10 Films That Can Help Cure Your Olympics Withdrawal

ICE SKATING – "Blades of Glory"

If you prefer a solid dose of humor in your competitive sports films, make sure you add this one to your library. Will Ferrell and Jon Heder (aka Napoleon Dynamite) star in this hilarious look at the world of competitive figure skating as the first ever same-sex team. As you would expect, the film includes a hilarious supporting cast including real life husband and wife, Will Arnett and Amy Poehler as their sketchy competitors and Craig T. Nelson as their coach who convinces them to attempt a maneuver that once left a figure skater decapitated. 

SOCCER - "Bend It Like Beckham"

If it’s soccer you happen to be missing, then grab a copy of Bend It Like Beckham. The film follows Jess, the daughter of Punjabi Sikhs, who is obsessed with (and quite gifted at) soccer. She dreams of playing professionally and idolizes David Beckham. Like many Olympic athletes, Jess finds herself having to sacrifice a lot of personal and family time if she wants to make it in the professional soccer world. 

BOBSLEDDING – "Cool Runnings"

The late, great John Candy stars in this entertaining comedy loosely based on a true story. Candy plays the coach of four Jamaicans who take up bobsledding as a last ditch effort to qualify for an Olympic event. The fish-out-of-water scenario of the warm-climate spoiled Jamaicans to the freezing weather of Calgary provides a fun underdog story that you can’t help but get into. 

BOXING – "The Fighter"

Just a couple years ago, Christian Bale won an Oscar for his portrayal of Dicky Englund, a former professional boxer who saw his career falter after he became addicted to crack cocaine.  The film is based on the true story of Dicky’s younger half-brother, Micky (Mark Wahlberg) as he fights his way to the world light welterweight title. The fight scenes are awesome, but the story of what goes on outside of the ring between Micky, his unreliable older brother, and the rest of their family is what will keep you hooked.  

BASKETBALL – "Hoosiers"

Another film based on a true story, "Hoosiers" will take care of that Team USA Basketball gold medal high you might slowly be coming down from. It’s an underdog story that follows a coach with a scandalous past (portrayed by Gene Hackman) as he leads a team of unlikely contenders to the 1954 Indiana State Championship. 

HOCKEY – "Miracle"

Miracle follows the true story of one of the most memorable moments not only in Olympic history, but also in sports history in general. That moment, known as the Miracle on Ice, was the United States of America’s victory over the Soviet team in the medal round of the 1980 Olympics. The win led to USA eventually winning the gold and helped to provide a welcome distraction to the decades-old Cold War. Legendary sportscaster, Al Michaels summed up the moment (and the film’s theme) appropriately with his quote, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”. 

TABLE TENNIS/TRACK & FIELD – "Forrest Gump"

The film that follows the life of the oblivious Forrest Gump as he experiences and accomplishes some pretty spectacular things will allow you to get two of your Olympic event fixes in one. 

SWIMMING – "Swimming Upstream"

One of everyone’s favorite Olympic sports is swimming. With Michael Phelps recently becoming the most decorated Olympian of all time, the sports has never been more popular. However, competitive swim films actually worth watching are few and far between. 

CYCLING – "The Bicycle Thief (Ladri di biciclette)" 

Well…this one doesn’t actually feature competitive bicycle racing whatsoever, but there is a bike and it’s one of the best movies you’ll ever see. So, it gets to be on this list. Yes, it’s a foreign film from the late 40s, which scares a lot of people off, but its 96% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes should bring your curiosity right back around. The film also resides on endless “Top Films of All-Time” lists.