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10 Movies To Watch That Will Get You Fired Up For Basketball Season

October 13, 2017 By C.S. Elston

October 13, 2017

By

C.S. Elston

 

 

With the NBA regular season about to start and the NCAA tipoff less than a month behind it, I thought I would follow up my football movies post from August with one that takes on a basketball theme. Just like the previous post, this is in no way an exhaustive list and it only includes narrative films. Plus, there are some that come highly recommended that I’m embarrassed to admit I haven’t seen yet. So, please don’t get mad that it’s missing some of YOUR favorites like “He Got Game,” “The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh,” “Like Mike,” “Thunderstruck,” “Space Jam,” “Juwanna Mann,” “Rebound: The Legend of Earl ‘The Goat’ Manigault,” “Cornbread, Earl and Me,” “Above the Rim,” “O,” “Air Bud,” “The Sixth Man,” “Sunset Park,” “The Basketball Diaries,” “Celtic Pride,” “Semi-Pro,” “Heaven is a Playground,” “The Air Up There,” “Eddie,” “Hurricane Season,” “Fast Break,” or the documentaries “On the Shoulders of Giants,” “More than a Game,” and “Hoop Dreams.” I didn’t forget, I had to be choosey and for one reason or another, a lot of movies didn’t make the cut.

Also, like I did in the football post, I decided to eliminate films that were mostly behind-the-scenes. So, a funny movie like “Forget Paris” isn’t on there because the main character is a referee rather than a basketball player. I’ll probably do a list, at some point, about those types of films. So, I’ll hold on to that one and others like it until them.

The football post included 11 films for 11 players on each side of the ball. This time, I’m including all players on the court which brings our total to 10. So, here it is, a list of SOME OF MY favorite basketball movies in no particular order.

  1. Coach Carter (2005 — Rated PG-13 and starring Samuel L. Jackson, Rick Gonzalez, Rob Brown, Robert Ri’chard, Channing Tatum, Ashanti, and Octavia Spencer)

Centered around the 1999 Richmond High School basketball team, Coach Carter tells the story of a man who holds his players accountable and the controversy he creates when he benches all of them for breaking the academic contract he required them to sign to join the team. Ken Carter provides a real-life example of how the strong leadership of a good coach can, not only produce a solid basketball team but, more importantly, teach their young players discipline and, in the process, mold them into better men. It’s a great story and holds an even more special place in my heart now than it did when I first saw it because I have since learned that Ken Carter, a decade and a half before I did, graduated from George Fox University.

  1. The Pistol: The Birth of a Legend (1991 — Rated G and starring Millie Perkins, Nick Benedict, Adam Guier, Murrell Garland, and Tom Lester)

I haven’t seen this movie in a long time but, I found it very inspirational as a kid and the story stuck with me. As a child, surprisingly, I didn’t focus in on Pete Maravich’s militant father. What stood out to me is how hard Pete worked and how that work-ethic helped him overcome the odds of his short stature and turned him into an outstanding basketball player.

  1. Love & Basketball (2000 – Rated PG-13 and starring Omar Epps, Sanaa Lathan, Regina Hall, Gabrielle Union, Alfre Woodard, Dennis Haysbert, and Boris Kodjoe)

This film follows two neighboring Los Angelenos (“Q” and Monica,) from the childhood playgrounds, through their time at USC, and on to the professional hardwoods, as they both pursue their life-long dreams of becoming NBA stars. But, that’s not all they have in common. It’s not called Love & Basketball for nothin’!

  1. Blue Chips (1994 – Rated PG-13 and starring Nick Nolte, Mary McDonnell, J.T. Walsh, Ed O’Neill, Alfre Woodard, Shaquille O’Neal and Anfernee ‘Penny’ Hardaway)

A near gut-wrenching dose of fictional truth-telling, this movie is about a college basketball coach who has always played by the rules but finds himself in a position where he feels like the landscape of the world he loves has changed. When his team stops winning, boosters pressure him to break the rules for the first time and pay for some good players. He hasn’t been having the success recruiting that other schools have been and he feels it might be because he’s the only one still playing by those old rules. But, if he pays for players and gets caught, it will ruin his career.

