Movies on exceptional sports feats

Actors: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers

In the aftermath of his bout with Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) attempts to lead a peaceful life with his new bride, Adrian (Talia Shire). The fame and fortune from the match soon runs scarce and to make ends meet, Rocky agrees to a re-match with Apollo.

Actors: Sylvester Stallone, Carl Weathers, Talia Shire, Burgess Meredith

Rocky Balboa is a struggling Philadelphia boxer who is scorned by his gym's owner, patronized by a loan shark and rebuffed by a shy 'plain-Jane', whose butcher brother keeps engineering a romantic match. Rocky would have remained in this rut had not heavyweight champion Apollo Creed come up with the Bicentennial gimmick to give a chance for a 'nobody' to become a 'somebody'. The "Italian Stallion" trains earnestly and goes the distance...against all odds!

Actors: Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman

I DON'T TRAIN GIRLS, trainer Frankie Dunn growls. But something's different about the spirited boxing hopeful who shows up daily at Dunn's gym. All she wants is a fighting chance. Clint Eastwood plays Dunn and directs, produces and composes music for this acclaimed, multi-award-winning tale of heart, hope and family. Hilary Swank plays resilient Maggie, determined not to abandon her one dream. And Morgan Freeman is Scrap, gym caretaker and counterpoint to Dunn's crustiness. Grab your dreams and come out swinging.

Actors: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon

From director Clint Eastwood, "Invictus" tells the inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) joined forces with the captain of South Africa's rugby team, Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon), to help unite their country. Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's underdog rugby team as they make an unlikely run to the 1995 World Cup Championship match.

Actors: Russell Crowe, Renée Zellweger, Paul Giamatti

Academy Award® winners Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger star in this triumphant, powerfully inspiring true story. In a time when America needed a champion, an unlikely hero would arise, proving how hard a man would fight to win a second chance for his family and himself. Suddenly thrust into the national spotlight, boxer Jim Braddock would defy the odds against him and stun the world with one of the greatest comebacks in history. Driven by love for his family, he willed an impossible dream to come true.

Actors: Mark Wahlberg, Greg Kinnear, Elizabeth Banks

Invincible is the inspiring true story of Vince Papale, an ordinary guy who, against extraordinary odds, gets a one-in-a-gazillion shot at living every sports fan's wildest fantasy. Like the city he lives in and his beloved hometown NFL team, the down-and-out Vince (Mark Walhberg, The Italian Job) has seen better days. But then the Philadelphia Eagles' new coach Dick Vermeil (Greg Kinnear, Little Miss Sunshine) calls an unprecedented open tryout, and the 30-year-old bartender who never played college ball makes the cut. Now Vince needs every bit of his gritty, never-say-die attitude and enormous heart to survive in the high-stakes world of professional football. Heartfelt and triumphant, and filled with body-slamming NFL football action, Invincible will have you on your feet cheering for the scrappy underdog who helped his team rediscover its winning spirit, and in the process rallied a city when it needed it most.

Actors: Will Smith, Matt Damon, Charlize Theron, Joel Gretsch, Bruce McGill

Robert Redford directed this adaptation of a novel by Steven Pressfield that uses golf as a metaphor for one man's spiritual and philosophical journeys. Rannulph Junuh (Matt Damon) was a gifted amateur golfer from Savannah, GA, until traumatic experiences during World War I shattered his confidence and sent him into a spiral of alcoholism. In 1931, Adele Invergordon (Charlize Theron), a beautiful heiress who once loved Junuh, inherits a spectacular but financially ailing golf course after the suicide of her father. To attract customers, she proposed a high-stakes match between the two most famous golfers of the day, Bobby Jones (Joel Gretsch) and Walter Hagen (Bruce McGill). Local businessmen sponsoring the match insist that a local golfer be added to the card, and Junuh is drafted for the position, but it soon becomes obvious that his game is just a shadow of its former glory. When things seem hopeless, a mysterious gentleman named Bagger Vance (Will Smith) volunteers to serve as Junuh's caddy and coach, using a mixture of ancient wisdom and past-life knowledge to help Junuh “remember" the swing he's lost. Jack Lemmon narrates the story, and J. Michael Moncrief plays Lemmon's character as a boy.

Actors: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams

Mark Wahlberg stars in Paramount Pictures' inspirational docudrama exploring the remarkable rise of Massachusetts-born lightweight title winner "Irish" Micky Ward. A determined pugilist whose career in the ring was shepherded by his loyal half-brother, Dicky (Christian Bale) -- a hard-living boxer-turned-trainer whose own career in the ring was nearly sent down for the count due to drugs and crime -- perennial underdog Irish Micky rebounded from a disheartening series of defeats to win both the WBU Intercontinental Lightweight title and the WBU Light Welterweight title thanks to a fierce combination of determination and hard work. David O. Russell directs from a script by 8 Mile's Scott Silver and Paul Attanasio (The Bourne Ultimatum).

