Every year, March rolls around, and it is once again time for America’s greatest month in sports: March Madness. The Big Dance starts this Friday — thus, what better time to hunker down and binge some feel-good sports films? Even if you’re not a basketball zealot like me, I guarantee you’ll find something worth watching on this list.
Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of violence, suicide, animal abuse, and alcoholism.
Love and Basketball (2000), by Gina Prince-Bythewood
Love and Basketball is the quintessential coming-of-age film about, well, love and basketball. The film follows the lives of Monica Wright (Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy “Q” McCall (Omar Epps), next-door neighbors who are both intensely passionate about basketball and, eventually, each other. It is a film that feels as fresh as it did in 2000 as it does today, and is the sole title on this list that portrays Black women playing basketball. Lathan’s portrayal of Monica is headstrong, fiery, and at times, vulnerable. The film highlights her passion for the game through intense workout montages and her unwavering confidence — “I’m going to be the first female player in the NBA.”
The romance scenes are intertwined with the basketball quite beautifully in Prince-Bythwood’s directorial debut, and you can feel the love that this film has for basketball itself. The family dynamics of both Monica and Q are written beautifully and performed dynamically by Alfre Woodard and Harry Lennix (Monica’s parents), Dennis Haysbert and Debbi Morgan (Q’s parents, and Regina Hall (Monica’s sister). Besides watching for the love of the game, this film is worth watching for Monica Wright and her beautifully told story, a Black coming-of-age experience that is incredibly underrepresented and undertold, even by today’s standards.
He Got Game (1998), by Spike Lee
He Got Game captures the biblical story of the Father and the Son, only if the Father and the Son lived on Coney Island. In the opening credits, you get a sense of how Spike Lee views the game, too — all-encompassing; it spans race, gender, ethnicity, and place. The score here is an orchestral piece by Academy Award-winning composer Aaron Copland, combined with the sequence, which makes basketball feel like a religion, which, in this film, it is.
The film follows the story of Jake Shuttlesworth (Denzel Washington) and his son Jesus Shuttlesworth (Ray Allen). Jake has spent the past six years in prison, convicted of accidentally killing his wife, Martha (Lonette McKee). During Jake’s prison stint, Jesus has risen to stardom as the nation’s number one high school prospect. The whole world waits with anticipation to find out where Jesus will go. So does Jake. Jake’s offered an early prison release if he can convince his son to go to Big State, one catch: his son loathes him.
The palpable tension between Jesus and Jake becomes the rest of the film, this back and forth, the father and the son, and it plays out excellently. The mere introduction of both Shuttlesworth men centers on their basketball play and their similar forms. It presents their connection to one another and the stark difference in how lives can play out on Coney Island. Lee has never shied away from discussing complex topics in his films, and He Got Game is no different. Washington’s performance as Jake is reason enough to see this film, but his chemistry with Ray Allen really seals the deal.
Rez Ball (2024), by Sydney Freeland
Rez Ball is an Indigenous coming-of-age story that follows Nataanii Jackson (Kusem Goodwind) and Jimmy Holiday (Kauchani Bratt), best friends and teammates on the Chuska Warriors High School Basketball team. Nataanii is the nation’s number-one high school prospect, and his future is bright. Jimmy and Nataanii are the stars of the team, as evidenced by their first game – they rarely share the ball with their teammates. After this game, they’re set to play the memorial game for Nataanii’s mother and sister, who sadly were killed by a drunk driving accident the year before. Nataanii’s grief is all-consuming, and he ends up taking his own life the night of this game.
His death sends a ripple effect through this close-knit community; it especially devastates his teammates, his coach, his father, and, critically, his best friend, Jimmy, who is thrust into the Captain position, where he and his teammates must reckon with the grief of losing Nataanii and continue their basketball season.
Freeland’s depiction of such heavy topics is not done without care and respect. In fact, her direction of this grief-stricken team as they come together for their final goal — a State Championship — is heartwarming and as feel-good as it gets. The film is representative of finding your way through grief and also depicts the harsh realities of being Native and living on a reservation in the United States. The performances are stellar and honest. Sydney Freeland denotes her inspiration for it as Friday Night Lights (2004), but with indigenous perspectives and representations instead. Of note, Coach Heather Hobbs (Jessica Matten) was a Native woman, instead of a usual white coaching figure, which was intentional per Freeland, but also quite powerful.
Hoop Dreams (1994), by Steve James
Hoop Dreams follows the real-life experiences of two inner-city Chicago teenagers, Arthur Agee and William Gates, who both dream of playing in the NBA. Throughout the film, viewers are privy to the dynamics and conversations of both boys’ families. It also represents the pressures of performing at a high academic level, the difficulties of growing up in their respective neighborhoods, and the competitiveness of being an athlete. James filmed the documentary over a five-year period, and it premiered at Sundance in 1994. Critics praised it at the time, and it continues to stand the test of time, providing the classic “rags to riches” story. Despite never making it to the NBA, The Guardian reports that Arthur Agee and William Gates are thankful that their experience is being highlighted in this documentary.
