10. The Rookie
The story of an aging athlete may be overplayed in sports films, but the story of the athlete who never was, making his debut at an age when most of his peers are thinking about retiring is a story that’s fresh and unique and makes The Rookie one of the greatest sports stories of all time.
This would be a great movie even if it just showed Jimmy Morris coaching his high school team to success. The way he motivates his team and turns them around rivals the greatest films about coaches ever. But that’s not even half the story. It then turns to Morris fulfilling his own dreams, which makes the film all the more powerful.
Quaid turns in one of the best performances of his career here, staying totally believable as the man finally living out his childhood dreams. The interactions between him and his son are phenomenal, and the ones with his wife and father are no less powerful. The scenes of him actually on the mound conjure up images of some of the greatest relief pitchers of all time, and The Rookie stands out because of that.