  1. Finding Forrester (2000 – Rated PG-13 and starring Sean Connery, Rob Brown, F. Murray Abraham, Anna Paquin, Busta Rhymes, Michael Pitt, April Grace and Matt Damon)

Finding Forrester depicts the unlikely relationship between a young black man named Jamal Wallace, who has been given the opportunity to attend one of New York’s top preparatory schools on a full-ride basketball scholarship, and an old, white, reclusive curmudgeon named William Forrester who is also a famous author. As William discovers that Jamal is a brilliant writer, the relationship evolves into that of mentor and prodigy. Basketball isn’t necessarily the focus of the story but, it does play a part and, it’s a wonderful story.

  1. White Men Can’t Jump (1992 – Rated R and starring Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson, Rosie Perez, Tyra Ferrell and Kadeem Hardison)

This is another one I haven’t seen in a long time but remember thinking was hilarious when I was in high school. I’ve seen it again more recently than that but, it’s still been a while. Snipes and Harrelson play a couple of Los Angeles street hustlers trying to get by playing basketball and playing off people’s prejudices toward a white guy in goofy clothes whom they assume couldn’t possibly be a good basketball player. Spoiler alert: the guy can play. Be aware of the profanity. I’m sure that will turn some people off.

  1. One on One (1977 – Rated PG and starring Robby Benson, Annette O’Toole, G.D. Spradlin, Gail Strickland and Melanie Griffith)

One on One centers on the star of a small Colorado town’s high school basketball team who gets a scholarship to play at a big university in Los Angeles. He is quickly overwhelmed by the fact that he never fully learned to read, bullying from players on his new team and a mean-spirited coach. However, a pretty young co-ed assigned to tutor him may just help him turn things around . . .

  1. Hoosiers (1986 – Rated PG and starring Gene Hackman, Barbara Hershey, Dennis Hopper, Sheb Wooley, Fern Persons, Chelcie Ross, Robert Swan and Michael Sassone)

You’ve had over thirty years to see this film so, if you haven’t yet, shame on you. Hoosiers is considered by many to be among the greatest sports movies of all time. Since most have seen it, I’ll spare you the plot details. But, if you’re one of the few who haven’t, get a copy and watch it immediately!

  1. Teen Wolf (1985 – Rated PG and starring Michael J. Fox, James Hampton, Susan Ursitti, Jerry Levine, Matt Adler, Mark Arnold and Jay Tarses)

Michael J. Fox plays an ordinary high school student who suddenly begins to transform into a werewolf. He soon learns that this is part of his heritage. Of course, that freaks him out at first but, he quickly discovers that it also improves his life in many ways – including his skills on the basketball court. This is another one I’ve loved to laugh at since I was a kid.

  1. Glory Road (2006 – Rated PG and starring Josh Lucas, Derek Luke, Austin Nichols, Jon Voight, Evan Jones, Alphonso McAuley, Mechad Brooks, Emily Deschanel, Same Jones III, Red West, Damaine Radcliff, Al Shearer and Kip Weeks)

Like Coach Carter, which came only a year before it, Glory Road is an inspirational true story. This one, however, takes place over thirty years earlier in 1966 and centers on the events leading up to what is now called the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. Don Haskins, head coach of Texas Western College, set his line-up according to skill-level rather than skin-color and wound up coaching the first all-black starting line-up in tournament history.

