The Oscars love a sprawling biopic, an underdog character and a triumphant tale marred by obstacles and resulting in success. Those themes have marked the sports genre since the creation of cinema. In the Academy Awards’ history, 591 movies have been nominated for best picture, with 95 winners named among them. Depending on the definition of what qualifies as a “sports movie,” 17 films focusing on sports have been nominated, with three being handed the coveted statuette.
In celebration of Ben Affleck’s sports drama “Air,” which tells the story of the Nike corporation’s determined pursuit to sign rookie basketball player Michael Jordan, Variety is ranking the 17 sports films that have been nominated for best picture (which “Air” could potentially join in 2024).
According to the World Sports Encyclopedia, more than 8,000 different sports recordings have been catalogued. Any one of them could inspire a filmmaker. It’s arguable whether “sports” is its own genre, since it can be a backdrop for many types of narratives. But inspiration is universal.
Boxing movies have always felt like their own separate entity from the standard sports movies. The most audience-friendly and awards successful sport in film, boxing films often follow the same trope, “It’s about the fight both inside and outside the ring.” (See Heidi Gardner’s hilarious “Saturday Night Live” sketch as Angel, every boxer’s girlfriend from every movie about boxing ever).
The Academy has ignored some of the best sports movies. Notable snubs and worthy entrants include the delightful women’s baseball comedy “A League of Their Own” (1992) from Penny Marshall, and the criminally underappreciated debut film from Gina Prince-Bythewood, “Love & Basketball” (2000). Even the coming-of-age documentary feature “Hoop Dreams” (1994) from Steve James was infamously overlooked in its category, while the supremely popular “Hoosiers” (1986) went sadly unnoticed.
Ben Affleck as Phil Knight in “Air” (Amazon Studios) Courtesy of Prime
“Air” stars Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Chris Messina, Chris Tucker and Viola Davis. The Amazon Studios film is now playing in theaters before moving to Prime Video.
Read Variety’s ranking of the 17 sports movies below.
Sports Movies With Best Picture Oscar Noms: ‘Rocky,’ ‘Moneyball,’ More
- Advertisment - 
Recent Comments
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CBS Sports announces Matt Ryan will join NFL studio show. Longtime analysts Simms and Esiason depart
on Carlos Sainz’s Soccer Fanboy Emerges as Spaniard Shares Defining Moment With This Real Madrid Legend
on Biden: ‘At this point I’m not’ planning to visit East Palestine, Ohio, after toxic train derailment
on ‘Best Intention’: Chris Kirk Has Absolute Trust in Jay Monahan and PGA Tour’s Widely Debated Model
on Ahead of big sports weekend, dispute with Disney leaves millions of cable subscribers in the dark
on A heavy wave of Russian missile attacks pounds areas across Ukraine, killing at least 4 civilians
on 2024 Super Bowl: CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports HQ to combine for 115 hours of weeklong coverage
on 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team: CBS Sports draft expert, former GM unveil league’s best first-year players
on Army vs. Coastal Carolina live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez Spreads Joy and Sportsmanship to the Youth of Loma de Cabrera
on After UFC Fallout, Conor McGregor Offers a Valuable Piece of Advice to Free Agent Francis Ngannou
on Dubai International Airport sees 41.6 million passengers in first half of year, more than in 2019
on Devout athletes find strength in their faith. But practicing it and elite sports can pose hurdles
on Despite strong Lunar New Year holiday data, consumer spending in China isn’t roaring back just yet
on Dave Portnoy: Taylor Swift’s security should ‘drag Kim Kardashian to jail’ if she attends Eras Tour
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CBS Sports, Serie A announce new TV rights deal; Paramount+ to air over 400 Italian soccer matches
on Cam Newton’s Violent Public Incident Draws Hilarious Reaction From 3x All-Star: “Where Do I Sign Up
on Boston College vs. Army live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on Angel Reese Launches Foundation Dedicated To Empowering Women Through Sports & Financial Literacy
on A weaker dollar, skyrocketing prices and ‘record’ visitor numbers: Good luck in Europe this summer