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With the surprising success of Adam Sandler’s sports dramedy, Hustle, the genre proves once again why it remains evergreen. Sports and comedy have always been a great mix. With the physical nature of sports, slapstick is an inevitability. Not to mention, interpersonal dramas and rivalries can also have their fair share of hilarity.
The sports comedy genre is a vast pool of ridiculousness. From grounded comedies such as Hustle and The Sandlot to ridiculously over-the-top slapstick features like Happy Gilmore and Shaolin Soccer, the genre continues to prove it’s more than just a half-time novelty.
Happy Gilmore (1996) - 7.0
If there’s any actor who can thank sports comedies for their massive success, Adam Sandler would be among them. It all starts here with Happy Gilmore, arguably the movie that set the most famous of Adam Sandler’s archetypes, the snarky everyman with anger issues.
Happy Gilmore is a milestone for Adam Sandler’s career for more than just starting his sports comedy journey. It was also his favorite role and would go on to inspire one-half of his production company’s name, Happy Madison. Despite being a fun little comedy, it was still a personal project for the then-rising comedian.
Caddyshack (1980) - 7.2
Caddyshack was a sports comedy classic from the moment viewers lay eyes on its cast director. With the comedic chops of Bill Murray, Rodney Dangerfield, and Chevy Chase being directed by Harold Ramis of all people, there’s no doubt in people’s minds that they’re going to be in for a silly ride.
The best part about the movie is that these three actors had significantly smaller roles, but Harold Ramis found their improv so funny that the plot, originally focusing on the caddy Danny Noonan, was shrunk down to make more room for the three comedians’ antics.
Major League (1989) - 7.2
Major League is a baseball comedy about a ragtag bunch of misfits playing under the now (rightfully) outdated moniker of “Cleveland Indians.” The team, much like in real life at the time, was in dire straits. After their elderly owner dies, his young and ambitious wife hopes to bring the team to sunnier pastures.
She does this by creating the worst baseball team imaginable, so that audience attendance falls so low she can legally bring her team wherever she wants. It’s like The Producers but with significantly less tax fraud and Hitler and one of Charlie Sheen’s earliest successes as a film star.
A League of Their Own (1992) - 7.3
Amid World War II, the biggest stars of Major League Baseball are nowhere to be found. As a desperate measure, an All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was created. The story of how these women overcame so much pushback in the 1940s is incredible.
Of course, it’s not all drama. The tale of a fledgling new baseball league trying to fill stadiums lends itself well to a comedy. The character dynamics are also very charming, helped along by the likes of Tom Hanks and Geena Davis. Though it’s fictionalized, the story of the AAGPBL is authentic and just as fascinating as the movie makes it out to be.
Jerry Maguire (1996) - 7.3
Jerry Maguire is a bit of an unorthodox sports comedy. Instead of focusing on an athlete down on his luck, Jerry Maguire focuses on the titular character, a sports agent down on his luck. With only a single athlete under his care and an excitable secretary, the film explores how a man at the top finds his true purpose at rock bottom.
Jerry Maguire is a classic Cameron Crowe film with its charmingly snarky cast of characters, near saccharine idealism contrasting with hilarious cynicism, and infinitely memorable quotes. From “You had me at hello” to “Show me the money!” Jerry Maguire stands tall as a rom-com sports classic.
Eddie The Eagle (2015) - 7.3
Jumping to the mid-2010s comes this ski-jumping dramedy, Eddie The Eagle. Eddie has all the bearings of a classic shonen protagonist. Not too bright yet incredibly determined, even as the world tells him otherwise. On a whim, he decides to compete at the Olympic level for ski jumping with only a year’s training.
It should be noted that the real-life Eddie Edwards was no fool. Yes, he certainly was a determinator, but he was sharp enough to notice the loophole to join the ski jumping event in the first place. Still, the movie did well by making its version of Eddie a loveably stubborn guy, with special mention to Taron Egerton’s portrayal.
Shaolin Soccer (2001) - 7.3
Stephen Chow is a legend of Hong Kong comedy cinema, and there was no doubt in anybody’s mind that Shaolin Soccer would be an instant classic. Among the classic sports comedies, Shaolin Soccer is the only one that can claim to have some true anime-level buffoonery, all thanks to the over-the-top Wuxia stylings of Stephen Chow.
Shaolin Soccer focuses on a young Shaolin master named Sing looking to make his martial arts known to an uncaring modern audience. He meets a jaded old soccer player who, upon seeing his absurd kicking strength, instructs him to join his soccer team. What follows is a non-stop barrage of slapstick and unironically badass soccer matches -- par for the course for Stephen Chow’s work.
Hustle (2022) - 7.3
Continuing Adam Sandler’s slow and steady separation from his typical family comedies, Hustle is a much more low-key affair than the likes of Happy Gilmore and The Waterboy. Here, Adam Sandler plays an NBA talent scout who was recently demoted after his boss’ son took over. He finds hope in a talented young player, Bo Cruz, but must curb the irresponsibilities of his youth.
It’s always great to see Adam Sandler play more dramatic roles. While the movie is still hilarious, it’s not through the usual Sandler formula of lowbrow humor. Instead, it’s through genuine wit that the movie finds its voice, paired with a genuine emotional core.
I, Tonya (2017) - 7.5
I, Tonya is a sports dramedy focusing on one of the most infamous scandals in sports history, Tonya Harding, a once beloved figure in the figure skating world, turns to darkness when a new up-and-comer threatens to take the fame and glory she’s worked so hard for away from her.
The Tonya Harding case was one of the most parodied events of the '90s, with even Weird Al Yankovic including the event in one of his songs. It only made sense for the film to make light of how ridiculous the situation was. That said, it humanized everybody involved in the incident, showcasing Tonya Harding’s descent into desperation.
The Sandlot (1993) - 7.8
The Sandlot is arguably the most iconic American sports movie to ever exist and one of the most iconic and influential coming-of-age stories of all time. Instead of focusing on any professional scene, The Sandlot brings it to the neighborhood level. The story showcases how baseball unites so many different kids.
It’s essentially The Goonies for '90s kids and a heartwarming tale of childhood: warts and all. It has all the immature banter that a diverse bunch of '90s kids would have. Through it, all, however, remains a strong emotional core that surely resonates with any kid from any era.