 

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Filed Under: Basketball, Blog, Home, Sports Tagged With: Above the Rim, Adam Guier, Air Bud, Al Shearer, Alfre Woodard, Alphonso McAuley, Anfernee ‘Penny’ Hardaway, Anfernee Hardaway, Anna Paquin, Annette O’Toole, April Grace, Ashanti, Austin Nichols, Barbara Hershey, basketball movies, Blue Chips, Boris Kodjoe, Busta Rhymes, Celtic Pride, Channing Tatum, Chelcie Ross, Coach Carter, Cornbread Earl and Me, Damaine Radcliff, Dennis Haysbert, Dennis Hopper, Derek Luke, documentary, Don Haskins, Earl ‘The Goat’ Manigault, Ed O’Neill, Eddie, Emily Deschanel, Evan Jones, F. Murray Abraham, Fast Break, Fern Persons, Finding Forrester, G.D. Spradlin, Gabrielle Union, Gail Strickland, Gene Hackman, Glory Road, He Got Game, heaven is a playground, Hoop Dreams, Hoosiers, Hurricane Season, J.T. Walsh, James Hampton, Jay Tarses, Jerry Levine, Jon Voight, Josh Lucas, Juwanna Mann, Kadeem Hardison, Ken Carter, Kevin Bacon, Kip Weeks, Like Mike, Los Angelenos, Love & Basketball, Mark Arnold, Mary McDonnell, Matt Adler, Matt Damon, Mechad Brooks, Melanie Griffith, Michael J. Fox, Michael Jordan, Michael Pitt, Michael Sassone, Millie Perkins, More than a Game, Murrell Garland, NBA, NCAA, ncaa basketball, NCAA Division I Mens Basketball Tournament, ncaa mens basketball, ncaa women basketball, Nick Benedict, Nick Nolte, O, Octavia Spencer, Omar Epps, On the Shoulders of Giants, One on One, Penny Hardaway, Pete Maravich, PG, PG-13, Pistol Pete Maravich, Rated G, Rated R, Rebound, Red West, Regina Hall, Richmond High School, Rick Gonzalez, Rob Brown, Robby Benson, Robert Ri’chard, Robert Swan, Rosie Perez, Same Jones III, Samuel L. Jackson, Sanaa Lathan, Sean Connery, Semi-Pro, Shaq, Shaquille O’Neal, Sheb Wooley, Space Jam, sports movies, Sunset Park, Susan Ursitti, Teen Wolf, The Air Up There, The Basketball Diaries, The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh, The Pistol, The Pistol: The Birth of a Legend, The Sixth Man, Thunderstruck, Tom Lester, Tyra Ferrell, USC Los Angeles, Wesley Snipes, White Men Can’t Jump, Woody Harrelson

11 Movies To Watch That Will Get You Fired Up For Football Season

August 24, 2017 By C.S. Elston

After about a 200-day drought, football season is finally right around the corner. High school kids are starting the dreaded two-a-days, college football kicks off this Saturday with a Colorado State / Oregon State (go Beavers!) match-up, and the NFL season begins on Thursday, September 7th, when the Kansas City Chiefs head into Foxborough, Massachusetts to take on the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. I love football. Especially Seattle Football — Go Dawgs! Go Hawks! I hated those two-a-day practices when I was a teenager but, I’ve romanticized the glory days enough over time that I somehow manage to look back on them fondly now.

I also love football movies. Always have. And, what better way to get fired up for the new season than to watch some inspiring movies that largely take place on the gridiron? This is in no way an exhaustive list and it only includes narrative films. So, please don’t get mad that it’s missing some of your favorites like “Any Given Sunday,” “Facing The Giants,” “Wildcats,” “The Replacements,” “The Longest Yard,” “The Program,” “Heaven Can Wait,” “Leatherheads,” “Necessary Roughness,” “Everybody’s All-American,” “Johnny Be Good,” “The Last Boy Scout,” “The Waterboy,” “Radio,” “Varsity Blues,” or the documentary “Undefeated.” I didn’t forget, I just had to be choosey.

Different films got left off the list for different reasons. For example, I decided to eliminate films that were mostly behind-the-scenes like “Draft Day” and “Jerry Maquire,” as well as some of the others already listed. It couldn’t be just any movie that had anything at all to do with football. I also decided to hold the list to 11 films because that’s how many players you have on each side of the ball. Clever, right? Okay, not really. But, it’s still as good a reason as any to keep the list from getting out of control. So, this is a list of some of my favorite football movies and they are in no particular order. Also, if you’re not a football fan, these are still great films. After all, the best football movies are about a lot more than just football.

