Women’s sports movies, though rare, are always much more satisfying to watch than men’s sports movies. There is the sense that these women had to work much harder in order to be taken seriously in their chosen field than any of their male counterparts. Women in sports seem to be fighting a never-ending uphill battle in the industry. Take, for example, the Norwegian Women’s Beach Handball team: They dared to ask why they, as women, must wear skimpy bikini bottoms during competition, while the Men’s Handball team played in shorts. When the women eventually took a stand against the baseless double standard and showed up to a match in form-fitting shorts, the International Handball Federation promptly hit the team with a 1500 Euro fine ($1770 USD). Also faced with the threat of disqualification, the team eventually backed down. Their fight, however, was not in vain as it eventually sparked change. According to NBC News, starting January 2022, women will be allowed to wear "short tight pants with a close fit" and a "body fit tank top" when competing, as per new regulations published by the International Handball Federation.
Women’s sports movies tend to capture the uphill battle women face in the industry; as such, it makes their victory even more satisfying. Here are a handful of the best women’s sports movies.
8 Battle of the Sexes
Battle of the Sexes recounts the 1973 tennis match between women’s world champion Billie Jean King and ex-men’s champion Bobby Riggs. The movie also shows each competitor’s personal struggles leading up to the event. During that time, King was coming to terms with her sexuality and despite being married to Larry King, she was also in a budding relationship with her hairdresser, Marilyn Barnett. Riggs was battling a gambling addiction that was jeopardizing his marriage to Priscilla Whelan. The televised event aptly named “The Battle of the Sexes” became one of the most-watched sporting events of all time.
7 I, Tonya
I, Tonya is a biographical account of events by Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie) and Jeff Gilhooly. The film centers on Tonya Harding’s upbringing and how the skating community perceives her. Despite being a naturally gifted skater, and the first American woman to perform a triple axel, Tonya Harding is most well known for her alleged involvement in the ill-conceived attack on Nancy Kerrigan on Jan 6, 1994. While Tonya managed to avoid jail time, she was ultimately stripped of her 1994 national championship title and banned from the United States Figure Skating Association for life.
6 Bend it Like Beckham
Jesminder “Jess” Bhamra (Parminder Nagra) is an 18-year-old living in London with her strict Indian parents. Jess idolizes David Beckham and dreams of becoming a professional soccer player however, her traditional parents do not support her in her ambitions. Jess joins a semi-professional team despite her parent’s wishes. Eventually, Jess must choose between her parent’s dreams and her own.
5 Million Dollar Baby
Clint Eastwood directs the inspiring tale Million Dollar Baby, which is about an aspiring boxer named Maggie Fitzgerald (Hillary Swank). Maggie approaches Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) to train her to become a professional boxer. Frank is ill-tempered and does not let anyone close to him. Frank declines, reluctant to take on another protégé (especially one of Maggie’s age). Maggie, however, persists, and eventually she and Frank become quite close. Subsequently her career flourishes. Later in the film, during her first title fight, Maggie is severely injured. Unable to return to the sport she loves, Maggie must come to terms with her new reality.
4 Love and Basketball
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Directed by Spike Lee, Love and Basketball follows Monica (Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy (Omar Epps) as childhood friends. The pair come of age together and both aspire to become professional basketball players. Quincy’s aspirations are encouraged, while Monica must prove herself and make her own opportunities. The friends eventually fall in love, their respective journeys, however, begin to jeopardize their relationship.
3 Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken
Based on Sonora Webster Carver’s Memoir “A Girl and Five Brave Horses” Wild Hearts Can’t be Broken is the story of Sonora Webster (Gabrielle Anwar) who aspires to be a horse diving girl. Webster approaches diving show presenter Doc Carver (Cliff Robertson) who refuses to train her because she is too young. He offers her a job as a stable hand instead. Sonora proves herself and Carver eventually agrees to train her as a diving girl. After some success as a diving girl, Sonora is subsequently injured in a diving accident. The mishap causes permanent blindness. Sonora must adjust to her new condition while fighting to keep her dream alive.
2 A League of Their Own
A League of Their Own tells the story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The AAGPBL was created out of necessity to fill a void while the men were away at war. The movie stars Geena Davis and Lori Petty as Dottie Hinson, and Kit Keller respectively, two sisters who join the league. Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks) a former player and alcoholic is the team manager for Kit and Dottie's team The Rockford Peaches. Dugan, however, does not take the job seriously so Dottie steps in to fill his shoes. Things heat up as sibling rivalry eventually pits the sisters against one another. The movie also inspired a series on Amazon Prime.
1 Blue Crush
Blue Crush tells the story of Anne Marie Chadwick (Kate Bosworth) a young surfer who was making progress towards a professional career before a near-fatal crash bruised her confidence. The movie follows Anne Marie on her journey back to professional surfing. Along the way, Anne Marie finds a support system in Matt Tollman (Matthew Davis) who helps her conquer her fears.