This compilation of films covers all sports activities.
Sports film
A sports film is a film genre in which any particular sport plays a prominent role in the film's plot or acts as its central theme. It is a production in which a sport, sporting event, athlete (and their sport), or follower of sport (and the s ...
s have been made since the era of
silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...
s, such as the 1915 film ''
The Champion'' starring
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...
. Films in this genre can range from serious (''
Raging Bull
''Raging Bull'' is a 1980 American biographical sports drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, produced by Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler and adapted by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin from Jake LaMotta's 1970 memoir '' Raging Bull: My ...
'') to silly (''
Horse Feathers
''Horse Feathers'' is a 1932 pre-Code comedy film starring the Marx Brothers. It stars the Four Marx Brothers (Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and Zeppo), Thelma Todd and David Landau. It was written by Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby, S. J. Perelman, an ...
''). A classic theme for sports films is the triumph of an individual or team who prevail despite the difficulties, standard elements of
melodrama
A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...
.
Team Sport
American football
Association football
Basketball
Baseball
Ice Hockey
Australian rules Football
Cheerleading and dance
Cricket
Curling
Field hockey
Handball
Kabaddi
Lacrosse
Rugby
Volleyball
Water polo
Triathlon
Racing sports
Auto racing
Aviation sport
Motorcycle racing
Motorboat racing
Rowing
Sailing
Individual sport
Athletics
Boxing
Bowling
Caving
Cue sports
Fencing
Figure skating
Golf
Gymnastics
Hiking
Martial arts
Note: Films should not be listed here unless the sporting aspects of martial arts play a major part in the plot.
Mountaineering and climbing
Rollerblading
Roller skating
Shooting
Skateboarding
Skiing
Ski jumping
Snowboarding
Sumo wrestling
Surfing
Swimming & diving
Table tennis
Tennis
Underwater diving
Wrestling
Note:
Lucha film
Luchador films (or ''Lucha Libre films'') are Mexican professional wrestling/action/science-fiction/ horror films starring some of the most popular masked luchadores in Lucha Libre. The luchadores are portrayed as superheroes engaging in battle ...
s are not included in this list. Although they feature ''
luchadores
Lucha libre (, meaning "freestyle wrestling" or literally translated as "free fight") is the term used in Latin America for professional wrestling. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century, it has developed into a unique form ...
'' (Mexican professional wrestlers) as the lead characters, the ''luchadores'' typically portray heroes (often superheroes) within non-wrestling stories (such as action, horror, or sci-fi).
Animals in sports
Fishing
Greyhound racing
Horse racing
Jousting
Polo
Rodeo
Other
E-sports
Fictional sports
Multiple sport movies
Note: This category is for films about sports in general or films about athletes participating in multiple sports. This category is not for films featuring the Olympics, Paralympics, X-Games and other similar "games" which fall under the "Multisport Games / Olympics" category. Films featuring specific sports should be listed under that specific sport.
Multi-sport Games / Olympics
Note: Films featuring the Olympics, Paralympics, X-Games, etc... and other similar events are included. Films featuring specific sports featured in the games should be listed under that specific sport
See also
*
List of highest-grossing sports films
The following is a list of highest-grossing sports films of all time, the highest-grossing sports film franchises and series, the highest-grossing films by sport, the highest-grossing sports films by year, timeline of highest-grossing sports film ...
*
List of films based on sports books
On occasion, sports books have been used as source material for film adaptations. Popular sports in the United States such as baseball and American football have been adapted to film. Books about sports such as boxing, bullfighting, cockfighting, f ...
*
List of sports video games
References
; Notes
; Citations
; Bibliography
* Armstrong, Richard B. and Mary Willems (1990) .''The Movie List Book: A Reference Guide to Film Themes, Settings, and Series''. McFarland.
* Davidson, Judith A. and Adler, Daryl (1993). ''Sport on Film and Video''. New-York: The Scarecrow Press. .
* Sicks, Kai Marcel and Stauff, Markus (eds.) (2010). ''Filmgenres: Sportfilm''
ic Stuttgart: Philipp Reclam ..
* Wallenfeldt, Jeffrey H. (1989). ''Sports Movies: A Guide to Nearly 500 Films Focusing on Sports''.
CineBooks
Cinebook Ltd is a British publishing company that publishes comic albums and graphic novels. It describes itself as "the 9th art publisher," the 9th art being comics in continental Europe, especially France, Belgium and Italy.
They typically ...
. .
* (fr) Julien Camy and Gérard Camy, ''Sport&Cinéma''
ed. Du Bailli de Suffren 2016, (1200 films, 60 sports, 80 interviews)
External links
at filmsite.org
Sports Movies GuideDugout Videos: Baseball FilmsHall of Fame for Movie Coaches
{{Sports films
Sports
Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...