A sports epic is not complete without a moving montage. Whether it’s track athletes running down the beach in “Chariots of Fire” or fans cheering on the Panthers in “Friday Night Lights,” montages motivate viewers to get up and take on whatever challenges they face, making for inspirational entertainment choices ideal for the start of a new year.
Everyone knows Rocky Balboa is the king of training montages, whether he’s running up the steps in his first film or scaling the snowy mountains in “Rocky IV.” But he isn’t the only boxer who displays perseverance as Robert De Niro, Hilary Swank and Mark Wahlberg also racked up wins round after round in “Raging Bull,” “Million Dollar Baby” and “The Fighter.” And few coaching sequences are as cherished as Mr. Miyagi teaching Daniel the crane and wax on, wax off in “The Karate Kid.”
Denzel Washington also displays his sporting prowess in the basketball drama “He Got Game” and the high school football biopic “Remember The Titans.” Gene Hackman, Samuel L. Jackson and Josh Lucas also coached their own basketball teams in “Hoosiers,” “Coach Carter” and “Glory Road” while Michael Jordan threw on his old jersey to play with the Looney Tunes in “Space Jam.” Sean Astin inspires in the stirring true story of “Rudy,” and Brad Pitt saw the Oakland A’s through a rousing underdog season in “Moneyball.” Because no matter the sport, we all want to see our favorite cinematic athletes chase after their dreams.