Hoosiers (1984), by David Anspaugh
Hoosiers was the first film I thought of when brainstorming this list. As soon as it starts, the film brings you to the world of Hickory, Indiana. It’s as rural as it sounds. Coach Norman Dale (Gene Hackman) drives through the countryside full of cropfields and isolated barns to reach his destination, Hickory High School. Dale’s the new coach, and everyone in town has something to say about it.
Myra Fleener (Barbara Hershey) is the first person to interact with Dale, and the tension between them is immediate. Her attitude towards him is representative of the rest of the town – they’re untrusting and slow to accept new things – and Dale doesn’t make things easier for himself when he fires the interim coach. His ways are new and different, and while they’re going to help these players reach their potential, it also alienates the townspeople.
Everyone also tells Dale that he needs Jimmy Chitwood (Maris Valainis) to win a game. Dale instead confronts Jimmy and essentially says he won’t be begging him to play for his team. It’s representative of his coaching style and his personality. He is relentless but also forgiving, especially with Shooter (Dennis Hopper), a washed-up alcoholic who knows everything there is to know about hoops. Dale gives him a chance to change his life, just as he is hoping the coaching job can change his. Hackman delivers a performance as a tenacious, hardass coach with a checkered past who just wants a chance to help these boys win a State Championship. Dale implores them to feel confident in their game and in themselves, which, in turn, inspires him to change too.
High School Musical (2006), by Kenny Ortega
High School Musical is a film that needs no introduction. It is a coming-of-age mixed with a musical, combined with a sports film, all in one beautifully wrapped package. Troy Bolton (Zac Efron), a basketball superstar, meets Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens), an introverted genius, on a holiday ski trip. They are randomly paired to duet together, and the rest is history.
Once Gabriella transfers to East High in the spring, Troy’s world is changed. Will he sing? Will he play? Even if you’re not into musicals, the songs and choreography (so expertly done by Mr. Ortega) beg you to give in and enjoy the show. If you have time, watch all three for the ultimate basketball musical (Mrs. Darby voice) experience.
Space Jam (1996), by Joe Pytka
What if Michael Jordan played a basketball game with the Looney Tunes to save them from becoming slaves to aliens for a theme park? That’s exactly what Space Jam answers.
Michael Jordan plays himself following his retirement from the NBA. He starts playing baseball, and he just sucks at it (he would agree with this), but the world coddles him because he’s Mike. He feels conflicted over his career. Meanwhile, the Looney Tunes are targeted for their talent by Swackhammer (Danny Devito), the alien CEO of Moron Mountain. Swackhammer enlists the Nerdlucks to capture the Looney Tunes for the theme park, and Bugs Bunny (Billy West) challenges them to a basketball game. If the Tunes win, they remain free; if they lose, they’re forced to work at Moron Mountain for all of eternity. Bugs enlists Michael for the Tune Squad, and the Nerdlucks steal the talents of five NBA players. This film is as unserious as it sounds, but that doesn’t make it any less entertaining.
The 2D animation of Looney Tunes, combined with Michael’s live-action elements, makes the film engaging and, at times, a little weird. There’s this one scene of Michael being “Looney” that I won’t spoil, but it’s body horroresque. All in all, the visual gags of Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Looney Tunes are funny and worth watching.
Air Bud (1997), by Charles Martin Smith
Air Bud is a sweet story about a boy and his dog, specifically, a boy and his dog playing basketball together. The story follows Josh Framm (Kevin Zegers), a lonely boy who has just relocated to Fernfield, Washington, with his mom (Wendy Makkena) and sister, after the sudden death of his father. Josh struggles with the grief of losing his father and is having a hard time adjusting to his new home – he hasn’t made any new friends. He loves basketball, one of the things he bonded with his late father about.
Josh finds an abandoned church by the beautiful seaside, and there’s a rundown basketball hoop where he starts playing. This fated court is where he meets Buddy, the golden retriever. Buddy is initially fearful of Josh because his previous owner exploited his talent and abused him for his clown act. Their friendship blossoms, and Josh earns Buddy’s trust, finally making a friend in this new town. The pair plays basketball together, and Josh realizes that Buddy’s talent should be kept a secret to keep him safe. Josh finally convinces his mom, and she eventually lets him keep the dog.
Some heavy parts of this film surprised me, like the trauma and abuse Buddy went through, the alcoholism of the clown (Michael Jeter), the representation of Josh’s grief, and the behavior of the abusive coach. Kevin Zegers is remarkable as Josh, Buddy the dog is very expressive and talented (those stunts were all him!), and I appreciated Wendy Makkena as Jackie Framm. Bill Cobbs as Arthur Chaney is also understated; he acted as a father figure and provided Josh and his teammates with kind mentorship.
Courtesy of Mariana Fabian
Feature Image Credit to New Line Cinema