Several genres of film were at their best in the 1990s, with tremendous science fiction films and high-quality westerns as far as a given film fan could see. That goes for sports films, too. But it’s worth noting off the bat that, for this list, documentaries like Hoop Dreams (1994) or When We Were Kings (1996) will be omitted. This will focus solely on feature-length projects.
Plenty of films on this list were made by some of the biggest directors Hollywood had to offer throughout the decade at hand, and plenty of the films feature star-studded casts to top things off. You should undoubtedly recognize most of the projects herein. All that said, these are the best sports films of the 1990s, ranked.
13 Kingpin
Directed by Peter and Bobby Farrelly, the film at hand revolves around the sport of bowling. And while many fans may have been hoping to see The Big Lebowski (1998) by the Coen Brothers appear on this list, that particular project most adequately qualifies as a crime film. With regard to Kingpin (1996), though: it has some memorable moments with hilarious performances to boot.
It’s focused on comedy as opposed to drama, after all. And its cast consists of names such as Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid, Vanessa Angel, and fan-favorite funny man Bill Murray. It’s not the highest-quality film on the list, but it’s definitely up there as the funniest.
12 Varsity Blues
Following a high school football team on the verge of competing in the Texas state championship, Varsity Blues (1999) received some unjust hate from critics upon release. It shouldn’t have been nominated for Best Picture, or anything, but its quality shines in the performances of its cast.
James Van Der Beek plays Mox, the team’s backup quarterback, and shows honest emotion in his development. But there’s also Amy Smart as his love interest Jules, Paul Walker as the original quarterback Lance, and Ali Larter as Darcy. But perhaps the biggest story in that regard would be Jon Voight, who plays the team’s coach to a notable degree. Ultimately, Varsity Blues comes in at number twelve.
11 Any Given Sunday
Directed by Ridley Scott, this particular sports drama features an ensemble cast: Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid, LL Cool J, James Woods, Ann-Margret, and several notable others. And while it didn’t exactly make waves with critics upon release, some pundits of the industry were champions of Any Given Sunday (1999), and it undoubtedly performed well in theaters.
Its plot follows a fictional American football team within a league called the Affiliated Football Franchises of America. The Miami Sharks struggle to make that year’s playoffs, and the result is a solid sports film from start to finish. Its cast alone is worth the watch.
10 Happy Gilmore
A veteran actor of sports films, Adam Sandler got his start portraying fictional athletes here with Happy Gilmore (1996), directed by Dennis Dugan. He plays an amateur hockey player turned professional golfer, with other stars including Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, and Carl Weathers.
The scene where Happy gets into a fist fight with Bob Barker (in a legitimate cameo performance) goes down as a comedic classic. And frankly, that’s only one of many scenes bound to induce constant laughter from the audience. It goes down not only among Sandler’s funniest roles, but also one of the best sports films of the 1990s.
9 White Men Can’t Jump
Starring Wesley Snipes alongside Woody Harrelson, this sports comedy follows the latter’s character Billy Hoyle as a former college basketball player. He spends his days in White Men Can’t Jump (1992) hustling local basketball players in Los Angeles, as they assume he can’t shoot hoops due to his being white in skin.
But this isn’t a simple sports film, nor is it your average comedy. Director Ron Shelton pays close attention to the development of his characters herein, including Sidney Deane portrayed by the aforementioned Snipes. He and Harrelson shared a wonderful dynamic that propelled the project to number nine.
8 The Sandlot
Though some fans may be surprised to see The Sandlot (1993) in the lower half of the top ten, it should become clear after they straighten out their nostalgic perspective. Of course, that isn’t to say this is a bad film — it’s replete with wit, charm, and convincing performances to boot. But it never really pushes the envelope of storytelling like several entries on the rest of the list.
It follows a group of baseball-obsessed boys who lose a ball signed by Babe Ruth in their neighbor’s backyard. Seems like an easy fix, if not for folklike dog nicknamed “The Beast” guarding the perimeters thereof. The result is a consistently entertaining sports romp with many memorable moments among its well-paced runtime.