  1. Rudy (1993 — Rated PG and starring Sean Astin, Ned Beatty, Charles S. Dutton, Lili Taylor, Robert Prosky, Jon Favreau)

Easily one of the best, this is a movie that will make almost any grown man cry. It’s an encouraging true story about hope and perseverance. It makes me want to silence the naysayers, overcome the odds, and cheer for all the underdogs. Rudy wanted to play for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish his entire life. But, even his own family laughs at his ambitions. He has a lot to overcome, including his own lack of natural football talent but, as the DVD synopsis says, “RUDY” is an unforgettable testament to the power of dreams and the triumph of the common man.”

  1. We Are Marshall (2006 — Rated PG and starring Matthew McConaughey, Matthew Fox, Ian McShane, Anthony Mackie, Kate Mara, January Jones, Brian Geraghty, David Strathairn)

Another inspiring true story, this one starts with tragedy. On November 14, 1970, one of the worst disasters ever to occur in a U.S. sports program transpired when a chartered plane carrying the Marshall University football team crashed in Huntington, West Virginia. All seventy-five people onboard, including thirty-seven team members, eight coaches, and twenty-five team boosters, were killed in the accident. Jack Lengyel took the job no one else wanted and became the school’s new head football coach. Tasked with fielding a team for the 1971-72 season, Lengyel’s job wasn’t just about winning. It was about helping a school and a town overcome grief to obtain victory in life after catastrophe.

  1. Brian’s Song (1971 – Rated G and starring James Caan, Billy Dee Williams, Jack Warden, Shelley Fabares, Judy Pace, Bernie Casey, David Huddleston)

Another true story and arguably one of the all-time best made for TV movies. It won five Emmy Awards and for good reason. The film is about the heart-wrenching friendship between NFL Hall of Famer Gayle Sayers and his Chicago Bears teammate Brian Piccolo, who died of cancer at the age of 26. The movie was remade in 2001 but, you can’t beat the original.

  1. Remember The Titans (2000 – Rated PG and starring Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Donald Faison, Nicole Ari Parker, Wood Harris, Ryan Hurst, Ethan Suplee, Kip Pardue, Hayden Panettiere, Craig Kirkwood, Kate Bosworth, Ryan Gosling)

Yes, this is another uplifting true story. It’s an outstanding film from an entertainment perspective but, it’s also used as a teaching tool in leadership classes. It’s 1971 and beloved coach Bill Yoast has led his team to fifteen winning seasons but is suddenly demoted and replaced by Herman Boone when the local school board is forced to integrate an all-white school with an all-black school. The two men have completely different coaching styles but must overcome their differences and learn to work together to lead a team and the West Virginia town of Alexandria, torn apart by conflict and uncertainty, into victorious harmony.

  1. Woodlawn (2015 – Rated PG and starring Sean Astin, Nic Bishop, Caleb Castille, Sherri Shepherd, Jon Voight, C. Thomas Howell, Lance Nichols, DeVon Franklin, Brett Rice)

Yet another true story that inspires and uplifts. See a pattern developing? As violence and rage explode in Birmingham, Alabama following government mandated desegregation, football star Tony Nathan and fellow African-American students enter Woodlawn High School. The school’s coach is losing control of his team. At his wit’s end, he allows an outsider to speak to his players. His message of hope and love leads to a spiritual awakening that inspires nearly every member of the team to overcome the hate that surrounds them and, soon, it spreads into the community at large.

  1. The Express: The Ernie Davis Story (2008 – Rated PG and starring Dennis Quaid, Rob Brown, Omar Benson Miller, Clancy Brown, Charles S. Dutton, Aunjanue Ellis, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Nicole Beharie, Nelsan Ellis, Chelcie Ross, Saul Rubinek, Geoff Stults, Evan Jones, Chadwick Boseman, Stephen Louis Grush)

You can probably tell from the title that we’re now six for six on true stories. Ernie Davis overcame nearly impossible odds as a star football player at Syracuse University and became the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy. Sadly, in 1963, he died of leukemia at the age of only 23. This film, however, primarily focuses on the relationship he had with his coach Ben Schwartzwalder. Both are portrayed realistically, which means both carry flaws like any human being does. However, Davis refuses to let racism and discrimination dominate his life and Schwartzwalder, ultimately, doesn’t care what color his players are if they share the common goal of winning. It’s a powerful story and an example of how to succeed both on and off the field.

