sports films
Movies inspired by and based on true stories.
View trailers, reviews, films, and facts behind the films about sports. Discover the facts vs. fiction, history vs. Hollywood.
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Most films included are highly rated on Rotten Tomatoes and the Internet Movie Database (IMDb). They have at least a 70% rating from critics and audiences alike, many with 80% or above. Enjoy the best true story films about sports!
Sports films are one of the most popular "based on a true story" genres, many of which also fit in the feel-good, inspirational film genre. Many sports films are also about education in its broadest sense, from the Latin educare, to draw out or lead out. Supportive coaches, peers, family, friends, and self-discipline draw out or lead out teamwork, determination, self-confidence, endurance, and the ability to stretch limits. Some sports films also touch on academic achievement in the classroom and its impact on sports and the game of life.
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Sports involve kinesthetic skill and physical exertion, but a sport is a competitive game that may also involve intellectual skill and exertion. Sports films include ball games like basketball, football, and baseball, but also diverse sports like swimming, racing, sledding, and chess. Even if you are not a sports person, many of the themes in sports films have the power to move us all.
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Explore 38 highly rated films about sports, coaches, athletes, sportsmanship, and perseverance. ​​​Sports films based on and inspired by true stories in alphabetical order:​
Baseball
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42 (2013)
A League of Their Own (1992)
Moneyball (2011)
The Rookie (2002)
Car Racing
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Ford v. Ferrari (2019)
Gran Turismo (2023)
The World's Fastest Indian (2005)
Sailing and Swimming
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​True Spirit (2023)
​Young Woman and the Sea (2024)
Volleyball
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The Miracle Season (2018)
Basketball
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Coach Carter (2005)
Edge of America (2003)
Glory Road (2006)
Hoosiers (1986)
​Hurricane Season (2009)
Football
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American Underdog (2020)
Friday Night Lights (2004)
Gridiron Gang (2006)
Invincible (2006)
​McFarland, USA (2015)
​Remember the Titans (2000)
​Rudy (1993)
​The Blind Side (2009)
​The Express (2008)
​We Are Marshall (2006)
Boxing
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Cinderella Man (2005)
The Fighter (2010)
Golf
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The Long Game (2023)
Tennis
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King Richard (2021)
Winter Sports (Figure Skating, Ice Hockey, Sledding)
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Cool Runnings (1993)
​Eddie the Eagle (2015)
​I, Tonya (2017)
​Miracle (2004)
Chess
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Queen of Katwe (2016)
Mountaineering
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Everest (2015)
Track and Field, Adventure Racing
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​Arthur the King (2024)
​Prefontaine (1997)
​Without Limits (1998)
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PG-13 | Biography, Drama, Sport | In 1947, Jackie Robinson becomes the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball after Branch Rickey, manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, signs him onto the team, resulting in racism from the public, press, and other players.
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Trailers and Reviews:
Facts:
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'42' Gets The Story Of Jackie Robinson Right by All Things Considered on NPR
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Biography of Jackie Robinson on biography.com, jackierobinson.com, and history.com
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THIS DAY IN HISTORY | APRIL 15 Jackie Robinson becomes first African American player in Major League Baseball on History.com
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11 Things You May Not Know About Jackie Robinson on History.com
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Jackie Robinson quotes with sources on wikiquote
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"I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me. All I ask is that you respect me as a human being. I am not ashamed of my dark skin. You and every other white American should understand that we believe our color is an asset. Your dislike of my aggressiveness has no effect on me. I'm after something much more important than your favor or disfavor. You should at least respect me as a man who stands up for what he believes in." - Jackie Robinson to an umpire, as quoted in Baseball Has Done It (1964) by Robinson, pp. 9-10​
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"I do not care if the guy is yellow or black, or if he has stripes like a zebra. I'm the manager of this team, and I say he plays. What's more, I say he can make us all rich. And if any of you cannot use the money, I will see that you are all traded." - Leo Durocher, as quoted in Out of the Shadows: African American Baseball from the Cuban Giants to Jackie Robinson (2005) by Morgan Freedmon
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PG-13 | Adventure, Animals, Drama, Sport | Michael Light is an adventure racer who gets together a team to compete in the Adventure Racing World Championship in the Dominican Republic, where he befriends a wounded, stray dog he names Arthur, who follows him in the epic race.
