TAYLOR TRIMBLE, Staff Writer—While writing this, I am sequestered away in Denison’s senior apartments for my second time in quarantine. My first time in quarantine was an emotional rollercoaster with the stress of classes, fear of missing out, and undeniable loneliness. This time, I vowed to make this experience different. Who needs to stress about classes or worry about friends when you have the company of Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video? No one, absolutely no one.
I don’t know about you, but sports and sports related movies are my biggest guilty pleasure. Now, whether I play sports or not isn’t important (believe me, I do not play sports). Nonetheless, I would like to share with you all the movies I have been binging in quarantine.
Are these the greatest sports films of all time? Absolutely not. But they are the five films and shows that kept me from losing it in quarantine!
League of Their Own:
This 90s’ film can be found on HBO Max & Amazon Prime Video! If you’re anything like me then you know you can’t just watch a sports film without there being any other type of plot. This movie does just that with an all-women’s baseball team fighting to gain popularity and media coverage; and it doesn’t just stop there.
Within the film, you get a taste of sibling rivalry and a little bit of a romance story. So basically, a drama, comedy, and sports film all in one! Is there anything better than that? I really don’t think so.
Athlete A:
On a more serious note, I find that the most impactful and memorable films would have to be the ones based on true events. That’s probably one of the main reasons why my favorite movie of all time is Detroit, a film inspired by the riots of 1967 in, you guessed it, Detroit.
Films like these shed light on the history of ongoing struggles that can be seen still today, in a time that is labeled as “so progressive.” For these reasons, I was attracted to Athlete A, a documentary based on the downplayed sexual assault of hundreds of young gymnasts by Dr. Larry Nassar.
This film is as disturbing as it is necessary. Similar to Detroit, it sheds light on an issue that is still prevalent today: the minimization of sexual abuse and the maximization of toxic rape culture.
All American:
To be fair, I’ve never been a big film fanatic; tv shows have always had more appeal. This series highlights the journey between a star football player and his transition from an underprivileged school to one of affluence and status, but it doesn’t just stop there.
Within this transition, there are multiple plots within the family and friend dynamics making the show all the more intriguing. This is a must watch for someone who enjoys teen dramas and sports!
Last Chance U: Basketball:
Similar to All American, this is another television series, but with a twist: it’s a sports documentary series. This documentary sheds light on the competitiveness, struggle for opportunity, and life of community college basketball players in East Los Angeles.
Each episode the individual basketball players share their stories, goals, and hardships. This is truly an eye-opening documentary on community college athletes, a group that is commonly misrepresented and excluded in the sports world.
Playin’ for Love:
I’ll be blunt. This is a bad movie, a very bad movie. Yet, it’s so bad to the point where it’s actually amusing. In short, the movie is about a basketball coach who uses questionable tactics for his players such as padding their grades, which isn’t necessarily as uncommon as we might think, but I digress.
He retains a new star player whose mother is the daughter of an amazing street baller. She challenges him by questioning his plays and coaching abilities. Now, of course this tension between the coach and the mother had to lead to some romantic making this a very bad rom com. The plot’s not really developed and the acting is subpar, but as I said, it is so bad that it is actually so amusing to watch at one in the morning in quarantine.