They tell the stories of unlikely heroes, show the sacrifices athletes make, and reveal agonizing truths behind the greatness we witness.
Half the time they make me cry, cheer, or both at the same time.
Some of the best sports films are based on true stories, such as the recent McFarland USA. The 2015 film stars Kevin Costner as a coach struggling to build a high school cross-country team.
Our family made sure to see the film because our son is an athlete who used to run cross-country, and now is a competitive diver for his high school team.
After seeing McFarland USA I wondered, how many different types of sports movies has Kevin Costner starred in? And if I looked it up, would I have seen them all?
I started to list them in my head...
Baseball - Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, For the Love of the Game
Cross-Country - McFarland USA
Then it was time to go to the Internet and check my results. Was I right? Were those all the sports films he had done?
For my Google search I typed in "Kevin Costner Sports Movies." Several articles said I had them all except for one movie -- American Flyers.
Having never heard of the movie I was intrigued, so I quickly pulled up the best movie fan resource on the web, IMDb.com (Internet Movie Database) to get the lowdown and discovered it was a cycling film.
Why had I not heard of American Flyers I wondered? Then I looked at the date the film came out, 1985. Aha. I was sixteen and lived in the small mountain town of Crestline, California at the time, where our movie theater had only one screen. I doubt it ever came to our town.
Given that American Flyers made just 1.4 million at the box office, about 20 million dollars less than The Care Bears Movie that same year (according to IMDb), it sounds like a lot of other people didn't see it either.
Still, since it was a Kevin Costner film and a sports film I was definitely game to see it no matter how old it was. I checked with my local library and sure enough they had it at one of their branches.
When I finally saw the film I was impressed. The script was decent, not great, same with the acting, but the athleticism was phenomenal. This was a serious cycling film.
I knew Costner was a natural athlete; you'd have to be to gallop on a horse like he did in Dances With Wolves. And you can't fake being a catcher, pitcher or golfer like he portrayed in his other films. But this was a different type of athletic feat.
(Image Courtesy Pixabay)
In American Flyers, Costner's character cycles along with his on-screen brother in a grueling bike race in the Colorado Rockies called the "Hell of the West." It's a fight going up the hills where the air is thinner, and a game of chicken coming down the hills to see how fast you're willing to risk it. All while in a tight pack of cyclists where the slightest mistake can cause a crash.
I got to thinking, if this movie made such a poor showing at the box office when it first came out, then why did my local library have a copy? Does it have a cult following among cyclists?
To find out, I spoke with owner George Webster of P&T Fitness, a bicycle and fitness store in Jackson, Michigan. He told me that not only is it well known among cyclists, it's still popular today. "We showed it at recent cycling club meeting," he said. "It may be a bit cheesy, but it's still a great cycling film."
If you're an athlete, a sports fan, or maybe you would just like to see Costner in a moustache, I recommend American Flyers.
Costner is now my go-to guy when it comes to sports films, and I'll be ready for his next one when it comes out. My vote is for a film about diving. That would be great fun to watch with my son.
Shannon Wrzesinski is a Southern California native mis-planted in the Midwest. Two kids later, this mom is reconnecting with the touchstone of her SoCal life, movies. She is not a movie expert, but a movie fan who shares stories about how movies intertwine with her life. Sign up for her MySisterLovesMovies.com blog here.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.