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Trailers and Reviews:
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History vs Hollywood video on YouTube
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Arthur: The Dog who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home book by Mikael Lindnord on Amazon
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Arthur: The Dog who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home book preview on Google Books
PG | Comedy, Drama, Sport | During World War II, the first professional female baseball league is established in the Midwest, USA, with two competitive sisters, Dottie Hinson and Kit Keller, who argue with each other and their grumpy coach, Jimmy Dugan.
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Free Lessons collection for students, teachers, and parents, including educational materials, activities, and background facts from True Story Movies on Pinterest​
PG | Biography, Drama, Sport | Kurt Warner went from stocking shelves at a supermarket and years of challenges to becoming an American Football star, two-time NFL MVP, and Hall of Fame quarterback.
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Kurt Warner biography on Wikipedia and Biography.com
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"Kurt Warner's football career has proven to be of the more improbable rags-to-riches stories ever to come out of the sports world." - the Biography.com website
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PG-13 | Biography, Drama, Romance, Sport | During the Great Depression in the 1930s, James J. Braddock is an impoverished ex-boxer who returns to the spotlight to fight Max Baer in the world heavyweight championship, becoming "The Cinderella Man" for his rags-to-riches story.
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"Meet James J. Braddock, The Real-Life ‘Cinderella Man’ Boxer Who Became A Depression-Era Folk Hero" by Marco Margaritoff on allthatsinteresting.com
PG-13 | Biography, Drama, Education, Sport | In 1999, Ken Carter introduces tough rules and higher academic standards for the high school basketball team in Richmond, California, shutting down a winning season when the players' grades drop below standards.
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Trailers and Reviews:
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Coach Carter Documentary-the real coach carter (1 of 2) on YouTube
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Coach Carter Documentary-the real coach carter (2 of 2) on YouTube
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Coach Carter True Story: How Much Is Real & What Happened Next by by Colin McCormick, Raven Monroe, and Tom Russell on Screen Rant
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PG | Adventure, Comedy, Family, History, Sport | Four Jamaicans who have never seen snow form their country's first bobsled team to compete in the upcoming 1988 Winter Olympics with the help of a former, disgraced Olympic gold medalist to coach them.
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Cool Runnings (1993) Free Lessons collection for students, teachers, and homeschool parents, including educational materials, activities, and background facts from True Story Movies on Pinterest
PG-13 | Adventure, Biography, Comedy, Drama, History, Sport | British ski jumper Eddie Edwards is an underdog who travels to Germany to develop ski jumping skills, aiming for the improbable: to compete in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta.
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TV-PG | Drama, Education, Sport | A black educator begins a job teaching high school English to American Indian students at the Three Nations Reservation in rural Utah, where he reluctantly agrees to become a coach for the girls' basketball team.
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Teach with Movies - factual background, discussion questions, and more
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Belief in self gives 'Wings' article by Rosemary Zibart in USA TODAY
Everest (2015)
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PG-13 | Action, Adventure, Biography, Drama, Disaster & Survival, Sport, Thriller | On the morning of May 10, 1996, mountain guides Rob Hall and Scott Fischer combine their expedition teams for a final ascent to the summit of Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. A blizzard suddenly strikes, and the climbers battle to survive.
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IMDb
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PG-13 | Action, Biography, Drama, Sport | American car designer Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles build a race car for Ford to defeat Ferrari at the 1966 Le Mans competition.
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PG-13 | Action, Drama, Sport | Odessa, Texas is a small, economically depressed, and racially divided town obsessed with its high school football team. When a star player is seriously injured, the town's social problems erupt, but the new coach Gary Gaines inspires the team and town.
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Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream book by H.G. Bissinger on Amazon
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PG | Biography, Drama, Sport | In 1966, the Texas Miners new coach, Don Haskins, leads the first all-black starting line-up for a college basketball team to the NCAA national championship, but racial tension from conversative town members threatens to jeopardize the team.
