Amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and calls for self-isolation, sports fans can be forgiven for going a little stir crazy.
Without live games on television and streaming sites, there's little to satiate the considerable thirst for sports that binds millions of us together — you're reading this site for a reason, right? — but thankfully in 2020 there are still easy home entertainment options for puck heads, pigskin lovers and movie buffs alike.
Most Canadians have access to Netflix, Prime Video or Disney+, with some even holding accounts with all three as cord-cutting increasingly becomes the rule rather than the exception. The streaming giants will be earning their monthly subscription fees, and then some, while millions stay home to wait out the COVID-19 outbreak.
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Fortunately for sports lovers, there's a great variety of films to scratch that sporting itch in the absence of live competition. Unfortunately, there may be too much selection as streamers can often kill more time flipping through dozens (or hundreds) of titles in order to find just the right one.
Not to fear, though! Here at Sporting News we've combed through the libraries of the three popular streaming platforms and emerged with what we think are the best sports-themed movies available to you right now.
Note that this is not an exhaustive list, as there are hundreds of offerings available between the three streaming giants. Rather, this is a selection of five must-see movies from each of the platforms, with a bonus selection from each thrown in for good measure.
This'll hopefully help you sift through a sometimes-daunting plethora of choices available, so you can get straight to the business of enjoying your suddenly ample available time on the couch.
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All titles listed are available for streaming in Canada on their respective platforms as of March 15.
Netflix
Moneyball
Lauded for its smart, incisive writing by Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian, this 2011 film is based on the true story of former Oakland Athletics GM Billy Beane and his attempt to build a competitive squad on a relatively small budget.
Strong performances by stars Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill and Philip Seymour Hoffman punctuate an intelligent film about the inner workings of the sports industry that doesn't come off as stodgy. Arguably the best sports movie of the 2010s, Moneyball was nominated for a slew of awards and won quite a few of them — although it was shut out from the six Academy Awards it was nominated for.
Goon
The list needs some Canadian content, and for contemporary sports movies it doesn't get much better than this 2012 low-budget hockey comedy from Canuck writers Jay Baruchel and Evan Goldberg.
With Stifler himself (a.k.a. Seann William Scott) starring as a bouncer turned hockey enforcer, Baruchel, Liev Schreiber, Alison Pill and Eugene Levy round out a talented cast. Real-life longtime NHL enforcer Georges Laraque has a small role as well, naturally getting into fights with Scott's and Shreiber's characters.
The Blind Side
Like Moneyball, this 2009 football drama is based on a true story and adapted from a Michael Lewis book. Also like Moneyball, The Blind Side features an A-List cast who deliver a gripping performance.
Telling the story of former Ravens, Titans and Panthers offensive tackle Michael Oher, the film stars Sandra Bullock as Oher's adoptive mother as the family navigates personal and social hardships, prejudice and racial issues in Tennessee while also dealing with recruiting issues from NCAA schools.
It's a wonderfully told story that shows the more human side of an industry that can often forget it's dealing with people, and it deservedly earned Bullock an Oscar, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award for her turn as real-life football mom Leigh Anne Tuohy.
Cinderella Man
Another based-on-a-true story entry on our list, this Russell Crowe-led 2005 film chronicles the re-rise of Great Depression era boxer James J. Braddock, who retired due to injury then returned to an even better in-ring career thanks to a fortunate bit of happenstance.
Directed by Ron Howard, the film also starred Renee Zellweger and Paul Giamatti, with the latter's portrayal of Braddock's manager Joe Gould earning him the Screen Actors Guild Award and Critics Choice Award for best supporting actor.
As a bonus for locals of the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario, Cinderella Man was shot in Toronto and Hamilton, with several familiar locations featuring prominently in the movie.
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Will Ferrell and NASCAR seem like a comedy match made in heaven, and this 2006 film became an instant classic upon release. With an expansive supporting cast that includes comedy veterans John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen, Leslie Bibb, Jane Lynch and Gary Cole joined by Amy Adams and the late-great Michael Clarke Duncan, Talladega Nights is overflowing with scene-chewing talent who all seem to be having the time of their lives.
