Top three racing sports films
Sarah Dixon, Contributing Writer
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
Sports can occur on top of a painted turf field, in an ice-skating rink, at an enclosed arena, within a body of water or in your own backyard. In these various playing fields, athletes may need to perform as an individual or work alongside their teammates.
To win, one may need to earn the most points or acquire the lowest score. Some sports focus on the fastest competitor and many films have been created about these fast athletes. While many great films have produced about stellar athletes, the following sports movies have one thing in common: the athlete’s sport occurs along a track. These are the top three racing sports movies you can find on Disney+.
To start the list off at No. 3 is “Cool Runnings” (1993). Derice Bannock dreamt of representing Jamaica in the Olympics. During the qualifying trials for the 100-meter sprint, he was disqualified when another racer tripped and knocked into Derice. Determined to be an Olympic athlete, Derice advocated for the creation of the first Jamaican bobsled team. He found three buddies to be his teammates and Irv Blitzer, a former Team USA bobsledder, to be coach the new Jamaican team. This movie is one of the best racing sports films because of the unexpected plotline and lighthearted nature. Everything about the movie is fun. The font for the title sequence, the bright snow outfits, the jokes and rhythmic jingles, from start to end “Cool Runnings” has you smiling. While this film is good, it is in third place because it does not carry the level of emotional depth as the following two films.
No. 2 is “McFarland, USA” (2015). This film loosely follows the true story of the 1987 cross country team of McFarland High School. Jim White and his family move to McFarland, California for a teaching job. McFarland is a Latino farming town and one of the poorest towns in America. Many of White’s students work long hours in the field before and after school. White, nicknamed “blanco”, notices these students’ running endurance and forms a cross-country team. Despite having no running experience himself, White coaches the team and they go on to win the first California state championship for cross country. This film can motivate an asthmatic person to run a half-marathon. In most sports films, the athletes learn a lesson from their coach, but in this story, the coach learns many lessons from both his athletes and the community. The sense of community portrayed in the film is genuine and draws you in. It makes you want to move to McFarland, California and experience the hospitality of the locals. This film is higher on the list because of the weight of the hardships the characters walk through. It is not in first place because the final race was not as intense as it is in the next film.
Coming in No. 1 is “Secretariat” (2010): Secretariat is the best racing sports movie because it tells the story of one of the greatest athletes of all time: a horse. This film follows the true story of Penny Chenery, an American housewife in the 1970s, as she takes care of her father’s struggling horse-farm. She becomes the owner of a horse named Secretariat. The horse competes in many races and won the Triple Crown in 1973. Secretariat is the best sports movie because of the incredible true story it is based on. Secretariat’s rival, Sham, wasn’t created for drama. He competed in the 1973 races and ran faster than most Triple Crown winners but was overshadowed by Secretariat’s victory. When you watch a sports film, you often expect the main character to win the final competition. Secretariat didn’t just win, he did the impossible. This film transports you to the 1970s and allows you to become an honorary firsthand fan of the legendary racehorse. As you watch Penny suffer loss, take risks and persevere through setbacks, you begin to feel a personal connection to the story behind the racehorse.
From a novel high school track team to an Olympic sprinter; from a bobsled coach who bet on horse races to a record-breaking racehorse, these are the top three best sports movies that will transport you to the track. These films will make you laugh, cry and yell “FASTER!!” at the screen during the final race. If you don’t want to go outside and discover your own speed, then you can grab some buddies, log in to Disney+ and learn for yourself why these films are so great
