Movies Gallery 30 sports movies that women love Why films like The Rookie, Bend It Like Beckham, Hoosiers, and The Cutting Edge resonate beyond the traditional male-skewing genre. By EW Staff Published on December 4, 2009 10:00PM EST Close 01 of 30 The Blind Side (2009) Ralph Nelson Race relations, homelessness, self-discovery — football is hardly the central story line in this Sandra Bullock tearjerker about a troubled youth who blossoms in the hands of a well-to-do family. And it seems that the something-for-everyone plot line — which had all demographics flocking to theaters in 2009 — certainly helped with its box-office numbers: The film hauled in more than $250 million in the U.S. —Kate Ward 02 of 30 The Rookie (2002) Everett Collection Warning: This film might just inspire you to attempt the impossible. In this based-on-a-true-story movie, Dennis Quaid plays Jim Morris, a pitcher who tries out for the Major Leagues years after a shoulder injury cut his baseball career short. —K.W. 03 of 30 Wildcats (1986) Everett Collection Who says a woman can't coach football? Goldie Hawn never got that memo. Her character takes a job at an inner-city high school, and must whip a ragtag team — including Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson, and LL Cool J — into shape before the Big Game. It's football with a healthy dose of woman empowerment — and that's worth cheering for. —Kate Stroup 04 of 30 Bring It On (2000) Bring It On: Ken Jacques Between the razor-sharp satire and unforgettable characters, to paraphrase über-cheerleader Torrance Shipman (Kirsten Dunst), this movie is the poo. So take a whiff. —Adam Markovitz 05 of 30 Million Dollar Baby (2004) Merie W. Wallace She was born at 2 pounds, 1-and-a-half ounces. But, with a little help from a down-and-out coach (Clint Eastwood), Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) transforms herself into a fighter fierce enough to take on a World Boxing Association champ. And if that's not inspiring enough for you, the film's touching, but tragic, end leaves even the most heartless viewer chanting Maggie's name. —K.W. 06 of 30 Bull Durham (1988) Everett Collection Susan Sarandon's Annie believes in the church of baseball. But we believe in the church of Bull Durham. The film — also known as Kevin Costner's other great baseball movie — follows a minor league catcher who coaches a rookie while romancing a baseball groupie. —K.W. 07 of 30 Love & Basketball (2000) S. Baldwin The basketball scenes are good and all, but it's the long-and-winding love story between Quincy (Omar Epps) and Monica (Sanaa Lathan) that's a total slam dunk. Is there anything more romantic than a game of one-on-one? Go on: double or nothing. —K.S. 08 of 30 A League of Their Own (1992) Everett Collection As coach Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks) says, "There's no crying in baseball." But moviegoers of all genders might get a little misty at the end of this nostalgic sports pic about two sisters (Geena Davis and Lori Petty) who join the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during WWII. Heck, we get choked up just humming "This Used to Be My Playground." —A.M. 09 of 30 Bend It Like Beckham (2003) Christine Parry The story of a high schooler (Parminder Nagra) who defies her traditional Indian parents by playing soccer (or football, in Brit-speak), this indie made serious money on both sides of the Atlantic thanks to a mix of drama and on-field action, plus some fun early roles for Keira Knightley and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers. —A.M. 10 of 30 Necessary Roughness (1991) Everett Collection Listen. We're not saying this comedy about a motley college football team is one of the best sports movies ever. Just that it's totally, embarrassingly, improbably entertaining. Plus, the cast — Sinbad, Scott Bakula, and supermodel Kathy Ireland — is a veritable Who's Who of 1991. —A.M. 11 of 30 Blue Crush (2002) Everett Collection How can you argue with a movie featuring Kate Bosworth, Michelle Rodriguez, and Sanoe Lake hanging 10 in Hawaii? And lest you guys think this is purely for women, we dare you not to wince at the CRUUUNCH noise when Anne Marie (Bosworth) nails her head on an underwater rock. Seriously, that still gives us nightmares. —A.M. 12 of 30 White Men Can't Jump (1992) Neil Leifer But they can try. Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes (remember them from Wildcats?) play two streetballers who — despite their obvious differences — join forces for a 2-on-2 tournament. This odd couple bickers about everything but, ultimately, find common ground in that enchanted space between the asphalt and the rim. —K.S. 13 of 30 Jerry Maguire (1996) Everett Collection "You had me at hello." "You complete me." "Show me the money." "The human head weighs eight pounds." We could spend all day rattling off our favorite quotes from Cameron Crowe's Best Picture nominee about a sports agent (Tom Cruise) who tries to rebuild his life and career with help from his assistant (Renée Zellweger). But it's the seamless blend of romance, sports action, and comedy (courtesy of a never-better Cuba Gooding Jr.) that makes this movie a favorite for every demographic. —A.M. 14 of 30 The Natural (1984) Everett Collection Robert Redford's dreamy meditation on baseball is steeped in Americana and good old-fashioned Hollywood gusto. If you can watch that final home run without getting the shivers, that's just...unnatural. —A.M. 15 of 30 Field of Dreams (1989) Everett Collection Coming out just a year after Bull Durham, this baseball classic