'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Along with movies of other genre, over the years sports movies have made a place for themselves in the international film fraternity. We have seen in the past that several movies made on the subject of sports have won several accolades including the highest one, the Oscars. Some have won the coveted award and some have secured nominations.
2013′s most talked about sports movie was Ron Howard’s Rush. The Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl starrer was based on the prominent on-track Formula 1 rivalry between James Hunt and Nicki Lauda. It was greeted warmly by film critics and it held a rating of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes. Surprisingly the film did not get a single nomination for the Oscars this year.
In this article Sportskeeda provides a list of top 20 movies which have either been nominated for an Oscar or won the award.
Rocky (1976)
This Sylvester Stallone starrer was one of the pioneers of this particular genre of films. It got nominated in seven categories at the academy awards out of which it won three Oscars.
Another cult sports movie, based on two athletes of the 1924 Paris Olympics, Eric Liddell, who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrahams, who runs to overcome prejudice. It received an Academy award in four categories.
This Clint Eastwood directed movie is based on the story about a little known boxing trainer who was never appreciated for his contributions. The trainer provides guidance to an amateur boxer who finally achieves success and becomes a professional boxer.
The movie got four Academy awards.
‘The Wrestler’, directed by Darren Aronofsky, is based on the life of a retired wrestler. It got two Oscar nominations but did not win a single award. Mickey Rourke played the protagonist and was heavily lauded for his performance.
This movie released in 2010 is a sports drama film which circulates around the life of a professional boxer and his half-brother. Directed by David O. Russell, it was nominated in seven categories at the Academy awards and bagged two Oscars.
Raging Bull
This classic movie featured Robert De Niro as its protagonist. De Niro played the role of an American middle-weight boxer who was infamous for his raging temper and it won him an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role that year. The movie bagged five Oscars in total.
Brad Pitt starrer Moneyball was released in 2011. It was based on a true story, Moneyball: The art of winning an unfair game, written by Michael Lewis. The film was nominated in six categories at the Academy awards, but did not win any.
It is a biographical movie based on the book ‘Lazarus and the hurricane’. Directed by Norman Jewison, it was nominated in only one category that year at the Oscars.
]
The Karate Kid (1984)
The Karate Kid, released in 1984 is an American martial arts romantic drama film. It got an Academy award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Pat Morita, for his portrayal of the famous character from the movie, Mr. Miyagi.
Celebrated actor Will Smith played the role of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali in the movie Ali, released in 2001. At the Academy awards Will Smith got nominated in the Best Actor category. The movie in total received two nominations, but ended up empty handed.
The movie is based on the life of a sports personality, Lou Gehrig, who received hero worship all through his country. The player died at a tender age of 38, 17 days short of his next birthday and the entire nation was grief stricken. Film editor, Daniel Mandell, won an Academy award for his work in the film.
Partly comedy and partly drama, the movie is about a group of prisoners led by Paul Crewe (played by Burt Reynolds) who play American Football against the prison guards for their freedom. It was nominated for one Oscar.
Winning two Oscars in 1932, Best Actor in a Leading Role for Wallace Beery and Best Writing, Original Story, the movie is based on the life of an alcoholic boxer who tries to put things together for the sake of his only son.
An American drama film that narrates the story of a small time pool player and his dream of becoming one of the best in his country which finally comes true when he beats the country’s best player. The movie won two Oscars after having been nominated in an impressive seven categories.
The film Warrior, directed by Gavin O’Connor, is about two brothers alienated at childhood who enter a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) tournament. The film itself though received only a solitary nomination at the Academy awards.
Breaking Away (1979)
The movie is based in a small town setting where two teenagers get into bicycle racing to win the affection of a girl and it ended up an Oscar for its efforts. More importantly, this movie was the inspiration for the 90′s Bollywood superhit, ‘Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar’.
Starring Tom Cruise, this comedy-drama sports film, was inspired from the life of the famous American sports agent, Leigh Steinberg. Cruise played the title role in the movie, but was outshone by his fellow actor Cuba Gooding Jr. who bagged an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
The movie is based on a non-fictional book named Seabiscuit. It is about an under-sized and under-rated racehorse named Seabiscuit, that braves the odds to sprint to victory and ends up inspiring not just the team, but also the hopes of an entire nation.
The movie also famously helped inspire Rahul Dravid to his monumental performances in the 2003 tour of Australia which India drew 1-1.
Field of Dreams is based on baseball. Directed by Phil Alden Robinson, it is the story of a man who hears voices in his head to build a baseball diamond in his fields. The film received nominations in three categories at the Academy awards,
This Robert De Niro starrer, adapted from a baseball novel of the same name, captures the relationship between a team’s pitcher and its catcher as they deal with the former’s terminal illness through the season. The movie was nominated for one Oscar.
