And the Crowd Goes Wild!
A sports film is defined as a film in which a sports setting, event, or athlete is used as the central plot point and showcases themes and character development through the lens of sports. Sport films excel at getting the viewer to feel inspired and empowered, they draw the viewer in and have you root for the "team." Almost anyone can walk away from a sports film feeling the sense of pride and teamwork being accomplished and that anything can be accomplished if you set your mind to it.
Content:
The theme of teamwork is a major element used in sports films. In films where the focus is on teamwork, usually a rag tag group is formed or a once great group is split apart and must come back together for a great reunification. The center of the plot revolves around the team and their fight for greatness, no matter what challenge, they get through it together as a cohesive unit.
Ex: The film Cool Runnings follows four Jamaican bob sleighers in their journey to compete in the Winter Olympics, despite having never seen snow. This showcases their teamwork as they work together to achieve a dream and get the glory.
Another prevalent theme in sports films is that of the underdog. In films where the focus is on that of the underdog, we follow a character that is usually down on their luck and has the odds stacked against them. We follow their journey through adversity and hardship as we root for them to achieve greatness. Usually, films with this theme also follow a similar plot,
introduce your lovable underdog, show the sucky conditions, set their goals, bring in the coach, train them, make em grow emotionally (this can be through their bond with their coach or a love interest), super train before the final challenge, the final challenge, and finally the resolve and lessons learned.
Ex: The film The Jesse Owens Story follows our underdog Jesse Owens through his experience in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany. He faces severe racial tensions as he competes as a symbol for his fellow black Americans, eventually triumphing in the face of Hitler himself.
One self explanatory element of a sports film, the sport itself. In every sports film, the plot has to revolve around some sort of athlete or sport as the main way to drive the plot and get across its themes. This does not mean, however, that it's just an hour or two of running characters and bouncing balls, as sports films cover many difficult themes and topics such as in the aforementioned Jesse Owens Story.
A good majority of sports films also have the common trope of the rallying speech or pep talk. This trope takes our protagonists in their time of hardship or before their final challenge and brings them closer to their mentor or coach as they bestow upon them the final wisdom that will cause them to persevere and achieve their goals. It is a pivotal point in many sports films and is what leaves the audience feeling inspired and proud as their interest in the protagonists struggle is reinvigorated.
Ex: In the film Miracle, coach Herb Brooks is brought on to lead the U.S. Olympic hockey team in their fight against their Soviet rivals. This scene in particular is what many would consider to be unforgettable, as Herb gives the team their final rallying speech before they take the ice!
Production Techniques:
A common technique found in sports films is the montage. Usually found in the training stage of the film, the film makes use of fast paced cuts in order to very quickly portray the protagonist improving in a certain skill or his chosen sport. The montage allows to show not only the progress of the character but also allows for the movie to move along time. A montage is sometimes used in order to move the plot directly up to the final challenge and climax of the film, it shows the character training within the fast paced edit and now since they are ready, the viewers are brought right into the climax of the film.
A variety of shots are used within sports films, but one specific shot of note is that of the high angle. High angle shots are used in sports films to portray the huge spectacle of the sport. Whether it be of a vast baseball field or a shot of the crowd of itself, a high angle shot of the grand landscape gives the audience that feeling of awe that encompasses the passion behind the sport. High angle shots are also used in sports films to showcase the protagonist in his "moment of clarity", when he finally makes it "to the big leagues." It showcases how minuscule they are in comparison to the grandness of the sport.
Ex: This shot from The Wrestler shows not only the ring, but the surrounding spectators as they cheer on their show. The shot enforces that the sport is a show, while also showcasing that the sport is bigger than the characters themselves.
Marketing:
There is no true target audience for sports films, as sports films are broken up into many sub-genre, however, the usual audience is youth males, who are stereotypically more inclined toward sports in our society. Sports films have many themes and storylines, yet anyone be may be compelled to watch them.
Sports films are marketed like any other movie, through the use of posters and trailers to catch the viewers interest and persuade them into seeing the film. Given that the sports film genre has so many sub-genres, there is no one way they are marketed as some are sports comedies, while others are sports dramas. Usually, though, emphasis is not put on the sport within the movie or the poster, but on the relationship between the characters in the sport. Some trailers make use of the montage technique within the trailer to entice the viewer with action and generate excitement for the film. Sport films also make use of taglines on posters such as puns centered around the sport if it is a comedy, or an inspirational quote if the film is a sports drama.
Ex: In this poster for the film Angels in the Outfield it makes use of of the tagline, "Ya Gotta Believe!" in order to inspire its target audience and entice them into watching the movie.
Samples:
The film Rocky (1976), follows the main protagonist Rocky Balboa, in his rags to riches story, perfectly encapsulating the prevalent sports film theme of the underdog. Rocky works as a debt collector in Philadelphia, while also a smalltime boxer. Eventually, Rocky is given a shot at the big leagues and gets to fight heavy-weight champion Apollo Creed, in a bout for success and self respect. The film perfectly follows the before mentioned underdog story arc. It opens showing Rockys' crappy apartment, showcasing the sucky conditions that our protagonist lives in. His goals are then laid out by the showing of Apollo Creed, who is holding a title match in Philadelphia, but is looking for an opponent as the one he had scheduled hurt their hand. This is where Rocky comes in as he is approached to fight and although anxious at first, he accepts due to the large sum of money that is up for grabs. Rocky also soon meets his love interest Adrian, another common plot element in sport films, allowing him to grow emotionally as a character. Rocky then continues his training, which is comprised of many montages, involving the famous theme music, bringing the viewer further into the film and making them feel proud of our protagonist as we cheer him on. Rocky finally fights Apollo in the final challenge of the film. The fight lasts many rounds, both characters showcasing their fighting prowess, but in the end Creed is declared the winner. Now this might not seem like a success story for our underdog, but this is where the genius of Rocky shines, as not only does this fight grant Rocky the fame and success that he strives for, but when all is said and done, Rocky is left yelling for Adrian, and the movie ends with him getting the glory and the girl.
The film Bad News Bears (1976) follows Morris Buttermaker, a drinker and previous small time baseball player. Before long, Buttermaker winds up in an inquisitive position, coaching a youth baseball team made out of the towns most exceedingly awful players. After prosecution from one of the player's father, the town chose to make another group known as the Bears consisting of all the awful players. After their first game being an unprecedented loss, Buttermaker realizes that the group is hopeless, so he looks to enlist the daughter of his ex, Amanda Whurlizer, a talented pitcher, and the town troublemaker, Kelley Leak, who is the best athlete in the area. This not only gives the Bears a fighting chance, it gives the team confidence, eventually leading them to the championship game of the season. The team goes up against the Yankees, who due to their aggressive coach Roy Turner, will do anything to win. This leads the teams to do increasingly drastic things, such as fighting, hitting the batter on purpose, etc. The team ends up losing their championship game, 7 to 6, but knowing how far they came, they are satisfied. This film not only makes use of the theme of the underdog, as the team itself is comprised of the worst players in the town and outcasts chosen by Buttermaker, but it also strongly features the theme of teamwork, as Buttermaker works to bring the team together, and once they are motivated by their additional members, they gain in their progress. Also, while admittedly not the most rallying of speeches, the film does feature a scene in which Buttermaker, in his tough love ways, yells at the kids after they say they disbanded the team, to which he responds "no one here's vote counts but mine," and he continues yelling at them to get on the field and practice. This is a great example of the coach pep talk, often seen in many sports films, but this time with a more aggressive twist.
Additional Sports Film Examples:
