• Moneyball

A classic baseball movie, Moneyball recounts the story of Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland A’s from 1997 to 2005. Played by Brad Pitt, Beane is given a struggling team with a limited budget. After recruiting Peter Brand, an Ivy League graduate played by Jonah Hill, Beane challenges old-school recruiting traditions and reinvents the way scouts look at new players. The movie is very well written and Pitt does a great job of portraying Beane. The cinematography is excellent, especially for a baseball movie, and the inclusion of Beane’s relationship with his daughter gives the movie a more personal feel. Overall, Moneyball is an amazing movie and I would highly recommend it.

• Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

While not as personal as Moneyball, Dodgeball is a very rewatchable comedy. The movie stars Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn as rival owners of two competing gyms, Global Gym and Average Joe’s Gym. While Globo-Gym is successful and expanding under the ownership of White Goodman (Stiller), Average Joe’s Gym and its owner Peter Le Fleur (Vaughn) both being down on their luck and searching for funds to stay open. In a last ditch effort to save his business, Le Fleur enters himself and some of his employees and customers in a dodgeball tournament for $50,000. Goodman enters his own team into the tournament as well and the movie becomes a classic underdog story as the two teams battle their way to the top in a movie filled with very memorable characters.

• Happy Gilmore

Another classic comedy, Happy Gilmore is one of Adam Sandler’s most notable films from the 90’s. Sandler plays the one and only Happy Gilmore, a rather aggressive hockey player who learns his grandmother will lose her house if she doesn’t come up with enough money. As a way to earn the money, Gilmore takes his foulmouthed personality and his impressive drives to a golf tournament where he faces off against Shooter McGavin. The movie is filled with unforgettable characters and even more unforgettable quotes. Sandler gives the audience something to laugh at every time you watch, making the movie one of his most remembered classics.

• Rocky

A signature oldies movie, Rocky solidified what made a sports movie great. The story of Rocky Balboa and his fight against opponents from Apollo Creed to Ivan Drago was what launched Sylvester Stallone into the career he has today. The character development of Balboa and the continuation of the series with the Creed movies has ensured the story has survived and continues to impact the audience for generations. Some of the elements of the original series that makes it so great are the writing, music, and cinematography. Rocky has always been synonymous with Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” and its signature training soundtrack has become easily recognizable. Overall, the series is a signature sports movie that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

• Ford Vs. Ferrari

Based on a true story, Ford vs. Ferrari tells the story of Ford Motor Company’s attempt to beat Enzo Ferrari in the 1966 24 hour Le Mans. Starring Christain Bale as driver Ken Miles and Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby, the movie shows audiences the journey the two went through both physically and emotionally as a friendship was formed from the attempts to defy physics and the limited technology of the time in order to beat the best racing company of the time. The film’s cinematography and acting give the movie a well deserved 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie also turned out to be better than expected as the cast knew the movie wasn’t about the characters but about the car and made sure to keep the focus on the efforts made by Ford Motor Company to manufacture a car to beat Ferrari. Overall, the movie is a great production and well worth a watch.

• The Waterboy

Another signature Adam Sandler movie, The Waterboy is another great comedy for family movie night. Adam Sandler plays Bobby Boucher Jr who works for a prestigious football team as their waterboy. After being fired and rehired for a rival team as their waterboy, their coach takes notice of Bobby’s impressive tackling abilities and puts him on the team as their linebacker. Boucher becomes an important part of the team and goes on to take the team all the way to the state championship. Sandler’s signature acting coupled with slapstick humor makes the movie fun to watch and easy to follow. The movie has become so popular that it has become the highest grossing sports comedy ever produced.

• Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

One of Will Ferrell’s classics, Talladega Nights has become one of the most quoted movies ever made. Ferrell stars as Ricky Bobby, a NASCAR driver who lives life doing everything he can to win. At the top of his game, Bobby’s career is ruined after the appearance of Formula One driver Jean Girard. After losing his wealth, fame, and wife, Ricky Bobby must learn from his estranged father and loving mother how to get back to who he once was. Ferrell’s comedic one liners similar humor to The Waterboy makes it a very enjoyable comedy for the whole family while also providing memorable one-liners such as “if you ain’t first, you’re last!” and “shake and bake!”

• The Legend of Bagger Vance

A lesser known Will Smith movie, The Legend of Bagger Vance is the fictional story of Rannulph Junuh, played by Matt Damon, a golfer and WWI veteran who is struggling with life after returning from the war. After being entered into a high-stakes golf game hosted by Georgia socialite Adele Invergordon, Junuh hires the mysterious stranger Bagger Vance, played by Smith, to caddie for him and help him get his swing and life back in order. The movie gives a powerful message of how people can lose themselves in life and bring themselves back when they look for help from others. The metaphors in the movie are deep and complex making it a good movie to watch with the family. If you are a golf fan, this is the right movie for you.