Sports Movies
From Rocky to Field of Dreams, sports movies are among the most beloved of American films. Revolving around familiar narratives like the underdog story, these movies have generated modern—day legends, reinforcing and disseminating our national myths about the American Dream.

In Sports Movies, Lester D. Friedman describes the traditional formulas that have made these movies such crowd—pleasers, including stock figures like the disgraced athlete on a quest for redemption, or the wise old coaches who help mentor the heroes to victory. He also explores how the genre’s attitudes have changed over time, especially in key issues like class, race, masculinity, and women in sports.

Along the way, he takes stock of sports films from the dawn of cinema’s silent era to the present day, including classic baseball movies like Pride of the Yankees and Bull Durham, basketball movies like Hoosiers and He’s Got Game, football movies like Friday Night Lights and Rudy, and boxing movies like Raging Bull and Million Dollar Baby. As Friedman’s analyses reveal, not only do sports movies influence our perceptions about the drama of real—life sports, but they also help to shape our attitudes toward the competitive ethos in American life.
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Sports Movies
From Rocky to Field of Dreams, sports movies are among the most beloved of American films. Revolving around familiar narratives like the underdog story, these movies have generated modern—day legends, reinforcing and disseminating our national myths about the American Dream.

In Sports Movies, Lester D. Friedman describes the traditional formulas that have made these movies such crowd—pleasers, including stock figures like the disgraced athlete on a quest for redemption, or the wise old coaches who help mentor the heroes to victory. He also explores how the genre’s attitudes have changed over time, especially in key issues like class, race, masculinity, and women in sports.

Along the way, he takes stock of sports films from the dawn of cinema’s silent era to the present day, including classic baseball movies like Pride of the Yankees and Bull Durham, basketball movies like Hoosiers and He’s Got Game, football movies like Friday Night Lights and Rudy, and boxing movies like Raging Bull and Million Dollar Baby. As Friedman’s analyses reveal, not only do sports movies influence our perceptions about the drama of real—life sports, but they also help to shape our attitudes toward the competitive ethos in American life.
24.95 In Stock
Sports Movies

Sports Movies

by Lester D. Friedman
Sports Movies

Sports Movies

by Lester D. Friedman

Paperback

$24.95 
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Overview

From Rocky to Field of Dreams, sports movies are among the most beloved of American films. Revolving around familiar narratives like the underdog story, these movies have generated modern—day legends, reinforcing and disseminating our national myths about the American Dream.

In Sports Movies, Lester D. Friedman describes the traditional formulas that have made these movies such crowd—pleasers, including stock figures like the disgraced athlete on a quest for redemption, or the wise old coaches who help mentor the heroes to victory. He also explores how the genre’s attitudes have changed over time, especially in key issues like class, race, masculinity, and women in sports.

Along the way, he takes stock of sports films from the dawn of cinema’s silent era to the present day, including classic baseball movies like Pride of the Yankees and Bull Durham, basketball movies like Hoosiers and He’s Got Game, football movies like Friday Night Lights and Rudy, and boxing movies like Raging Bull and Million Dollar Baby. As Friedman’s analyses reveal, not only do sports movies influence our perceptions about the drama of real—life sports, but they also help to shape our attitudes toward the competitive ethos in American life.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780813599861
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
Publication date: 03/13/2020
Series: Quick Takes: Movies and Popular Culture
Pages: 210
Product dimensions: 4.50(w) x 7.00(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range: 16 - 18 Years

About the Author

Lester D. Friedman is emeritus professor and former chair of the Media and Society Program at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, New York. The author, co—author, and editor of over 20 books, he has written about Steven Spielberg, Arthur Penn, Peter Pan, Bonnie and Clyde, Frankenstein, medical movies, '70s American cinema, and Clint Eastwood.
 

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 Baseball Movies 40

2 Basketball Movies 69

3 Football Movies 94

4 Boxing Movies 119

Conclusion: Fields of Perpetual Dreams 153

Acknowledgments 165

Further Reading 167

Works Cited 173

Selected Filmography 179

Index 181

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