mixes two genres that don't get together much: magical realism and sports drama. Judging by the results — three Oscar nominations, $84 million worldwide, a gazillion drenched hankies — they ought to hang out more often. —A.M. 16 of 30 Hoosiers (1986) Everett Collection Predictable? Sure. Entertaining? Hell yeah! The story of a tough-as-nails coach (Gene Hackman) who leads a tiny team of improbable hoopsters all the way to the Indiana state championship is an absolute classic of the sports-movie genre. Anyone can appreciate the heart those kids show on the hardwood. —K.S. 17 of 30 The Black Stallion (1979) Everett Collection Based on the beloved book series by Walter Farley, this visually stunning movie tells the tale of a boy, Alec Ramsey (Kelly Reno), who's shipwrecked on an island with a striking Arabian stallion. Their rescue is obviously inevitable, and the final horse race scene is pure hoof-pounding adrenaline. But it's the unbreakable bond between child and horse that provides the film's rapidly beating heart. —K.S. 18 of 30 Rudy (1993) Everett Collection OK, we're gonna try not to get verklempt just telling you the plot of this inspirational 1993 pigskin pic. So, Rudy (Sean Astin) is just this kid from a small town who always wanted to play football at Notre Dame, and...sniff...then he actually gets in, but he's still not quite good enough to make it on the team, but he just keeps working...(sorry, there's something in our eye)...and then he finally gets on the team, and... GAAAAAH. Can't do it. Pass the Kleenex, please? —A.M. 19 of 30 Varsity Blues (1999) Varsity Blues: Everett Collection We certainly don't want Mox's life: In this 1999 film, James Van Der Beek plays an intelligent quarterback hoping to dodge a stifling Texas town and a verbally abusive coach. Sure, the melodrama does suffer from clichés and that silly whipped cream bikini scene, but it's one heckuva nostalgia trip. —K.W. 20 of 30 Ice Castles (1978) Everett Collection She's an up-and-coming figure skater. He's a hockey hunk. (What, you thought Cutting Edge was the first?). When Lexie Winston (Lynn-Holly Johnson) loses her eyesight in a freak skating accident, her small-town ex-boyfriend gets her back on her feet — and back on the ice. It's a silly but satisfying serving of pure '70s cheese. —K.S. 21 of 30 Stick It (2006) Disney Women love the stars of this gymnastics-centric film for their kick-ass moxie — after all, it's not called gym-NICE-sticks! —K.W. 22 of 30 Remember the Titans (2000) Tracy Bennett Remember the Titans brought us dancing football players long before Glee did. But the Denzel Washington football movie brought us much more than that. The film — based on a true story about a Black coach who battles racial stereotypes when he leads a newly integrated team — also delivers heavy-hitting action scenes and a healthy dose of inspiration. —K.W. 23 of 30 Breaking Away (1979) Everett Collection Have you ever been an outsider? If so, immediately rent this coming-of-age drama about a poor, Italy-obsessed youngin who rallies his pals into competing against rich college folk in a cycling race. Trust us, the inspiring film — which boasts star-making performances from Dennis Quaid and Daniel Stern — is nothing short of bellissimo. —K.W. 24 of 30 Damn Yankees (1958) Everett Collection The plot is totally guy-friendly: A long-suffering Washington Senators fan makes a deal with the devil to help his team defeat the all-mighty New York Yankees. What? Didn't we mention that it's a musical? No matter. Everyone will fall under the spell of the deviously divine Gwen Verdon as Lola, Satan's seductress-for-hire. —K.S. 25 of 30 Cool Runnings (1993) Everett Collection It's a bright, bright sunshiny day for anyone who tunes into this based-on-a-true-story sports tale, which follows four Jamaican bobsledders who try to defy the odds at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. Laugh-out-loud humor, nail-biting excitement, tear-jerking moments — what's not to like? —K.W. 26 of 30 The Cutting Edge (1992) Everett Collection Two words: Toe pick! This lovably ridiculous rom-com about a down-and-out hockey player (D.B. Sweeney) who becomes an Olympic-level figure skater and falls in love with an ice princess (Moira Kelly) is the perfect movie whenever you're "in the mood to kick a little ass." —K.S. 27 of 30 Seabiscuit (2003) Everett Collection Tobey Maguire stars in the true story of how a too-small racehorse ended up going the distance and bringing hope to millions of Americans during the Great Depression. (Just to be clear, Maguire plays the jockey, not the horse.) —A.M. 28 of 30 Wimbledon (2004) Laurie Sparham The Paul Bettany–Kirsten Dunst romantic comedy — about a washed-up tennis star who romances a young up-and-comer — might be fluff, but it still serves up a good number of laughs. And it's the perfect sports movie for date night. After all, there's nothing like tennis to have you feeling love-all. —K.W. 29 of 30 Offside (2006) This Iranian film focuses on girls who attempt to attend a World Cup qualifying match — despite the nation's laws banning women from all sporting events. The film, movingly written and directed by Jafar Panahi, was ironically banned in Iran. —K.S. 30 of 30 Chariots of Fire (1981) Everett Collection It's an inspirational, based-on-a-true-story tale of two track stars — one Christian, one Jewish — picked to represent Britain in the 1924 Olympics. But honestly, we'd watch this Best Picture winner again and again just for the iconic (and often-imitated) opening slow-mo scene of guys running barefoot on the beach. —K.S.