Coming in at an incredibly quotable 108 minutes, the film opened at No. 1 in North America.
"If you ain't first, you're last."
Honourable mention: Club de Cuervos
We're cheating a bit here because the delightful Club de Cuervos is actually a Netflix series and not a movie. But hey, this list is all about passing the time with some great sports-based entertainment, and there are few shows more entertaining than this Mexican series.
Detailing the lives of a rich, soccer team-owning family that has to deal with the patriarch's sudden death, Club de Cuervos tackles the issues of sibling rivalry, family dynamics, sexism and fame in a hilarious manner.
Don't let the fact that it's in Spanish (with English subtitles) deter you, this show is a must-watch for sports fans.
Prime Video
Major League
Is Major League the funniest baseball movie ever produced? It just may be.
Telling the all-too-real story of a terrible, hopeless franchise helmed by a selfish, greedy owner, the 1989 classic features a rag-tag team that mounts an unlikely rise to the top of the sport in spite of the proprietor's best efforts.
Starring Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Wesley Snipes, Corbin Bernsen, Rene Russo and Dennis Haysbert, Major League is still beloved over 30 years after its release.
Bob Uecker's "Just a bit outside!" phrase is still ubiquitous among sarcastic commentators and armchair experts alike.
Days of Thunder
Where Talladega Nights tackled the silly side of NASCAR, this Tony Scott-directed 1990 blockbuster combined action with drama in such a way that only an early '90s Tom Cruise movie could.
Shot during the peak of Cruise's stardom as the leading man in Hollywood, Days of Thunder is over-the-top in terms of its action sequences and dialogue, but that's exactly why it works. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson, this film catapulted NASCAR into the worldwide spotlight thanks to the acting talents of Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Michael Rooker and Cary Elwes, and it felt more like a theme park ride — which it eventually became at places like Canada's Wonderland — than a serious sports movie.
John C. Reilly, later of the aforementioned Talladega Nights, even has a small role.
Jerry Maguire
Two Tom Cruise movies in a row? Not to worry, as Jerry Maguire couldn't be more different than Days of Thunder if it tried.
Telling the story of the downtrodden titular sports agent who somehow convinces one athlete and a single office worker to join him in creating a new sports agency, Jerry Maguire treads the line between romantic comedy and serious drama with expertise, earning plaudits for the film's writing and performances by Cruise, Renee Zellweger, Cuba Gooding Jr. (who won an Oscar for his role), Jerry O'Connell and Jay Mohr.
Released in 1996, the movie unleashed the still widely-used phrases "Show me the money!" and "You had me at hello" on an unsuspecting world.
Senna
Documentaries get less attention than scripted films, but this superb 2011 film depicting Ayrton Senna's meteoric rise and tragic death is worthy of your time.
Using mostly archival footage and family videos, Senna tells the story of the Brazilian Formula One driver whose 10-year career included three world championships and 80 podium finishes prior to his untimely death in 1994. It's a riveting look into the Senna's navigation through the at-times overly political world of auto racing.
The film received near universal acclaim from critics and audiences alike, currently sporting a 93% fresh rating and 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Foxcatcher
The great thing about 2014's Foxcatcher is that it's a sports movie wrapped in biographical and true crime elements.
Mega-rich wrestling enthusiast John du Pont recruits a pair of Olympic gold medal-winning brothers to coach up-and-coming U.S. wrestling talents, with the story devolving into the weirdness that results in a high-profile murder. Stars Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo are engaging as their real-life characters, with Carell and Ruffalo collecting numerous nominations on the awards circuit.
Honourable mention: Air Bud
This list can't all be serious, right? The OG Air Bud spawned a gazillion sequels (OK, it's actually only 14), but none have the heart of the 1997 original about a basketball-playing dog who joins a school team amid a brutal custody battle.
It leans heavily into its campy premise, and it won't ever be confused with Old Yeller, but Air Bud is a fun time-killer for the whole family.
