Glory Road
Glory Road
Rated PG, 1 hr 58 min
Critics' Rating: B-
Miles's Rating: B+
Brooklynne's Rating: A-
Brooklynne and I took some of the Gateway middle schoolers to see Glory Road this weekend. The movie was a reward for the kids who finished reading the New Testament before the end of the year, and it turned out to be a good flick.
I confess--I'm usually skeptical about sports movies, especially the super-dramatic underdog type sports movies. They are usually so predictable and cheesey. Glory Road was certainly predictable (it's based on a true story!), but it wasn't cheesey at all--in fact, it was pretty good. The story was entertaining, the game scenes were well done, and the sports history was accurate (i.e. no three point lines on the courts, etc.) I did have a couple historical questions though.... Was the key still skinny in '66? And was Dook really consistantly good enough in the '60s for characters to mention them as a basketball program to strive after?
I also think Disney watered down the race issue a little. Although race is an important theme in the movie, I thought the significance of the team as a symbol of racial meaning for blacks is not made clear enough by a few short scenes of blacks gathering to watch the championship game. Another thing I was surprised by was how easy they went on Adolph Rupp. Rupp is famous for his racism, but his character in the movie is ambiguous.
Still, the mild but clear racial substance is a good amount for kids and it could be useful for setting up a conversation about the history of race in our past. That's a conversation I expect to have with the kids from our group too.
Without overanalyzing, the movie was a fun flick and a great feel-good story and is worth your $9.50 at the theaters.
On another note, the '66 Texas Western team was not the first team with multiple black starters to win the NCAA championship. The 1963 Loyola Ramblers played four black starters. To read about the Ramblers, click here.
Also, guys be jealous... Brooklynne was sitting with the girls in the row behind me, and when the Kentucky starters were announced, she exclaimed, "PAT RILEY played for Kentucky?!!!" Now, how many of your wives know who Pat Riley is?
Finally, here's my top ten list of sports movies....
10. For Love of the Game
9. Hoosiers
8. The Natural
7. Major League
6. Hoop Dreams
5. Tin Cup
4. Any Given Sunday
3. Rocky
2. Caddy Shack
1. Happy Gilmore
Did I forget any good ones? Give me your list.
Maybe The Pistol?
What about Space Jam, Air Bud, and Like Mike???
I am STUNNED that Rudy did not make the list -- maybe you just forgot. Before there was Samwise, there was "Ru-DY, Ru-DY, Ru-DY!"
Also, a River Runs Through It, Chariots of Fire, and Will Ferrells new movie about NASCAR will certainly make the list (bumping off Days of Thunder).
What about Coach Carter? I have not seen it but heard it was good. I dunno, you have a lot of comedies on your list -- would you say Glory Road bumps any of those movies out of the top ten.
OK, here is my list:
10 Come Fly With Me
9 Team Carolina
8 Teen Wolf
7 The Natural (but is too long)
6 Days of Thunder
5 Rocky 1-3
4 Glory Road
3 Hoosiers
2 Rudy
1 Remember the Titans
OK, Miles, good list but you missed some:
10. a. Teen Wolf b. He Got Game
9. Team Carolina - the 2005 National Championship DVD
8. Come Fly With Me
7. The Natural
6. 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story
5. Rocky 1-3
4. Glory Road
3. Rudy
2. Hoosiers
1. Remember the Titans
I also would submit for your consideration:
Rad (BMX biking), Days of Thunder, A River Runs Through It, Chariotts of Fire, and the new Will Ferrell movie about NASCAR coming soon
I am sorry that I posted twice -- please don't kick me off your blog. I thought my first one didn't work, and I also came up with some more movies.
My top ten baseball movies:
10. Bad News Bears in Breaking Training
9. A League of Their Own
8. Bingo Long's Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings
7. 61*
6. Bad News Bears (the original)
5. The Natural
4. 8 Men Out
3. The Sandlot
2. Field of Dreams
1. Bull Durham
Caddy Shack is the only other sports movie that I really like...and it would probably be ahead of all of these!
Elizabeth's picks:
1. Boys of the Summer
2. The Natural
3. Remember the Titans
4. Hoosiers
5. Rudy
6. The Sandlot
7. *61
8. Miracle
9. 8 Men Out
10. Tin Cup (ONLY because it poses a really good question about philosophy of life--Should one risk a lot and go for the really excellent thing, or lay up wisely and make sure to get something done?)
