I was partly sad because Omar Epps and Tyra Banks loved each
other, dammit, and now their love would never be. But mostly I was sad because
Tyra was a promising young athlete who had worked very hard to get to college
and now she would never go the Olympics and set world track records. She would
have to be a model instead. So sad.
But seriously, I think it’s because in movies where the lady
lead is an athlete, she is necessarily shown coming up against brutal physical
and emotional barricades and doggedly bursting through them. She is allowed to
be tough in a way that women rarely are in movies but often are in real life. Watching
lady athletes in movies inspires me to be just as tough as they are (even if
I’m just being tough about jogging for 20 minutes instead of sitting on my
couch). Here is a list of movies about ladies doing sports that are much better
than Higher Learning and made me cry
even harder.
A League of Their Own
My very first lady sports movie (unless you count Flashdance). This movie was a genuine
cultural moment, due to its all-star cast—Gina Davis, Tom Hanks, Madonna, Rosie
O’Donnell—and director—Penny Marshall. The topic of the movie—the women’s
baseball league that started during World War II—is rich, but the heart of the
movie is the relationship between two ball-playing sisters, as the younger,
played by Lori Petty, tries to come out from beneath her all-star older
sister’s shadow, and the older, played by Gina Davis, struggles to let her.
The Cutting Edge
Although previews presented this as both a fish-out-of-water
(hockey player tries to figure skate) and a taming-of-the-shrew (uncouth hockey
player tames snobby rich girl) story, the reality is deeper and more enjoyable.
D.B. Sweeney’s Doug Dorsey is an athlete forced into early retirement by an
injury who so misses physical exertion and competition that he is willing to
become a figure skater—a sport he considered beneath his contempt—in order to
get back to it. Moira Kelly’s Kate Moseley is a woman who, with her talent,
training, and drive, should have won many gold medals by now, but her
unhappiness and self-doubt have gotten in the way. The Cutting Edge is about both characters learning to be humble and
to let go of their fear. Plus, figure skating!
Whale Rider
There may not be a professional league for riding whales,
but this wonderful movie has all the hallmarks of a lady sports movie
nonetheless. Girl attempting to participate in activity that only males are
supposed to engage in? Check. Male relative who loves girl but thinks her
attempt to pierce the gender boundaries is wrong? Check. Pai’s story, which
takes place in New Zealand among her Maori tribe, is both heartbreaking and
beautiful.
Gracie
After her soccer star older brother is killed in a car
accident, 15-year-old Gracie tries out for the boys team. This movie takes
place in 1978, when girl’s teams were rare and Title IX was brand new. Gracie is honest and brutal in its
portrayal of the challenges that its character faces, from the way she acts out
with sex and drugs to express her grief to her harsh physical and psychological
bullying at the hands of her male teammates. Gracie is loosely based on
Elizabeth Shue, who plays Gracie’s mother in the movie and who played soccer in
real-life on an all-boy’s team until she was 13. She says of Gracie, “The movie is really what would
have happened if I hadn’t quit...I quit because of what people would think of
me. The pressure from the boys. The awkward development of my body. I really,
really regret it. I wish I’d been brave enough.” [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/27/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/27artsnj.html?_r=1&oref=slogin]
Double Dare
This documentary follows two stuntwomen, Jeannie Epper (who
did Lynda Carter’s stunts on the 1970s Wonder
Woman TV show) and Zoe Bell (who did Lucy Lawless’ stunts on Xena: Warrior Princess). It’s a pleasure
to watch these two insanely tough women do what they love and it’s a
fascinating look into the select group of men and women who throw themselves
into danger repeatedly until the director has what they need. In the movie, Bell
lands the plum role of Uma Thurman’s double in Kill Bill. Quentin Tarantino liked her so much that he later cast
her in a speaking role in Grindhouse
(which, technically, could be considered another awesome female sports movie
what with its car roof riding and male killer dominating).
Bend It Like Beckham
True story: I once briefly dated a guy who asked me to tell
him about my best day in recent experience. I immediately told him it was the
day when I went to see Bend It Like
Beckham and I was so happy when I came out of the theater because of girls
playing soccer and friendship and it is just the best movie ever! He started
laughing hysterically. At me. Because he thought the movie looked dumb. That
was when I knew it wasn’t going to work out between us.
Whip It
This movie features a lot of super tough roller derby ladies
kicking the shit out of each other, but it is also about figuring out who you
are, finding your purpose in life, and then working really hard to achieve that
purpose. Also, it is secretly one of the best movies about teenage girls and
their mothers that I have ever seen. Plus: bonus Zoe Bell as one of Ellen
Page’s teammates!
Blue Crush
I had a feeling this one was going to be awesome even before
I saw it, but the weirdness of the ad campaign convinced some of my lady
friends otherwise. (Boobs were featured prominently, as if they were afraid no
men would see it otherwise. Also, I have no proof, but I still suspect those
boobs were enlarged slightly for the poster.) However, the movie’s quiet exploration
of an athlete letting go of her fear so that she can achieve her dreams won
them over. Also, friendship! Surfing! And a tricky relationship between two
sisters!
Love and Basketball
The mother of all crying movies. I was still crying when we
walked up the aisle and left the theater. But from happiness! Love and Basketball follows Monica
Wright, lady basketball player extraordinaire, as she plays her way through
high school, college, the European leagues, and, eventually, The WNBA.
Meanwhile, she just can’t forget about her childhood sweetheart, who is also a
basketball player. And just to bring things full circle, the childhood
sweetheart is played by Omar Epps, and his fiancé—who he is definitely not supposed to be with because his and
Monica’s love is forever—is played by Ms. Tyra Banks! Poor Tyra never gets to
be with Omar Epps.
What are your favorite lady sports movies?
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