  1. Invincible (2006 – Rated PG and starring Mark Wahlberg, Greg Kinnear, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Rispoli, Steve Staiger, Fred Strother, Kevin Conway, Kirk Acevedo, Michael Kelly, Randy Couture)

Make that seven for seven on the true story count. Vince Papale is a 30-year-old bartender who never played college football. When the Philadelphia Eagles’ new coach, Dick Vermeil, calls an unprecedented open try-out, Papale takes the opportunity to live every fan’s dream. Staying true to the setting of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it’s an underdog story of “Rocky” proportions.

  1. When The Game Stands Tall (2014 – Rated PG and starring Jim Caviezel, Michael Chiklis, Alexander Ludwig, Clancy Brown, Laura Dern, Joe Massingill, Stephan James)

Don’t pretend you’re surprised – we’re now eight for eight on true stories. Think we can go the distance? Stay tuned…Legendary football coach Bob Ladouceur took the De La Salle High School Spartans from obscurity to a 151-game winning streak that destroyed the record for any American sport. But, this film tells the story of the season that changed everything. It’s easy to tell your team that “winning isn’t everything” when you keep on winning. But, when the streak ends, how do you pick up the pieces? That’s when true character is put on full display.

  1. Friday Night Lights (2004 – Rated PG-13 and starring Billy Bob Thornton, Derek Luke, Jay Hernandez, Lee Jackson, Lucas Black, Garrett Hedlund, Tim McGraw, Lee Thompson Young, Connie Britton, Amber Heard, Christian Kane)

Based on the 1990 book “Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream” by H. G. Bissinger, which chronicled the 1988 Permian High School Panthers football team in Odessa, Texas, this story was also spun off into a well-received TV show, two years later, that ran for two seasons on NBC and then three more on DirecTV. Unlike “When The Game Stands Tall,” you could say that a theme in this movie is that sometimes winning is everything. However negative that may sound, this is an exciting movie that will have you cheering the Panthers on as they set their sights on a state championship.

  1. School Ties (1992 – Rated PG-13 and starring Brendan Fraser, Matt Damon, Chris O’Donnell, Randall Batinkoff, Andrew Lowery, Cole Hauser, Ben Affleck, Anthony Rapp, Amy Locane, Peter Donat, Zeljko Ivanek, Kevin Tighe)

We did it! We squeezed one onto the list that is not a true story. Dick Wolf, the creator of the “Law & Order” television franchise made this one up. But, it still feels like it could have been true. It’s set in the 1950’s and tells the story of a talented quarterback from a working-class background in Pennsylvania, whose gift provides him the opportunity to attend an elite preparatory school. But, because of the prejudices of the time, he tries to hide the fact that he’s Jewish. It’s a movie about honesty, honor and, of course, football.

  1. The Blind Side (2009 – Rated PG-13 and staring Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron, Kathy Bates, Jae Head, Lily Collins, Ray McKinnon, Kim Dickens, Adriane Lenox, Catherine Dyer, Andy Stahl, Tom Nowicki)

Most people are familiar with Michael Oher’s amazing story but, it’s worth repeating. He was one of twelve children born to his alcohol and crack-addicted mother who paid him very little attention. He attended eleven schools in his first nine years as a student and had to repeat both first and second grades. He was in and out of foster homes and survived stints of homelessness. Then he was taken in by Briarcrest Christian School – not that all the faculty acted the way Christians should. But, it was there that he met Leigh Anne Tuohy who made him a part of her family – acting the way that Christians should. He went on to the University of Mississippi and was drafted in the first round by the Baltimore Ravens. If this movie doesn’t warm your heart, bring tears to your eyes and make you want to watch football, you might want to see a doctor. Medical and/or psychological.