7 Tin Cup
Although Tin Cup (1996) could rank higher on any given day (shoutout to the aforementioned Oliver Stone project), number seven is still an admirable spot. Starring Kevin Costner, he plays Roy “Tin Cup” McAvoy, a former prodigy at the sport of golf, who attempts to qualify for the U.S. Open to win over the heart of his biggest rival’s girlfriend.
In turn, the love interest (named Dr. Molly Griswold) is portrayed by Rene Russo, with Cheech Marin and Don Johnson appearing in supporting roles. The overall product wasn’t exactly a masterpiece, but there were enough facets of filmmaking working as cogs in Tin Cup that the overall product proved quite the capable machine.
6 Rudy
With Sean Astin in the titular role, this project chronicles the real-life story of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger as he attempts to overcome several obstacles on his route to playing football at the University of Notre Dame. It was shot on the actual campus, too — not usually allowed for films of any ilk.
And some would say they should relish in that decision, as Rudy (1993) proved to be quite the success overall. Not necessarily upon release — it did nearly double its $12 million budget while for the most part impressing critics — but at the very least in hindsight. Rudy is now considered among the most important football films ever made, and justifiably so.
5 The Boxer
With Daniel Day-Lewis in the titular role — as a boxer, obviously, named Danny Flynn — this has gone down as one of the most underrated films of its ilk not just of the 1990s, but perhaps of all time. Day-Lewis shares a tremendous rapport with costar Emily Watson here in The Boxer (1997) as it chronicles the former character’s attempt to straighten out his life following his release from prison.
But there is another name worth noting in this endlessly fascinating portrayal of the human condition: Jim Sheridan. The director, this project marked the third collaboration between Day-Lewis and himself following My Left Foot (1989) and In the Name of the Father (1993). And while the sports film at hand wasn’t nearly as successful overall, it might be the best of the three.
4 He Got Game
This one holds tremendous name value today thanks in large part to the juggernaut names attached herein: take Spike Lee, for example. He wrote and directed He Got Game (1998), while Denzel Washington took on the starring role: Jake Shuttlesworth, father of the nation’s top-ranked basketball prospect named Jesus.
This was the third of Lee’s collaborations with Denzel of the decade following Mo’ Better Blues (1990) and Malcolm X (1992). And while the latter undoubtedly holds more name value than the former, the sports film at hand has gained decent contemporary traction with regard to popularity. Justifiably so.
3 A League of Their Own
Directed by Penny Marshall, this critical darling chronicles the real-life story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) — although, it is a highly fictionalized account thereof. It features one of the most impressive casts on the list, though: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna, Rosie O’Donnel and more comprise the characters herein.
But perhaps the most noteworthy story regarding A League of Their Own (1992) would be its selection by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry. That achievement is entirely indicative of the quality herein, ultimately landing it at number three.
2 The Hurricane
With Denzel Washington in the titular role as Rubin “The Hurricane” Carter, the name value of The Hurricane (1999) by Norman Jewison has been waning as of late. And that’s a shame, as it’s a truly well-made film from start to finish, with meaningful dialogue, emotional dynamics, and engaging cinematography to boot.
Of course, its plot follows the real-life story of the aforementioned middleweight contender as he is wrongfully accused of murder and spends nearly twenty years in prison. Eventually freed by a Canadian family who reached out and proved his innocence, there’s much more here on an emotional level than cool camerawork that captures quick punches inside the boxing ring. Although, there’s plenty of that, too.
1 Jerry Maguire
This isn’t just the best sports film of the 1990s — it also marks the best project of the 1990s from everyone involved, from its cast to its crew. And it could easily be considered among the greatest sports films ever, regardless of decade. Written and directed by Cameron Crowe, the plot of Jerry Maguire (1996) follows Tom Cruise’s titular character as a sports agent who was recently fired from his job at Sports Management International.
But he rallies to an entertaining extent along with costars Cuba Gooding Jr. (who plays his last remaining client Rod Tidwell) and Renée Zellweger as his love interest Dorothy Boyd. The result was a dynamic and thoughtful project from beginning to end that undoubtedly deserves to top this list.