For centuries, audiences have loved to watch human competition, whether its chariot races or bowling tourneys. Games that can be played by both children and adults become testaments to the human character and how they handle grace under pressure. But they also highlight how ridiculous anyone can be as they invest their entire beings into a game, relishing the absurdity and quirks of professional athletes as well as the endearing drive of those who simply want to compete. While there are plenty of movies that treat sports as paeans to the human spirit, there are also those that relish how silly the whole endeavor can be. These films utilize the simple framework a sports story provides, and then add color to the individual players, the world they inhabit, and offer clear motivation that helps with a useful want/need break in pushing the characters forward. Happy Gilmore wants to be a hockey player, but he needs to realize he’s a golfer with a painfully poor short game. To mark the 30th anniversary of Happy Gilmore, Matt Goldberg runs down twenty sports comedies to get you started in the genre. These movies serve as a reminder that as much as sporting events can be serious, all-consuming contests, we should also note the frivolity of the games. Let’s have fun out there. Read the full list breakdown on Journal. Happy Gilmore Slap Shot Bull Durham The Sandlot Major League DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story A League of Their Own Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby The Bad News Bears Bring It On ...plus 10 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.
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