Football is over. Baseball is almost upon us. It is a perfect time to cozy up with some hot coco and sneak in some winter sports movies in between the snowboarding runs and the luge coming live from Russia. We went into the film archive and plucked some of our favorites.
Brian Reddoch is a CraveOnline reporter and rabid fan of all teams Seattle. You can follow him on Twitter @ReddReddoch or “like” CraveOnline Sports on Facebook.
Best Winter Sports Movies
-
Men with Brooms
I won’t lie. The film isn’t great. But, it has some charming moments and is about curling. And nothing will get you in the mood for the Winter Olympics like curling.
-
Downhill Racer
Do you really need a reason to watch a Robert Redford film? Especially if the thought of Robert Redford in a skin tight ski suit sounds great to you. He plays a selfish arrogant skier who makes the U.S. team when a teammate gets hurt. Bonus - Roger Ebert gave the film 4 stars.
-
Mystery, Alaska
In the small town of Mystery, life centers around the team’s amateur team. When the town gets chosen to host the New York Rangers, hijinx ensues. It feels more like a t.v. show, but there are so many funny moments and likable characters it is easy to get emotional invested when the big game comes around at the end.
-
Aspen Extreme
There was a time where every action film was given a tagline of “It is Top Gun with ___” and you fill in the blank with ‘Racing Cars’ or ‘Wrestling’ or whatever. Aspen Extreme was the Top Gun of downhill skiing movies. There is a huge nostalgia factor at play for the very 80’s film which showcases montages, rocking scores, and lots of gratuitous shots of snow bunnies.
-
All of the 'Mighty Ducks' Movies
A Bad News Bears on ice storyline that has Emilio Estevez forced to coach a rag-tag, underdog team of young hockey players. While Estevez is playing the romantic angle, the kids bring the funny. Oh that Goldberg! The crew makes their way to the Junior Goodwill Games or some big event and learn valuable lessons like teamwork and such along the way. Watch the third film at your own peril.
-
Blades of Glory
Will Ferrell in a sports movie? Count us in. Will Arnett and Amy Poehler (who were married at one time) playing quasi-incestuous rival siblings? Count us in. A plot involving two male individual figure skaters who have to partner up to get a second chance at gold? Count us in. Even Jon “Napoleon Dynamite” Heder is well cast as the whiny, prissy partner to Ferrell’s attempt at overly manly.
-
The Cutting Edge
“Toe Pick!” The 1992 Moira Kelly – D.B. Sweeney film is a romantic comedy meets sports movie. Sweeney plays a hockey player who wants to make it back to the Olympics after an injury killed his career. Kelly plays a temperamental figure skater whose dreams were also falling apart. They come from different worlds but they have no other choice if they are going to make it together as figure skating partners.
-
Miracle
The 1980 defeat of the Russian Olympic hockey team at the hands of an underdog American crew made up of college and amateur players is one the greatest moments in sports history. It is an amazing story filled with inspiration, patriotism and excitement. It is near impossible not to watch and be excited for the upcoming Olympics.
-
Cool Runnings
One of the greatest sports movies ever. Sure they didn’t win the gold, but the genius of the film is that it found a theme and a goal that worked. Who doesn’t shed a tear when the father flashes his shirt as a way of showing his formerly meek son that he is proud and has respect for him? With Jamaica’s bobsled team back in the Olympics this year, it is a perfect time to revisit their start.
