famous movies based on fictional sports characters with Rocky Balboa being one of the most famous. The story of the boxing underdog who defied the odds to become world heavyweight champion led writer and star Sylvester Stallone to be inducted into the sport’s international hall of fame for services to boxing.
As the old saying goes, fact is often stranger than fiction and that is the case with some of the best-loved sports documentaries. What is the best documentary to have made it to the big screen? That’s a question that continues to split the opinion of followers of professional sport and moviegoers. Our team take a crack at it, listing out the five best sports documentaries.
This article is merely the thoughts and feelings of our content team. Read through the list and decide if you agree or which titles the team has missed that should be present. We aim to make things a little more interesting by limiting the list to five different sports and considering all documentaries sports-related, from football to fencing, basketball to Las Vegas business success stories. Only after completing many hours of research did we feel ready to publish our findings.
The best of the best and pound for pound king of sports documentaries. When We Were Kings puts together the top heavyweight boxers from the Golden Age as they discuss their careers, rivalries and exploits outside of the ropes. Muhammad Ali is just one of the star athletes involved as he discusses his Rumble in the Jungle fight with George Foreman. This film won an Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary in 1996.
"When We Were Kings" by Gramercy Pictures is licensed under CC BY 3.0
One for the millions of basketball fans out there and those with a passion for the NBA. Hoop Dreams started out as a short film set to last no more than 30 minutes but it soon took off, growing and evolving into a feature length documentary that won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival in 1994. The story charts the journey of two black high school students attempting to break into the NBA. Will William Gates and Arthur Agee make their dreams a reality?
Esports is now one of the fastest growing and richest industries in the professional sports arena and it attracts millions of wagers on the outcome of the top competitions every year. Long before the likes of Fortnight, League of Legends and Dota 2 there was King of Kong. This award-winning documentary tells us the story of Steve Wiebe who set a mission to break a Donkey Kong high score that was in place for 25 years. The fact Wiebe is an unemployed teacher gives him the time needed to dedicate to his goal but, as it turns out, beating the arcade high score isn’t the only battle he faces.
Murderball is one of the newer releases on this chart and also ranks as one of the most famous. The docu brings us the story of the US quad rugby team as they embark on a journey that will take them to the 2004 Paralympics in Athens. As well as the obvious physical disadvantages, the team must overcome several mental obstacles. The film focuses on the players but also the dedicated fans who give their loyal support and commitment to the cause. A hard-hitting watch that tackles disability.
"Murder Ball" by THINKFilm is licensed under CC BY 3.0
If you were a fan of WWF and the Wrestlemania days of TV wrestling, you will want to see Beyond the Mat. This is still a fascinating watch even if you are a younger wrestling fan following the rebranded WWE. This movie pulls back the covers, going far beyond the glamour of professional wrestling to give us the athletes’ tales of struggle. Jake, The Snake Roberts, is one of the familiar faces from the 90s you may recognise. If you thought wrestling was fake, you’ll see the effects the sport has on the lives of many is far from scripted. See the stars in the harsh light of day, including crack addict Roberts who is battling his addictions.
06.09.2021 | Bruno's blog
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