Sports Films

SPORTS GENRE

The sports film is a particular sort of adventure film. Sport is a crucible for character change. It is a natural for the Maturation Plot (North Dallas Forty), the Redemption Plot (Somebody up there likes me), the Education Plot (Bull Durham) , the Punitive Plot (Raging Bull), the Testing Plot (Chariots of Fire), the Disillusionment Plot (The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner), Buddy Salvation (White Men Can’t Jump), and Social Drama (A League of their Own). It can be real (Champions), cynical (Raging Bull), or fantastic (Field of Dreams). Unlike the adventure film, the focal point can be personal (Bang the Drum Slowly), rather than apocalyptic. The characteristics of the sports film are: the central character is a gifted athlete who tests himself within the parameters of a particular sport; only sports that have a broad appeal to society make a good background for this genre. Boxing, football, and baseball have been the sports of choice. The apparent antagonist – the other team, the manager, or the owner – is not as important as is the interior struggle for the central character; he is his own worst enemy. Relationships, whether they be male-female or male-male, are crucial to the emotional well being of the central character. A mentor )a father, coach, or another professional) plays a key role. Family is an important component in this genre. The ritual – in this case, the big game or the big fight – plays a central role in the sports genre.

What to Watch: Raging Bull (1980), Chariots of Fire (1981), American Flyers (1985), the Rocky series, Hansie (2007)