There are more fictional sports movies than the ones based on true stories and as such, fans hoping to be entertained by real-life events often have to dig hard. Well, at the moment, they don’t have to, thanks to the new Netflix biopic, Swimmers. The movie follows Yusra Mardini, who was part of the Refugee Olympic Athlete Team (ROT) after fleeing from war-torn Syria.
Critics have praised the movie, and fans probably will too. However, there are a few other sports-related releases that were based on true stories but still failed to impress. And on Reddit, fans aren’t ashamed to name them.
The Game Of Their Lives (2005)
Stream On Prime Video
Events revolve around the 1950 U.S. soccer team that managed to beat England at the World Cup. Redditor twoquraters doesn't mince their words, stating that “it’s just bad on every level.”
The Redditor’s claim that The Game Of Their Lives isn’t one of the greatest soccer movies isn’t entirely unfair since the story isn’t interesting enough to be put on the big screen. After all, winning one game in the World Cup isn’t as big of a deal as winning the trophy itself. The movie is also inaccurate about more than a dozen different things, something that even puts question marks on its categorization as a biopic. For example, the match against England was the second one that the US played (via NBC).
The Blind Side (2003)
Stream On HBO Max
The Blind Side because “Michael Oher didn't really like it himself.” In it, homeless teenager Michael Oher gets adopted by a loving family that helps him get over his learning difficulties and excel in American football.
Though it’s one of the highest-grossing biopics, many other Redditors don’t seem to like it either. The movie sure does portray Oher as hopeless and unintelligent in order to make his foster parents seem more heroic, but the former offensive lineman has rubbished the events, clarifying that he was a good player before being adopted (via NPR). There have been several criticisms regarding how the movie handles race too.
42 (2013)
Stream On HBO Max
The biographical film tells the story of Jackie Robinson, the first-ever Black player in the Major League Baseball (MLB). Primetime22 thinks it “sometimes feels like a parody of an Oscar movie.”
By describing 42 as “ a parody of an Oscar movie,” the Redditor is likely referring to Harrison Ford’s scenes, which are all pumped up with musical scores to make him stand out even more. As such, the spotlight moves away from Jackie Brown a lot, yet he is the subject of the story. It’s a mistake many movies make, focusing more on the established star in order to boost his chances of winning awards.
Cool Runnings (1993)
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The Jamaican bobsleigh team beats many odds, including an uninspired coach, to make it to the 1988 Winter Olympics. Insane_knight's problem with the movie is that “they weren't entirely honest with what really happened.”
Changing the events too much tends to offend those that were present when it all happened and such is the case with Cool Runnings. Many inaccuracies have been pointed out, notably the fact that the crash was caused by mechanical error and that the weather was cold (via ESPN).
Rudy (1993)
Stream On Pluto TV
After being told he is too tiny to play football, Daniel Rudy overcomes all odds to become a star player. TheBigCatfish explains that the movie got the game aspect so wrong, pointing out that Rudy was even “offside on his stupid magical play.”
Getting the history wrong is one thing but getting the gameplay wrong is even worse as it hints that the director doesn’t understand the sport well. From a human angle, Rudy definitely is inspirational and undoubtedly one of the best movies about not giving up, but since sports movies are mostly watched by staunch fans, it’s important to get all the details correctly.
When The Game Stands Tall (2014)
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Events revolve around coach Bob Ladouceu, whose personal problems cause his team to lose a game. Darkness_Escape wonders: “We are supposed to feel bad about a high school football team because they lost their first game in years?”
The Redditor is right to be upset too. In a world with so many accomplished sports teams and personalities, it feels unfair when a movie is made about an insignificant sports event. On sites such as IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, When The Game Stands Tall has been panned too, hence confirming that the Redditor’s opinion isn’t an isolated one.
Cinderella Man (2005)
Stream On Disney+
In Cinderella Man, former boxer James. J. Braddock decides to get back in the square ring when The Great Depression hits. ZorroMeansFox is bothered by the movie’s claim that boxer Max Boer “intentionally killed two of his opponents in the ring.”
The need to give Braddock a ruthless villain is understandable. That way, the desperate boxer’s final victory gets to have more meaning. Still, depicting Boer as a punch-to-kill boxer risks offending those who knew him personally. Such life-and-death scenarios only work better in fictional boxing movies.
The Babe (1992)
Stream On Apple TV+
Mickeyflinn hates the fact that “Hollywood has just never gotten it right” about Babe Ruth. In the movie, George Herman "Babe" Ruth morphs from a hopeless boy residing in an orphanage to one of the greatest baseball players.
Director Arthur Hiller creative liberties in the movie are unjustified given that most fans and critics have reviewed the movie negatively. Babe Ruth remains one of baseball's most iconic figures, and audiences would love to see his story well crafted on the big screen, so perhaps laying down the events as they happened might have helped.
Radio (2003)
Stream On Apple TV+
T. L. Hanna High School coach Harold Jones decides to mentor a young man, molding him into a perfect player. Well, HPmoni thinks Cuba Gooding Jr. tried too hard in the movie because he “wanted another Oscar.”
Oscar-baiting happens all the time. Unfortunately for Cuba Gooding Jr., it all backfired, resulting in him getting a Razzie for worst actor instead. The story of a young player being mentored by an older person is rather cliché too, hence the reason the movie struggled to stand out.
The Gridiron Gang (2006)
Stream On Netflix
Sean Potter, an employee at a Juvenile detention facility, decides to build a football team with the kids. Mickey343 argues that “there just isn't much of a story to tell.”
The movie lacks an inspirational element because, in the end, it’s revealed that most of the players don’t end up playing professional football. As such, it feels like the objective hasn’t been achieved. None of the performances are memorable either.
