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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23. The Rookie (2002)

Directed by John Lee Hancock
Starring Dennis Quaid, Rachel Griffiths, and Jay Hernandez

Most of the sports movies on this list are about people who dream of doing the statistically improbable: becoming successful professional athletes. One of the qualities that make The Rookie such an enjoyable and emotional watch is that it’s a movie about a man who has already given up on his dream.

At the start of the film, Jim Morris (Quaid) is a Texas-based high school teacher and coach who is nearing middle age. In his younger years, Jim dreamed of becoming a Major League Baseball pitcher and even made it onto a minor league team. However, frequent shoulder problems meant that he never got past the minors. An effort to motivate his underperforming baseball team, Jim promises to go on one more try out with the majors if they secure a division championship. Unexpectedly, the team rises to the occasion and Morris proves to be a man of his word. Even more unexpectedly, Jim gets a life-changing offer after tossing out a series of 98 mph pitches.

Ultimately, Jim Morris only ended up playing a few seasons in the majors. During that time, he did not help any of the teams he played for clinch a World Series or even win a pennant. He was never voted MVP or Rookie of the Year. But those facts in no way undercut his achievement. Against all odds, Jim managed to become a major league pitcher at the age of 35. That’s the kind of against-all-odds personal victory that can bring tears to the eyes of the most hardened cynic.