Actors: Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue

A fatherless teenager faces his moment of truth in THE KARATE KID. Daniel (Ralph Macchio) arrives in Los Angeles from the east coast and faces the difficult task of making new friends. However, he becomes the object of bullying by the Cobras, a menacing gang of karate students, when he strikes up a relationship with Ali (Elisabeth Shue), the Cobra leader's ex-girlfriend. Eager to fight back and impress his new girlfriend but afraid to confront the dangerous gang, Daniel asks his handyman Miyagi (Noriyuki 'Pat' Morita), whom he learns is a master of the martial arts, to teach him karate. Miyagi teaches Daniel that karate is a mastery over the self, mind, and body and that fighting is always the last answer to a problem. Under Miyagi's guidance, Daniel develops not only physical skills but also the faith and self-confidence to compete despite tremendous odds as he encounters the fight of his life in the exciting finale to this entertaining film.

Actors: Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill

Based on a true story, Moneyball is a movie for anybody who has ever dreamed of taking on the system. Brad Pitt stars as Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A's and the guy who assembles the team, who has an epiphany: all of baseball's conventional wisdom is wrong. Forced to reinvent his team on a tight budget, Beane will have to outsmart the richer clubs. The onetime jock teams with Ivy League grad Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) in an unlikely partnership, recruiting bargain players that the scouts call flawed, but all of whom have an ability to get on base, score runs, and win games. It's more than baseball, it's a revolution – one that challenges old school traditions and puts Beane in the crosshairs of those who say he's tearing out the heart and soul of the game.

Actors: Kirsten Dunst, Paul Bettany, Sam Neill, Jon Favreau

Pro tennis "hot shot" Lizzie Bradbury (Kirsten Dunst) is a rising star who lives to win. But when she falls for long-shot contender Peter Colt (Paul Bettany) amid the glitz and glamour of Wimbledon, Lizzie discovers it's not if you win or lose, but how you play the game…of love. A deliciously witty romantic comedy about chasing your dreams and risking your heart, Wimbledon is a fun and charming story of love across the net.

Actors: Kevin Costner, Rene Russo, Don Johnson

From the writer of "Bull Durham" and "White Men Can't Jump" comes this romantic comedy starring Academy Award-winner Kevin Costner ("Dances with Wolves,") and Rene Russo ("Get Shorty," "Outbreak"). Costner is a driving range pro and golf hustler whose legendary ball-striking skills are matched only by his self-destructive and low-life charm. His comfortable life of failure is turned upside down when he's smitten with a woman who comes in for golf lessons, and he sets out to qualify for the U.S. Open to prove to himself (and to her) that he's capable of heroic achievement. Co-starring Don Johnson and Cheech Marin.

Actors: Scott Mechlowicz, Nick Nolte, Amy Smart

An inspirational and triumphant film about the power of the human spirit, Peaceful Warrior is the incredible true story based on Dan Millman's bestselling novel. A gifted young athlete, bound for Olympic gold, Dan has it all: trophies, talent, and all the women he wants. But after a life-changing event, Dan comes to rely on Socrates (Nick Nolte), a mysterious stranger, and Joy (Amy Smart), an elusive young woman, to teach him the secret to overcome incredible odds and tap into new worlds of strength and understanding. Hailed by celebrities and critics alike, Peaceful Warrior is "an inspiring film that could change lives." - Sting

Actors: Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Burt Reynolds, William Fichtner, James Cromwell, Courtney Cox

The story of pro quarterback Paul Crewe (Sandler) and former college champion and coach Nate Scarboro (Reynolds) who are doing time in the same prison. Asked to put together a team of inmates to take on the guards, Crewe enlists the help of Scarboro to coach the inmates to victory in a football game fixed to turn out quite another way.

Actors: Kuno Becker, Tony Plana, Alessandro Nivola

Like the inspiring heroes in Miracle, Remember the Titans, and The Rookie, the amazingly gifted Santiago Munez, a young immigrant living in the barrios of Los Angeles, has an impossible dream -- to play soccer for a world class team. Unexpectedly getting a tryout with one of England's premier soccer clubs, Newcastle United, Santiago finds himself totally alone in a world where soccer is a religion and the players are gods. Now he not only has to prove he has the passion, talent, and determination to make it alongside the best in the world, but he has to overcome his own demons and those of others. Filled with memorable characters, great heart, and real-life soccer legends, Goal! The Dream Begins is a triumphant story about believing in your dreams.