Slam dunks of silver screen

Cavalier Daily

Ranking best basketball movie classics




by Dan Goff
| Mar 13 2017 | 1 hour ago

















Sports movies often get a bad rap. They are criticized for being formulaic and predictable, with one-dimensional characters played by athletes, who are not natural actors. That being said, the true classics of sports movies should not be overlooked — and this is doubly true of basketball movies. Here are five of the most notable, well-made or otherwise memorable basketball movies.No. 5: “Teen Wolf”Some may consider this an odd way to start off the list, but look past the admittedly campy premise and a poignant coming-of-age story can be found. Michael J. Fox plays Scott Howard, a high-school loser who finds popularity and young love when he starts transforming into a werewolf, which in turn makes him a basketball star. But Scott soon experiences the dark side of his hairy fame and must win over his sweetheart — and save his struggling team — as a mere human.It sounds almost unwatchable, but there are some genuinely touching moments in this film. Scott’s quest for love is relatably embarrassing to many high school boys, and the basketball scenes — while far from realistic — are always entertaining. Forget “Back to the Future” — this was Fox’s role of a lifetime. No. 4: “Glory Road”This is definitely one of basketball’s more formulaic movies, but still a classic dramatization of one of the sport’s most historic moments. Josh Lucas is earnest if not remarkable in his role as Don Haskins, the coach of the first NCAA basketball team to have an all-black starting five. He worked young recruits into shape throughout a plot rife with training montages, but they are enjoyable nonetheless.The story follows the traditional “insurmountable odds” arc, leading the viewer to guess the ending even if it’s not already known from history. But more than anything else, “Glory ...

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