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Hollywood takes liberties with true stories but 'Glory Road' is a flagrant foul article by William Arnold on Seattle Pi
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Reel Life: 'Glory Road' article by Jeff Merron from Reel vs Real on ESPN
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PG-13 | Action, Adventure, Drama, Sport | Jann Mardenborough is a teenage Gran Turismo player who won a series of video game competitions to become a real-life professional race car driver on a team of underdogs.
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The Gran Turismo Movie Tells a Remarkable True Story—With One Big Exception article by Tyler Piccotti on Biography.com
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PG-13 | Biography, Crime, Drama, Sport | A counselor at a juvenile detention facility turns the teenage inmates into a football team to give them self-respect.
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PG | Drama, Sport | In 1950s Indiana, a failed college coach, Norman Dale, and his choice of assistant coach, the town drunk, work together to train a high school basketball team in a small town to become a leading contender for the state championship.
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PG | Drama, Sport | A year after the destruction from Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans high school basketball coach Al Collins gathers displaced students and rebuilds the school team, the Patriots, with athletes from five different schools, aiming to participate in the basketball championship.
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Coming soon!
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R | Biography, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Sport | In 1994, successsful figure skater Tonya Harding's reputation and life are tarnished when her ex-husband plans to injure Nancy Kerrigan, another figure skater and Olympic hopeful.
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PG | Biography, Drama, Sport | In 1976, Vince Papale is a 30-year-old who teaches high school in Pennsylvania when he successfully tries out for his favorite football team, the Philadelphia Eagles, becoming one of the oldest rookies in NFL history who did not play college football.
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Everything Invincible Doesn't Tell You About The True Story by Alec Newcomb on Looper
PG-13 | Biography, Drama, Sport | The story of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams, who grew up in a ghetto in Compton and whose father, Richard, writes a plan for them to become tennis champions.
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What’s Fact and What’s Fiction in King Richard by Ellin Stein on Slate
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King Richard True Story: How Much Is Real (& What It Left Out) by Katy Rath on screenrant
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PG | Biography, Drama, Sport | "Jim White moves his family after losing his last job as a football coach, and at his new school he turns seven disappointing students into one of the best cross-country teams in the region."
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PG | Biography, Drama, Sport | "The true story of Herb Brooks, the player-turned-coach who led the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team to victory over the seemingly invincible Soviet squad."
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PG-13 | Biography, Drama, Sport | Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane attempts to assemble a baseball team on a tight budget by employing Peter Brand to use a computer-generated analysis to acquire new players whom the scouts have labeled as flawed but who have game-winning potential together.
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Trailers and Reviews:
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Moneyball True Story: How Accurate The Baseball Movie Is article on Screen Rant
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What the ACTUAL 2002 A's thought of Moneyball brief interviews on NBC sports show
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The Real Story Behind ‘Moneyball’ article on Film School Rejects
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Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game book by Michael Lewis on Amazon
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PG | Biography, Drama, Sport | This biographical film is based on the life of Phiona and her family in impoverished Katwe, Uganda, where she learns to play chess at age ten and rises to become a top chess player under the guidance of a missionary and teacher.
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The Queen of Katwe 6 min. documentary on YouTube
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The Queen of Katwe: One Girl's Triumphant Path to Becoming a Chess Champion book written by sports writer Tim Crothers
PG | Biography, Drama, Sport | In 1971, Alexandria, Virginia, the school board is forced to integrate an all-black school with an all-white school, bringing challenges to the beloved tradition of high school football.
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PG | Biography, Drama, Sport | Rudy Ruettiger dreams of playing football for the University of Notre Dame, determined to leave the steel mill where he works. He has many obstacles to overcome: he was told that he was too small for college football, plus he lacks the money for tuition, has dyslexia, and lacks the grades for a scholarship, but with perseverance and the help of a tutor, he is admitted to the university.
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PG-13 | Biography, Drama, Sport | The story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All-American football player and first-round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family.
