Content Warning: This article contains references to binge eating.
As Billy Beane (played by Brad Pitt) in Moneyball said, "How could you not be romantic about baseball?" Sporting movies, in general, are known for various elements. There are plots that focus on the physical and mental aspects of a sport; there are some that focus on the athlete's journey and there are some that focus on huge accomplishments that certain athletes experience to be the best of the best in their sport. Whether it be for a high school football team or for an Olympic gymnastics medal, athletics have become a staple in all cultures, but definitely in America.
Sports films from all over the world are meant to engage viewers and inspire them in some way. These movies intend to grapple audiences and make them see what an athlete sacrifices. But many sports films in the U.S. certainly have their unique dramatic, and even over-the-top, moments.
When Michael Learns To Protect The Team (The Blind Side)
The Blind Side centers on the story of a real-life athlete, Michael Oher, who later becomes a skillful football player for his high school, the University of Mississippi and the NFL.
When Leigh Anne connects the sport to Michael's protective instincts, he's inspired and quickly excels at the game. After Leigh Anne tells him that his position is to protect his team, just like he protected S.J., he dominates on the field. This was an immediate result, which was pretty unbelievable, but still an inspirational moment.
When Rocky Wears Apollo Down (Rocky)
Everybody knows this famous scene when Rocky's unique strategy helps him against the world champion, Apollo Creed. The last full scene of the film shows Rocky versing Apollo in a seriously sweaty and bloody fight, with both fighters lasting all the rounds.
Rocky figures out a way to wear down Apollo, sustaining as many punches thrown at him as possible. His future quote, "It 'aint about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you get hit and keep moving forward," truly shines in this final part of the battle. It's seriously unbelievable how Rocky can withstand the brutal beating for as long as he does.
When Jasmine Quickly Becomes A Football Player (The Longshots)
A fictional film that's based on the actual female football player, Jasmine Plummer, The Longshots has a couple of plainly unbelievable events, such as Jasmine's quick transition into the all-male football team.
Although the actual story is truly inspirational, the film dramatizes how quickly she was able to make the team is by showing the character throwing a football and Ice Cube's character sending her straight toward a team. The character is obviously a skilled player, but how did she suddenly become skilled enough to get on the team? Her trajectory and throws in the beginning are a little over-the-top, but all in all, the movie conveys the brilliant story of Jasmine Plummer.
When Katelin Is Given A Restart At Nationals
It's not surprising that old Disney Channel original movies (DCOMs) include their fair share of unbelievable aspects. Go Figure is one of them and it is not just about figure skating—it's the story of a young figure skater, who has to learn how to play hockey in order to afford training at an elite boarding school.
Although the ending scene is heartwarming, it's highly unlikely that judges at a professional figure skating Senior National championships would let a skater restart their entire program. The only other over-the-top fluff that was added was the whole arena chanting "let her skate." While it's not impossible for fans to chant, the judges being convinced to let one skater redo her program is, without a doubt, unbelievable.
When Mark Loses That Weight In No Time (Foxcatcher)
This deeply eerie and dark film has several unbelievable moments, like when John E. du Pont shoots and kills Mark Shultz's brother, Dave. Not only that, but du Pont is played by the normally funny, Steve Carrell, and is supported by Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo.
Towards the end of Foxcatcher, Mark binges on food and then has to lose that weight in order to fit in his wrestling weight class for the fight. He and Dave work tirelessly to lose the pounds and the film makes it look like he loses the weight in less than two hours. This scene is one of the over-the-top moments in all films as it is nowhere near easy for anybody of any shape and size to lose weight so quickly.
Duke's Flip In The Soccer Game (She's The Man)
Despite the obvious problems a movie like this from the early 2000s has, focusing on the sports aspects of this movie reveals a couple of overly dramatic moments. However, the most over-the-top part of the final soccer game in She's The Man is Duke's (Channing Tatum's) soccer ball flip as he throws the ball back onto the field.
It's not unbelievable for him to do a flip. What's unbelievable is the thought to waste that time in the game to do that to show off. It's just unnecessary.
When Tonya's Broken Skate Ruins Everything (I, Tonya)
When some say they think figure skating isn't a sport, they're dead wrong! Margot Robbie's portrayal of the real-life Olympian, Tonya Harding, includes a lot of unbelievable and dramatic scenes, such as when Nancy Kerrigan's knee is brutally bashed in by a hitman or when Tonya becomes the first American woman to land a triple axel in a professional competition.
But the main athlete's over-the-top scene is when Tonya insists that her figure skate boot is broken and is affecting her performance. This proves to be true as she literally cannot land a single advanced-level jump, and she cries right on the ice and begs the judges to sympathize with her. What an unforgettable—unbelievable—moment that actually happened in reality!
When Daniel Easily Wins After Struggling (The Karate Kid)
The original The Karate Kid series involves a bunch of dramatic moments that lead to Daniel's victory in different fights. But the first film is over-the-top. When Daniel is versing Johnny in the final fight, he struggles throughout most of it. Although he endures the pain, he is barely able to stand towards the end.
The "crane" stance from Mr. Miyagi of course helps him whip his opponent to the ground. Suddenly, Johnny is the winner. Nobody even gives Johnny the chance to stand up. The crowd just celebrates immediately when Daniel kicks him in the face. Then out of nowhere, Johnny appears and hands him the trophy. Although the sentiment is great here, it's still unbelievable how Daniel easily wins in one moment.
When Adonis Feels The Heat (Creed II)
Although both Creed and Creed II have a bunch of incredible scenes, the second film of the series shows Adonis in an intense scene, but one that's pretty over-the-top.
When Adonis is up against the insane Drago, he has a knock-down moment that's dramatized with a slow-motion frustration. He jabs the ground and viewers see the deep stress he's under in this fight. After this, he wins the fight.
When Dottie Catches A Ball In A Split (A League Of Their Own)
There will be many that think this movie isn't as effective or inspirational as others, but it's one of the most inspirational sports films in history. Based on the 1940s All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, the comedy focuses on the boisterous, hilarious coach and the first female professional baseball players during the World War II era.
Dottie Hinson's character is the optimal player that inspires others to strive for the best. She proves that all it takes sometimes is to think outside of the box and just got for it, which she does multiple times. The most unbelievable scene of all time is when this baseball player catches a ball while doing a full-on split on the field—in a skirt, no less. Although there are countless sports films that involve strong and powerful actions, this one brief moment is truly one of a kind.