What defines a "sports movie" (1 Viewer)

[Max Power]

Long story short an office debate today ended in shenanigans as someone suggested "The Big Lebowski" as a favorite sports movie.

So going to the google machine, we searched sports films and Wikipedia was the top result.  The Big Lebowski is listed as a sport film.  As well as Jaws, The Warriors, the Last Boy Scout and Point Break.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sports_films

Basically any movie that references anything that can be argued as a sport is considered in this list.  I'm curious where the cut off is for calling something a "sports movie" is for a rational person.  My personal opinion is that the sport should be no less than the third main point of the story line.  That goes for situation, love interest, dilemmas, overcoming obstacles, etc....

Bonus question: Should movies like Surviving the game, The Hunger Games, or The Running Man be considered sports???

 

[Long Ball Larry]

Jaws?

lebowski counts. They had ####### league games, man.  And bylaws.

 

[SacramentoBob]

Teen Wolf is borderline at best.

 

[NutterButter]

Bowling isn't even a sport

 

[SacramentoBob]

Kingpin is top 5.

 

[sports_fan]

The new Star Wars is my favorite soccer movie

 

[Ilov80s]

Tough to say really. I suppose Jaws could be big game fishing. Weird way to look it, but sure. No sure about Big Lebowski, it's more of an odd take a film noir modern adaptation of "The Big Sleep." 

 

[Mister CIA]

Is chasing tail considered a sport?

 

[The General]

I need to know if you think Die Hard is a Christmas movie to see if I can trust your opinion on this matter.

 

[GregR]

Teen Wolf is borderline at best.

I wouldn't call it borderline. The sport isn't a prominent enough part of it. Neither is something like Finding Forrester.

Karate Kid, not a sports movie but closer.

Soul Surfer might be an example of a borderline one.

 

[SacramentoBob]

Searching for Bobby Fischer.

 

[GregR]

Tough to say really. I suppose Jaws could be big game fishing. Weird way to look it, but sure. No sure about Big Lebowski, it's more of an odd take a film noir modern adaptation of "The Big Sleep." 

Jaws couldn't be big game fishing.  Even if we are willing to say big game fishing tournaments are sport... the movie's point had nothing to do with big game fishing tournaments. 

If we call Soul Surfer a sports movie where being a competitive pro surfer was a large part of it, that doesn't make Point Break a sports movie just because they also surf, but in ways that have nothing to do with pro surfer competitions.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

Jaws?

lebowski counts. They had ####### league games, man.  And bylaws.

This is not 'Nam.  This is bowling. There are rules.

MARK IT ZERO!

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

I get the bowling as metaphor thing, no objection.

 

[Ilov80s]

Jaws couldn't be big game fishing.  Even if we are willing to say big game fishing tournaments are sport... the movie's point had nothing to do with big game fishing tournaments. 

If we call Soul Surfer a sports movie where being a competitive pro surfer was a large part of it, that doesn't make Point Break a sports movie just because they also surf, but in ways that have nothing to do with pro surfer competitions.

Let's assume hunting and fishing are sports. You don't need to have an organized tournament to engage in those sports. 

 

[NewlyRetired]

Let's assume hunting and fishing are sports. You don't need to have an organized tournament to engage in those sports. 

With out direct competition, I feel like things like this fall more in pastimes/hobbies than sports.

Here is a definition of sport

an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

 

[Brony]

How do you define "movie"? 

 

[TheAristocrat]

One of my favorite sports movies is Silence of the Lambs.

 

[Quint]

With out direct competition, I feel like things like this fall more in pastimes/hobbies than sports.

Here is a definition of sport

an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

to be fair, the shark certainly thought of Chrissie Watkins and that little Kintner boy as entertainment.

 

[NorvilleBarnes]

Some people consider Hoosiers a sport film.

 

[Ilov80s]

Some people consider Hoosiers a sport film.

I looked at is more of a movie about alcoholism like Days of Wine and Roses or the Lost Weekend. 

 

[NorvilleBarnes]

I get the bowling as metaphor thing, no objection.

A metaphor for what?

 

[Mr.Pack]

Funny this was posted. I was watching Dan Patrick on the Sam Jones show on DirecTV. He said Bull Durham wasn't a sports movie, it was about relationships and baseball was the vehicle. Same with Rudy.

Got me thinking, and I'm not sure what I think or if I agree with him, but I think every movie could be categorized like that. I wish Sam would have asked him what he does think a sports movie is.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Funny this was posted. I was watching Dan Patrick on the Sam Jones show on DirecTV. He said Bull Durham wasn't a sports movie, it was about relationships and baseball was the vehicle. Same with Rudy.

Got me thinking, and I'm not sure what I think or if I agree with him, but I think every movie could be categorized like that. I wish Sam would have asked him what he does think a sports movie is.

It's a metaphor.

Sports is a metaphor.

HTH Dan.

 

[massraider]

Not Wikipedia?

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

A metaphor for what?

The motif throughout the movie is order va chaos. The Coens are classically steeped, hence the out of nowhere yet hilarious quip about naziism vs nihilism. 

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

The new Star Wars is my favorite soccer movie

At least you didn't say it was sci-Fi.

 

[NorvilleBarnes]

Sports is a metaphor.

A metaphor for WHAT?

 

[GregR]

Let's assume hunting and fishing are sports. You don't need to have an organized tournament to engage in those sports. 

With out direct competition, I feel like things like this fall more in pastimes/hobbies than sports.

Here is a definition of sport

an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

That's how I feel too. Even if everyone agreed that a bass fishing tournament is a sport... that doesn't mean fishing without competition against others is necessarily a sport.

 

[Ilov80s]

That's how I feel too. Even if everyone agreed that a bass fishing tournament is a sport... that doesn't mean fishing without competition against others is necessarily a sport.

They were competing with a giant shark.

 

[Max Power]

Dorf on golf makes the wiki cut.  Dorf goes fishing doesn't.  The standard has been set. 

 

[tommyboy]

A movie with sports as the main theme/setting/plot.