From religious epics and gut-busting comedies to Disney animated classics and intense dramas based on true stories, Olympic athletes love a wide variety of movies. Yes, that's right, they do have time to watch films in between their hours of training to be the best of the best, and in an exclusive new video, 15 members of the US Olympic Team share their favorites with Fandango.
"The acting is phenomenal," says soccer icon and Olympic gold medalist Megan Rapinoe about her favorite movie of all time, The Shawshank Redemption. "It's about what's right and what's fair. And never giving in."
A lot of the athletes in the video similarly highlight an inspiring story. "Everybody was down on the Bride and she had to overcome everything and get back what was rightfully hers," says track and field star Vashti Cunningham on her choice of Kill Bill.
Many of the picks have been a part of these athlete's lives for a very long time and hold a special place in their memories and hearts. "I was 12, and I'd never seen a movie so funny," says wheelchair rugby player Chuck Aoki about Airplane!.
"When you're young, people make fun of having an unusual name," says track and field Paralympian Scout Bassett, "but to see To Kill a Mockingbird and who that girl represented and what she was about gave me a lot of pride."
A couple of the athletes name sports movies as their all-time favorites. Soccer player Julie Ertz names Remember the Titans ("I just love sports and what sports does") and beach volleyball player Trevor Crabb names Happy Gilmore. Between what these Olympians represent, though, and what sports movies do, to continue what Ertz is talking about, it's worth considering films about inspiring athletes in addition to those favored by inspiring athletes.
Vudu has curated a sale on the most inspiring sports movies of all time, according to Rotten Tomatoes, and Happy Gilmore is among the titles available, as is the golf film The Greatest Game Ever Played. You've also got baseball classics like The Natural and Major League and a Best Picture-winner about Olympians: Chariots of Fire. Plus, more real stories, such as the sailing documentary Maidan and the Oscar-winning climbing film Free Solo.
Other movies specifically tied to the Olympics include the Jesse Owens biopic Race, the comedy The Bronze, the documentaries I Am Bolt and The Other Dream Team and the Czech drama Fair Play. No matter what your game or your preferred tone, there's something for any sort of sports fan. And grabbing a bunch as part of this deal is a kind of victory on its own.