Filed Under: Blog, Home Tagged With: Adriane Lenox, Alabama, Alexander Ludwig, Alexandria, Amber Heard, Amy Locane, Andrew Lowery, Andy Stahl, Anthony Mackie, Anthony Rapp, Any Given Sunday, Aunjanue Ellis, Baltimore Ravens, Ben Affleck, Ben Schwartzwalder, Bernie Casey, Bill Yoast, Billy Dee Williams, Birmingham, Bob Ladouceur, Bob Thornton, Brendan Fraser, Brett Rice, Brian Geraghty, Brian Piccolo, Brian's Song, Briarcrest Christian School, C. Thomas Howell, Caleb Castille, Catherine Dyer, Chadwick Boseman, Charles S. Dutton, Chelcie Ross, Chicago Bears, Chris O’Donnell, Christian, Christian Kane, Clancy Brown, Cleveland Browns, Cole Hauser, Connie Britton, Craig Kirkwood, Darrin Dewitt Henson, David Huddleston, David Strathairn, De La Salle High School, Dennis Quaid, Denzel Washington, Derek Luke, desegregation, DeVon Franklin, Dick Wolf, DirecTV, Donald Faison, Draft Day, Elizabeth Banks, Ernie Davis, Ethan Suplee, Evan Jones, Everybody's All-American, Express, Facing The Giants, Fighting Irish, Football, Football Movies, Fred Strother, Friday Night Lights, Garrett Hedlund, Gayle Sayers, Geoff Stults, Greg Kinnear, H. G. Bissinger, Hayden Panettiere, Heaven Can Wait, Herman Boone, Huntington, Ian McShane, Invincible, Jack Lengyel, Jack Warden, Jae Head, James Caan, January Jones, Jay Hernandez, Jerry Maquire, Jewish, Jim Brown, Jim Caviezel, Joe Massingill, Johnny Be Good, Jon Favreau, Jon Voight, Judy Pace, Kansas City Chiefs, Kate Bosworth, Kate Mara, Kathy Bates, Kevin Conway, Kevin Tighe, Kim Dickens, Kip Pardue, Kirk Acevedo, Lance Nichols, Laura Dern, Law & Order, Leatherheads, Lee Jackson, Lee Thompson Young, Leigh Anne Tuohy, Lili Taylor, Lily Collins, Lucas Black, Mark Wahlberg, Marshall University, Matt Damon, Matthew Fox, Matthew McConaughey, Michael Chiklis, Michael Kelly, Michael Oher, Michael Rispoli, movies based on real life, National Football League, NBC, NCAA, Necessary Roughness, Ned Beatty, Nelsan Ellis, New England Patriots, NFL, NFL Draft, Nic Bishop, Nicole Ari Parker, Nicole Beharie, Notre Dame, Odessa, Omar Benson Miller, Panthers, Pennsylvania, Permian High School, Peter Donat, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Eagles, Prejudice, Quinton Aaron, Racism, Radio, Randall Batinkoff, Randy Couture, Ray McKinnon, Remember The Titans, Rob Brown, Robert Prosky, Rocky, Rudy, Ryan Gosling, Ryan Hurst, Sandra Bullock, Saul Rubinek, School Ties, Sean Astin, Seattle Seahawks, segregation, Shelley Fabares, Sherri Shepherd, Spartans, Stephan James, Stephen Louis Grush, Steve Staiger, Super Bowl, Super Bowl 2017, Super Bowl LI, Syracuse University, Texas, The Blind Side, The Express, The Express: The Ernie Davis Story, The Last Boy Scout, The Longest Yard, The Program, The Replacements, The Waterboy, Tim McGraw, Tom Nowicki, Tony Nathan, true story, Tuohy family, Undefeated, Vasity Blues, Vince Papale, Washington Huskies, We Are Marshall, West Virginia, When The Game Stands Tall, Wildcats, Will Patton, Wood Harris, Woodlawn, Woodlawn High School, Zeljko Ivanek

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