I have to admit that I am very sentimental when it comes to sports movies, so the order in which I like them is not reflective of their quality as films. I can get over cheesiness to a degree.
I LOVE Boys of the Summer, which is a documentary that goes along with the book by the same name about the Brooklyn Dodgers. But I love the Dodgers. Others might not like it as much.
I thought *61 was a really good movie, even though I hate the Yankees.
I really like the TV version of Bull Durham. The TV version is a baseball movie, with some sex. The real version is more of a sex movie with some baseball.
I liked Field of Dreams, but not as much as I thought I would. It was weird. (Maybe I need to see it again.)
Did nobody else see Miracle? I really liked it, even though I'm not a hockey person. I saw it on opening night with a really great audience; maybe that affected my perception.
I'm also interested in The Greatest Game Ever Played. I haven't seen it, but I thought that the story looked good and I'm a sucker for a film based on a true story. (But don't get me wrong--NO WAY golf is the greatest game ever played; the ball would have to grow a bit and get some seams...)
I'll also agree with Brooke by testifying that, given the right theatre in Durham and the right audience watching it with you, Like Mike can be a very fun movie.
I'll also add that The Scout and Mr. Baseball are among the worst baseball movies ever, if not among the worst movies ever period.
The Sandlot is one of the greatest. I can't do a top ten on this one ... it'll take too much brainpower.
Man, I think this breaks a record for most comments! So here's my thoughts on your suggestions....
1. It's been a long time, but as I remember, The Pistol is a GREAT movie. It deserves an honorable mention along with Remember the Titans and another one I thought of that no one else mentioned, Seabiscuit.
2. Forgive my ignorance, but how is Teen Wolf a sports movie? If that's a sports movie, then I want to add Best in Show to my top ten.
3. I forgot about Chariots of Fire. Definitely top ten. I'd put it at number 3 and move all the rest down. Also forgot about the Legend of Bagger Vance... maybe top ten.
4. 8 Men Out was good too, but its been too long since I saw it. And I never saw 61* or Boys of Summer.
5. Hated Rudy, didn't care too much for Bull Durham, and I'm still too young to appreciate
Field of Dreams. Sandlot was ok and gets plus points for ending Dodger reference.
6. Other great movies that I wasn't sure if they qualified as sports movies: Rounders (on my top ten movie list period), and Bring it On (from my top ten cheerleading movies).
Miles, I agree with most of the people commenting here that you must have been smoking crack when you made your top 10 list...
Obviously, it's hard to narrow it down to 10 and commit with so many great sports movies out there (most of them true stories which is just icing on the cake), but here are a few that should definitely be on the list that no one has mentioned yet:
Cinderella Man
The Program
Slapshot
Raging Bull
Brian's Song
Jerry Maguire
White Man Can't Jump
If you throw those in the mix, I think we have a very extensive list of the greatest sports movies ever made. Good work everybody!
Field of Dreams has to be in there. I agree with Elizabeth, Miracle is a really good one too. Also, even thought I too don't like the Yankees, Pride of the Yankees (about Lou Gehrig) with Gary Cooper (black and white, it's that old) is also a great one.
I've got a couple things...
First, who is Pat Riley?
Second, The Greatest Game Ever was a decent movie but only decent.
Third, you missed some classic sports flicks.
How about?
Bring it On (cheerleading is a sport)
Searching for Bobby Fisher (sport of the mind)
Gladiator (sport to the death)
Cool Runnings (writers searching desperately for a movie)
Lady Bugs (you have to love Rodney Dangerfield coaching girls rec. soccer)
and by far... my favorite sports movie ever, of all time...
Best in Show
The Program is one of my favorites.
How is Teen Wolf a sports movie? I can't believe you asked that. Dude, he turns into a wolf on the basketball court and starts dunking all over everyone, and he leads his team, which once was sorry, to crush all their foes. But then, he becomes too consumed with being the star and his team resents him because even thought they are winning, he scores all the points. So at the end, he resists the temptation to turn into the wolf for the championship game, and his TEAM wins the game, working together. Sheesh.
I am surprised that you didn't like Rudy. I cry every time that he gets in the game at the end.
And yes, Best in Show needs to be on there.