Weekly Top 5: Underdog Stories

Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on August 21, 2006

As you can imagine, after last week it will be very difficult to out-do myself with my Weekly Top 5 column; who can resist talking about the All-Time best “Snake” movies? So this week I have moved on from slithering creatures to something that every can enjoy: Underdog Stories! Everyone loves a good underdog story, right? We love to get caught up in the bottom of the ninth, with two outs, a three-two count and see the team that shouldn’t have won pull it out with one swing of the bat. We also love to see the unlikely hero – the one who beats all the odds to capture a great and deserved victory. Such a story seeps from the upcoming Disney film Invincible, starring Mark Whalberg and Greg Kinnear, that hits theaters on Friday. In the film Whalberg plays Vince Papale, the 30 year old bartender who braved open tryouts to make the Philadephia Eagles’ roster. And with this underdog story hitting the turf and running into theaters this upcoming weekend, I thought that now would be a better time than ever to give you my own Top 5 All Time Underdog Films:

5. When We Were Kings (1996)
Forget Will Smith as Ali, this film was the real deal. Leon Gast’s documentary provides a compelling look at the 1974 heavyweight championship bout between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman like it had never been seen before. This film won the Best Documentary Oscar in ‘97 and deservedly so, as it was a wonderful depiction of one of the greatest underdog stories in boxing history and ultimately the rise of the greatest boxer ever, Muhammad Ali.

4. Mystery, Alaska (1999)
Here is truly one of the best hidden gems in sports films that I have ever seen. Reason #1 is that I am a huge hockey fan! Reason #2 is that I absolutely loved the cast and story behind this film – a story that tells of a small Alaskan town where hockey is as much a part of life as eating breakfast. And when a wayward son of the town brings a publicity blitz to the town (and a chance for the town’s team to play the New York Rangers) the towns will is tested and their love of hockey is put up against their pride. I absolutely loved this film the first time I saw it, and still loved it well into the 30th or so time that I saw it.

3. Rocky (1976)
What can I say about the Rocky series? It is one of the most prolific underdog stories in the history of film. I could probably fill this list with 5 movies from this series about a small time boxer who shocked the world and got the girl, but I don’t want to. This is where it all began, Sly Stallone running in that light gray sweatshirt, battling it out with Apollo Creed. Rocky may not have won the match, but he won the hearts of audiences all over with his tale of passion and determination.

2. Rudy (1993)
Number two on the list is another story that does not end with our hero winning any major victory or championship, rather it tells the story of the journey to accomplish a goal previously thought to be impossible. Years before he became the hetero-lifemate to Frodo, Sean Astin delivered what could be easily argued as his best performance as an actor – his delivery of Rudy as the unlikely but determined young kid who only wanted a chance to play for Notre Dame was as unforgettable as the tale itself. And who can forget that glorious scene at the end where the entire team is carrying Rudy off the field… It still brings tears to my eyes.

1. Miracle (2004)
There is no movie that gives me chills of anticipation like Miracle. Set around probably the most unbelievable and greatest moment in American sports history – the 1980 US Men’s Hockey team’s victory over the Soviet Union – this film is a wonderfully calibrated tour de force of emotion. Kurt Russell was remarkable as Herb Brooks and the hockey action was intense. No matter how many times I watch it and no matter the fact that I know what is going to happen, I still cannot help but to get excited during the final stage of the film as the US team rallies to defeat the Soviets. It was a wonderful moment and this was just the right film to bring it back to life!

So there you have it, another Top 5 list. Stay tuned next week when I ravage my way through my Top 5 All-Time Controversial Documentaries, paying homage to Kirby Dick’s upcoming flick This Film Not Yet Rated.

Technorati Tags: Sports, Underdog, Football, Hockey, Boxing, Top 5, List, Opinion

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