One of this year's nominees for the "Best Picture" award, King Richard stars Will Smith as Richard Williams, who is the father and coach to future tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams. The movie also received five other nominations, including "Best Actor" and "Best Screenplay."
Throughout the history of Hollywood, there have been many biopics based on a number of athletes and the incredible true stories of their rise and fall. Some of these movies have even remained as beloved today as they were when originally released. However, only a select few have managed to be nominated for the biggest award in Hollywood.
The Pride of the Yankees (Available To Stream On Amazon)
The Pride of the Yankees was released in 1942 and marked the one-year anniversary of the death of Lou Gehrig (who was a celebrated member of the New York Yankees baseball team). Academy award-winning actor Gary Cooper played the role of Gehrig while some of the athletes from the team players played themselves.
The movie received ten nominations the following year, with only Daniel Mandell winning an award for the movie for "Best Editing." But even if Cooper didn't win another award and the movie lost out on "Best Picture," it is still watched and enjoyed today (and according to IMDb, one of Gary Cooper's best movies).
Raging Bull (Available To Stream DIRECTV)
Considered by many to be one of Robert De Niro's greatest roles throughout his long acting career, Raging Bull saw him play the lead role as Jake LaMotta. He was a middleweight boxer for over ten years and eventually won the championship title in 1950.
De Niro was able to earn his second Academy Award for his performance and alongside the editor, they were the only two wins for the movie. But that didn't stop this "Best Picture" nominee from still being enjoyed by Martin Scorcese fans over the years.
Chariots of Fire (Available To Stream HBO Max)
David Puttnam is a renowned British producer responsible for making iconic movies like Bugsy Malone and Midnight Express. But he then turned his attention to making a movie about two athletes who competed in the 1924 Olympics (despite the odds stacked against them).
Rated one of the best Olympics movies on IMDb, Chariots of Fire would go down in history as one of the best British sports biopics. Not only did the movie win "Best Picture," but it also won "Best Original Score" (which is still heard in movies and television shows today).
Seabiscuit (Available To Stream fuboTV)
Based on the incredible true story of the racing horse, Seabiscuit's success on the race track saw it become a source of inspiration during the Great Depression. While the animal's story did inspire multiple movies, it was the 2003 film that finally saw the story earning itself the acclaim and recognition it deserved.
It was nominated for seven Academy Awards, but it lost the "Best Picture" award from Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (which dominated the show in 2004). But fans of Tobey Maguire and Jeff Bridges should check this one out as they give some of their best performances in this movie.
The Blind Side (Available To Buy On Amazon)
Michael Oher was an American football player whose story was bought to the big screen (with Quinton Aaron playing his onscreen counterpart). Sandra Bullock was also cast to play his adoptive mother
With the 82nd Academy Awards, the board took an unprecedented turn and opened up the "Best Picture" nominations from five to ten. This move would open the door for The Blind Side and see it competing against a sleuth of genre movies that competed for the title. Furthermore, it is seen as one of Bullock's best movies by Rotten Tomatoes.
The Fighter (No Streaming Information Available)
Despite the different types of movies and roles both of these actors usually take, Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale play Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund, two brothers who were also boxers. The Fighter focussed on their relationship as Ward (played by Wahlberg) was trained by Eklund (Bale) and his boxing career.
While Mark Wahlberg didn't receive a nomination for his performance, Christian Bale won "Best Supporting Actor" alongside Melissa Leo for "Best Supporting Actress." Even though it lost the biggest award that night, The Fighter is still considered one of the best boxing movies to date.
Moneyball (Available To Stream On Netflix)
Perhaps one of the more peculiar movies, Moneyball is based on the Oakland Athletics and their coach's approach to creating a winning baseball team with a low budget. With the help of his assistant, they both create a team by taking a unique and unexpected approach. This focus and attention to detail by the filmmakers has made it one of the most realistic baseball movies.
Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill play the unlikely duo and each of them earned a nomination for their performances. With eight other nominees to compete with for "Best Picture," it eventually lost out to The Artist in 2012.
Ford V Ferrari (Available To Buy On Amazon)
A movie starring Christian Bale and the most recent nominee for the category, Ford V Ferrari tells the story of Carroll Shelby (played by Matt Damon) and Ken Miles (Christian Bale) as they help Ford create a car that can beat Ferarri in the 1966's 24 Hours Of Le Mans.
While the movie was nominated, it did lose to the South Korean hit Parasite. But that doesn't say that the movie is not worth celebrating as not also is it one of the few motorsports dramas nominated for the Best Picture award, but one of the best biopics in recent memory.