Disney+
The Sandlot
Arguably the defining childhood sports movie for Millennials (and the youngest Gen Xers), The Sandlot still holds up as a coming-of-age film about a group of friends with neighbourhood baseball as their common thread.
Set in the 1960s but with a definite early-'90s attitude (the movie was released in 1993), it subverts the well-known kids movie formula of the time and manages to convey what it feels like to be a tween trying to navigate an increasingly complicated world.
As famed late film critic Roger Ebert wrote, The Sandlot taps "directly into a vein of nostalgia and memory that makes reality seem puny by comparison."
Ebert added: "There was a moment in the film when Rodriguez hit a line drive directly at the pitcher's mound, and I ducked and held up my mitt, and then I realized I didn't have a mitt, and it was then I also realized how completely this movie had seduced me with its memories of what really matters when you are 12."
Rookie of the Year
Another kids baseball movie produced in the early '90s by 20th Century Fox (which is now part of The Walt Disney Company), Rookie of the Year is far less beloved than its sister film The Sandlot, but that doesn't mean it's not worth your time.
Starring Thomas Ian Nicholas — who later played Kevin in the American Pie franchise — as an unremarkable Little League player who gains extraordinary pitching strength after breaking his arm catching a fly ball, the film delves into the ridiculous with charm. Nicholas' character Henry ends up pitching for the Chicago Cubs as a 12-year-old, leading to obvious follies as the kid dominates grown men while receiving unprecedented fame for his unique story.
Without spoiling too much of the movie, Henry must eventually come to terms with his newfound physical traits and notoriety while still trying to maintain a normal childhood. It's heavy subject matter for a lighthearted kids movie, but it works.
The Mighty Ducks
Probably the best known Disney sports movie, there likely isn't much to tell you about this film that you don't already know.
From the "Flying V" to the formation of an actual NHL team that shared its name, The Mighty Ducks was a cultural phenomenon that belied its modest $50.7 million box office take. From Gordon Bombay to Charlie Conway, the original Ducks movie created characters that still hold weight today, although don't go into this one expecting the most realistic hockey action.
Remember The Titans
Getting back to more serious fare, Remember The Titans is the second Jerry Bruckheimer-produced film on our list. However, unlike Days of Thunder, this Denzel Washington-led drama has been lauded for its social commentary and strong performances.
With a cast that includes Will Patton, Donald Faison, Ryan Gosling and Hayden Panettiere, there's enough talent on screen to keep you engaged — especially when the always compelling Washington isn't dominating the scenery.
It's not all super-serious, though. The movie spawned a popular meme about two-time Oscar nominee Gosling that you've probably seen once or twice.
Glory Road
Hey look, another sports movie produced by Jerry Bruckheimer!
Much smaller in scale compared to the other Bruckheimer-produced films in this list, Glory Road is another period piece about a coach who has to overcome long odds to lead his team to, well, glory. What makes this one different — apart from the fact that it's about an NCAA basketball coach in the mid-1960s — is the relative lack of well-known stars eating up screen time.
Josh Lucas, who has featured in many big films during his career but never as the star, headlines this movie about the 1966 UTEP men's basketball program and its run through the NCAA tournament as the first team to start five black players in the competition. Glory Road's lack of big names in lead roles actually helps viewers better immerse themselves in the important story.
Honourable mention: D2: The Mighty Ducks
You'll notice that this is the only sequel on this list, and with good reason. Sports movies are generally at their best as standalone features, with sequels usually coming far short of their originals.
D2 does suffer a bit of this, but given the goofy nature of the franchise it's not much of an anchor. True to form, everything in 1994's D2 is bigger and louder than the original, including the over-the-top nationalism that seems strangely fitting somehow.
It's the definition of turn-off-your-brain entertainment, and should really only be watched after a viewing of the original film.
If anything, you can join our confusion at Disney's choice to make Iceland a world power in minor hockey while relegating Canada to an afterthought. Hey, no one ever accused these films of being too realistic.