| 1. BANG THE DRUM SLOWLY (1973) - Beautifully | | | | fun-filled baseball fantasy about a |
| acted by Michael Moriarty and a young Robert | | | | performance-enhancing substance. After a college |
| DeNiro, this touching adaptation of a Mark Harris | | | | professor inadvertently develops a serum that |
| novel depicts the friendship between an ace | | | | repels wood, he becomes a big-league pitcher and |
| pitcher and his dying catcher. Some of the best | | | | leads his team to a World Series. |
| locker-room insights ever. | | | | 7. MILLION DOLLAR BABY (2004) - Hillary Swank |
| 2. EIGHT MEN OUT (1988) - Director John Sayles | | | | won an Oscar in one of director Clint Eastwood's |
| managed a rare feat for a baseball movie, | | | | top films. A controversial and weighty examination |
| stripping away the sentiment and the legend to | | | | of a strong-willed female boxer and the injury |
| portray the sad but true story surrounding the | | | | that derailed her desperate dream. |
| 1919 Black Sox scandal. | | | | 8. RAGING BULL (1980) - Director Martin |
| 3. FIELD OF DREAMS (1989) - Based on a novel | | | | Scorcese's epic biopic of boxer Jake LaMotta is |
| by W.P. Kinsella, this Kevin Costner vehicle remains | | | | both earthy and ethereal. DeNiro is typically brilliant. |
| the only movie to capture accurately the | | | | Not just a great sports movie but a great movie |
| emotional sinew that connects baseball, fathers | | | | period. |
| and sons. | | | | 9. REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT (1962) - |
| 4. HOOSIERS (1986) - The amazing work of star | | | | Depressingly stark version of Rod Serling's |
| Gene Hackman and director John Anspaugh | | | | legendary teleplay, this look at the demeaning |
| catapulted what could have been a hokey | | | | decline of a professional boxer and his relationship |
| David-and-Goliath tale into the best basketball | | | | with the equally sad souls surrounding him is an |
| movie ever. | | | | underrated gem. Gleason again is superb. |
| 5. THE HUSTLER (1961) - Paul Newman's finest is | | | | 10. ROCKY (1976) - The boxing scenes are the |
| a film whose subject matter is as gritty and | | | | weakest part of this poignant, uplifting story |
| depressing as the postwar, other-side-of-the | | | | about a down-and-out Philadelphia fighter. The |
| track landscape that is its setting. Jackie Gleason | | | | score is special too. Stallone should have stopped |
| is a revelation as Minnesota Fats. | | | | here. |
| 6. IT HAPPENS EVERY SPRING (1949) - A | | | | |