Thursday Movie Picks #9: Sports Movies

Hello and welcome to another edition of Thursday Movie Picks! I hope you've been joining in the last few weeks but if you haven't, it's never too late to join. For new folks, the rules of this weekly series is simple: Each week there is a topic for you to create a list of three movies. Your picks can either be favourites/best, worst, hidden gems, or if you're up to it one of each. For more information on the meme and future topics please visit the meme's page here.

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This week's Thursday Movie Picks is Sports Movies.

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I don't generally seek out sports movies but do watch them if they strike me as interesting. So here are three of my favourites:

Bend it Like Beckham (2002) - "The daughter of orthodox Sikh rebels against her parents' traditionalism by running off to Germany with a football team (soccer in America)."

Not sure what David Beckham is doing nowadays (endorsement deals?) but back in the 90's and 2000's he was really popular for being a footballer playing in some of the biggest clubs in Europe, hence the title. In Bend It Like Beckham, Jess loves football (her favourite footballer...Beckham of course) and is asked by a fellow girl footballer to join their girls team. But football is not exactly an acceptable career choice for a girl in her culture thus Jess hides her training and matches from her family. I really enjoyed this movie, it's a fun and funny movie about girls trying to go professional in the sport they love.

Friday Night Lights (2004) - "Based on H.G. Bissinger's book, which profiled the economically depressed town of Odessa, Texas and their heroic high school football team, The Permian High Panthers."
I know the TV series was really popular but I've never seen it. I did see the movie and like it. It had an interesting story that goes beyond the team's journey to whatever game they were suppose to be winning. It explores the players lives, how important the sport and team is to them, to their family and town, and the weight of those expectations on those involve in the game.

Win Win (2011) - "A struggling lawyer and volunteer wrestling coach's chicanery comes back to haunt him when the teenage grandson of the client he has double-crossed comes into his life."

I'd say this is the hidden gem out of my three picks since I knew very little of this movie and came to watch it with very little expectation. I thought it was really good. It is funny and sweet and simply heartwarming. Great performances all around; Paul Giamatti as Mike who struggles with the guilt of his initial lie and trying to do the right thing, Amy Ryan as Mike's wife who becomes the protective mother figure to Kyle and as a couple they have really good chemistry. Not to forget also Alex Shaffer the actor playing Kyle the ever so cool and quiet kid who is also the gifted at wrestling teenage grandson of Mike's client.

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So that's it...my three picks. What three movies made your list today?

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