50 Best Sports Movies Ever

18. Moneyball

Year: 2011
Sport: Baseball
Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Robin Wright, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Chris Pratt
Director: Bennett Miller

Moneyball received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It did so during an era in which baseball films no longer have the allure that they did during and before the 1990s.

More impressively, it did so while focusing more on the construction of a team than the actual output on the field—something that very few sports films have achieved.

Brad Pitt was masterful in his portrayal of Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane, so much so that he received as Best Actor nomination at the Academy Awards. Jonah Hill had his breakout drama role, receiving a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his work as Peter Brand.

Coupled with the brilliant acting of Philip Seymour Hoffman and Robin Wright, as well as an appearance from a younger Chris Pratt, Moneyball had the acting to match Aaron Sorkin’s brilliant writing.

Upon Moneyball’s release and commercial success, everyone and their mother began to pretend to be experts in the world of sabermetrics.

What makes this such a great film is the way that it dives deep into the intricacies of building a team. Not only does it acknowledge Beane’s heavy emphasis on the advanced metrics, but it displays the fragile nature of a relationship between a general manager and his coaches, players, and other personnel.

Moneyball was popular amongst both sports and non-sports fans, and that’s a very strong feat considering the topic and story it covered.

Next: 17. The Karate Kid