Now, I cry at the usual sad movies ("The Notebook") and I also get slightly weepy at movies that most people do not get weepy in (I'm pretty sure I'm the only person who cried during "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.") But there is one sure fire genre that almost always produces a movie that will cause me to at least shed a few tears: sports movies.
I have no idea why this happens. Aside from baseball and XU basketball, I'm not even that passionate about sports! I think the combination of overcoming insurmountable odds and doing something one is truly passionate about is the heart of all good sports stories. So here are three great sports movies that will make you cry (with happiness, mostly) and feel good as you leave the theater.
Miracle
USA! USA! USA! Olympic movies are great (see "D2: The Mighty Ducks") but this is the ultimate Olympic story of one of the greatest moments in all of sports. The true underdog USA team beat the scary Soviets to advance to the gold medal game. They were outmatched in every way possible, yet they still won. What's more is that the current social and political climate made the win even more meaningful. Pair that with the individual stories of the players (such as the Goalie who lost his mom and Herb Brooks) and it's a real winner of a sports movie. Plus all the hockey is really authentic.
The part that always gets me is when the announce says that famous line "Do you believe in miracles? YES!" and then everyone goes crazy and celebrates. Seeing the American flag drapped around the goalie and then when they all join their captain on the podium...oh man, I get all choked up just thinking about it.
Remember the Titans
Ah, I love a good football movie paired with Civil Rights tensions. And then-newcomer Ryan Gosling doesn't hurt either. Besides all that, 'Remember the Titans' is a great story about friendship, no matter what race or creed. It's a case study for southern culture, how important football was, and how hostile people could be. Denzel Washington is great as the coach, but the real heart of the story is watching the team transform. They are beaten down so many times, on and off the field, but they are still triumphant in the end.
Not only do I seem to tear up at the championship game, but I also get a little upset when poor Gerry Berteir gets in the car accident and Julius goes to visit him. Aw man, so sad. Still, he lives to see his team win and he was able to enjoy the moment from his hospital bed.
Rudy
This above all sports movies makes me cry the most. Perhaps it's because of the movie opening with images of little Rudy idolizing Notre Dame football. Or maybe it's because Rudy starts out at the very bottom, having to befriend the janitor for a place to stay and going to school at Holy Cross just to get in to Notre Dame for a year or two. It's probably the combination of those things, plus Sean Astin's brilliant performance. He was so real and believeable. Rudy could be anyone, which is important to the overall message of the film. It could be you on the field, if you believe in yourself and work hard.
I most definitely cry a little when the entire team turns in their jerseys, refusing to play if Rudy isn't allowed to suit up for the final homegame. It gets worse when you see the overjoyed reactions from his family in the stands. Then he makes that great play and his teammates hoist him up on their shoulders, and by then I'm weeping silently. Of course, the little script that comes after it saying that no other player has been carried off the field since (does this still hold true, ND fans?) packs a serious real-life punch. Gosh, if that doesn't warm your heart then you are a souless being and I feel sorry for you.
What other sports movies are any good? Well, there's the Oscar-winning "Chariots of Fire" though it is a little boring at times. "The Blindside" and "Breaking Away" are two other great sports movies, as well as "Rookie," "The Natural" and, of course, "Cool Runnings."
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