What inspires the inspirational?
We were pondering a list of Olympics movies to get you in the mood for the long affair (or give you respite from the qualifying events). The movies on this list simply had to have Olympics as a main character or the end game for a main character. Favorites include:
Chariots of Fire (1981, PG, 125 mins.): Two very different runners train for the 1924 Olympics in this film based on a true story featuring tracklete Eric Liddell. You'll know it by the music now, and by its four Oscars that include Best Picture.
Prefontaine (1997, PG-13, 106 mins.) starring Jared Leto or Without Limits (1998, PG-13, 117 mins.) starring Billy Crudup: Same subject, long distance runner Steve Prefontaine; different budgets. If you're interested in running -- from zombies, perhaps, or just the joy of -- and life, you should see at least one. Prefontaine broke all the records and stood up for the rights of amateur athletes; he was also the first sports star endorser of Nike.
Cool Runnings (1993, PG, 98 mins.): Talk about three words that seem incongruous: Jamaican bobsled team. No matter: This movie, based on real events and about the improbable run of said team led by coach John Candy, is still cool after all these years. And just about the perfect length for any film.
Miracle (2004, PG, 136 mins.): Kurt Russell plays Herb Brooks, who led the 1980 U.S. Olympic men's hockey team to a win against the Russians at the height of their invincibility. True story.
Ice Castles (1978, PG, 108 mins.): Watch the original and not the remake; they both make you cry for different reasons. A figure skater works toward her dream of becoming top of the world until an accident changes her destiny. And, y'all, Robby Benson.
Blades of Glory (2007, PG-13, 93 mins.): Will Ferrell and Jon Heder play two figure skaters who have lost their medals and been barred from men's singles. There's a loophole, though, and I'll bet you figured out what it is. Pure hilarity -- and perhaps a precursor to an issue the Olympics may one day have to face.
The Cutting Edge (1992, PG, 101 mins.): After a disastrous Winter Olympics, an ex-hockey player and a figure skater have to learn to co-exist to win. Also ... D.B. Sweeney.
American Anthem (1986, PG-13, 102 mins.): There are so many gymnastics movies I could name, but they mostly tell the same story. Let's just point out this one and leave it at that.
While we were pondering our list, we learned that Fandango had gone to the experts.
(Sadly, the company didn't ask about ours.)
All is forgiven, though, since they asked U.S. Summer Olympians to talk about their favorite sports movies. Top names such as gymnast Gabby Douglas, swimmers Ryan Lochte and Missy Franklin, and fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad talked about what the movies mean to them.
The movie website also asked fans to pick their most inspiring sports movies. That list can be found at FandangoNow.com and is chock full of tasty goodness, including Karate Kid, Rudy and 42 and We Are Marshall.
The athletes cite some of the usual suspects: Miracle, Cool Runnings. (See, they could have asked us ...) But some are from left field: Space Jam, Stick It and Coach Carter. And there are some cool and deserving ones: The Sandlot and Creed.
Man, look. If Bend It Like Beckham and Warrior had not been on that Fandango list ... I can't even tell you about the SMH I might have had for moviegoers. Just saying.