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Trailers and Reviews:
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The True Story of Michael Oher and 'The Blind Side' by Jordan Zakarin on Biography.com
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The Real Story Behind The Blind Side – Where Is Michael Oher Now? by Bianca Mercuri on Goalcast. Excerpts from the article:
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Oher’s 2014 memoir, I Beat the Odds, further addresses his views on The Blind Side.
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“I felt like it portrayed me as dumb,” Oher wrote, “instead of as a kid who had never had consistent academic instruction and ended up thriving once he got it.”
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One good deed can change the course of someone’s life. The way that Oher and the Tuohys’ lives merged fulfilled them both. “When I moved in with Leigh Anne and Sean, I felt loved, like part of a family,” wrote Oher, who went on to found the Oher Foundation, dedicated to providing underprivileged children with a pathway to success.
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PG | Biography, Drama, Sport | Ernie Davis is a football player who overcomes poverty and racial prejudice, becoming a college football hero with guidance from his coach, Ben Schwartzwalder, and in 1961, he becomes the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy.
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Coming soon!
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PG | Biography, Drama, Sport | Micky Ward is a hardworking, up-and-coming boxer who struggles to emerge from the shadow of his famous boxer brother who is Micky's unreliable trainer, and his own mother is his tough manager, but his career takes a turn when he parts ways with his family.
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PG | Drama, History, Sport | In the 1950s, JB Peña moves to small town Del Rio, Texas, to start a job as a school superintentent, but when he is rejected by the prestigious, all-white country club, he creates a golf team, the Mustangs, with five teenage Mexican-American caddies from the club.
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Mustang Miracle book by Humberto G. Garcia on Amazon
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Entertainment Weekly article by Calie Schepp excerpt: Vasquez, now 83, spoke with EW about how it feels to see his story come to life on the big screen. "It's a dream come true, only in America, really," says the former Mustang. "We were fighting brutal poverty and brutal discrimination. Our parents were migrants, they were illiterate, and we were very poor. So to us, this was very exciting because we could enjoy caddying, making a little money, and learning how to play golf by mimicking the golfers. And then we got an idea, let's make our golf course.
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PG | Drama, Sport | Caroline "Line" Found is the high school team's star volleybar player, but in the wake of her tragic death, her team must unite under their tough-love coach with hopes of winning the state championship.
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'The Miracle Season': Meet the real people who inspired the movie from Iowa City Press Citizen
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Is ‘The Miracle Season’ based on a true story? Its director talks us through it from metro.us
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G | Drama, Family, Sport | Jim Morris is a Texas high school chemistry teacher and baseball coach who agrees to try out for a major league team if his high school team wins the district championship.
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The Rookie (2002) Free Lessons collection for students, teachers, and homeschool parents, including educational materials, activities, and background facts from True Story Movies on Pinterest
The World's Fastest Indian (2005)
PG-13 | Biography, Drama, Sport | "The story of New Zealander Burt Munro, who spent years rebuilding a 1920 Indian motorcycle, which helped him set the land speed world record at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967."
Trailers and Reviews:
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What happened to the World’s Fastest Indian? on motorcylenews.com
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The World's Fastest Indian - plot, historical accuracy, etc. on Wikipedia
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10 Fast Facts About Burt Munro on hotcars.com
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A bike, a shed, and Burt Munro on Museum of New Zealand website
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Burt Munro biography on Wikipedia
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TV-PG | Adventure, Biography, Drama, Family, Sport | Australian teenager Jessica Watson is the youngest person ever to sail solo, nonstop, and unassisted around the world.
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Everything Netflix’s True Spirit Movie Changes From The Real Story article by Holly McFarlane on Screen Rant
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PG | Drama, Sport | When a plane crash claims the lives of members of the Marshall University football team and some of its fans, the team's new coach and his surviving players try to keep the football program alive.
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Trailers and Reviews:
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We are Marshall: What Was True and What Was Not? on The Grueling Truth
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The Real Story Behind We Are Marshall by Tracy V. Wilson on howstuffworks
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Historical Newspapers Clippings, Videos and Documents on Marshall University website
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PLANE CRASH MEMORIAL on Marshall University website
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"We Are Marshall" And "The Marshall Story" - