Fansided

25 best sports movies, ranked by the dust in your eye

By Mario McKellop

Denzel Washington motivates football players in a scene form the film 'Remember The Titans', 2000. (Photo by Buena Vista/Getty Images)
Denzel Washington motivates football players in a scene form the film 'Remember The Titans', 2000. (Photo by Buena Vista/Getty Images) /
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13. The Wrestler (2008)

Directed by Darren Aronofsky
Starring Mickey Rourke, Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei

Technically, professional wrestling is not a sport. As a highly athletic presentation of physical conflicts with predetermined outcomes, it straddles the line between sports and entertainment. However, the reason The Wrestler has a place on this list is because of how it depicts something true and tragic about elite athletes who strive to continue on past their primes.

The film follows Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a pro wrestler who was a major attraction the 1980s. However, in the intervening decades, Randy’s life has fallen apart. Having aged out of a main event position for any significant promotion, he now makes ends meet by wrestling at dangerous independent shows. Early in the film, the Ram is presented with an opportunity to get back in the spotlight by having one last match with his old nemesis the Ayatollah (Ernest Miller). Inspired, Randy sets out to improve his life by starting a relationship with a golden-hearted stripper (Tomei) and reconnecting with his long ignored daughter (Wood).

Although set in the grimy world of independent professional wrestling, The Wrestler is the story of an athlete who just can’t stop. Though his body has broken down due to decades of wear and tear, the will that drove him to be a major star still persists. But instead of driving him to achieve greatness, Randy’s relentless drive causes him to further damage his health and legacy by pushing to reach a level he can no longer attain.

Removed from its milieu, The Wrestler could by the story of any great pro who just can’t come to terms with aging. Therefore it’s the kind of movie that even non-wrestling aficionados can watch and sob along with.