The Sports Movie
There have been countless sports films that have detailed the struggles unique to athletes as they seek to attain victory (or in some cases, mere competence). So what are some of the common traits that the best films of this genre share? Here are some archetypes that apply across all sports. Some of them are tropes, but hey…if the formula works then why break it?
The Underdog: Rocky…Rudy…Million Dollar Baby. It’s hard to find a better starting point than an underdog who finally gets their shot. Putting your protagonist and/or team into an underdog position is a simple and effective way to get the audience behind them. But make no mistake: the road needs to be long and hard on the road to victory. Start by crafting a down-on-their luck character with a good heart and a lost, seemingly unattainable dream. The end-point of an underdog story isn’t necessarily victory in the traditional sense. Rocky doesn’t beat Apollo Creed the first time around, and it doesn’t matter.
The Has-Been Player or Coach: The Natural…Hoosiers. There’s always a little mystery in this story line, i.e. “What happened to this person that made them so broken?” The best movies reveal this backstory at a crucial point in the story (typically the end of the second act), and the weight of their past failures is often the biggest stumbling block to their ultimate success. Substance abuse is a common culprit, as is a secret criminal background or other complicating factor. There’s typically a past flame who comes into play over the course of the story that aids in their emotional healing.
Strained Race Relations: Remember The Titans…42. Unfortunately, our country has a fraught history when it comes to the representation of minorities in sports. This applies across all levels, which is why it’s valid to explore racism from high school all the way to the pros. These stories are typically driven by inner team dynamics as much as the prejudices of the outside world. Only by putting aside their differences can the team triumph, which is essentially a metaphor for our own story as a nation.
Plucky Kids: The Sandlot…Little Giants…The Bad News Bears. Sports are fun for kids, right? Kinda? Sorta? Well, a good sports movie for kids just might poke a hole in that balloon. Typical storylines involve an underachieving team, parents who are bonkers over their kids performance and coaches who don’t care or are forced into service. But kids almost always know better. They may win in the end, or not, but they’re sure going to figure out what it means to be a team along the way.
The All-Knowing Veteran: Bull Durham…A League of Their Own. These are some of my favorite characters, and they’re really fun to write. The veteran player has seen and done it all, and now they’re pressed into sharing their secrets with the next generation. They’re typically forced into it, and the young phenom in their charge doesn’t want to listen…but that’s where the fun starts. Some of the most memorable movie dialogue has come from these characters. Just remember…there’s no crying in baseball.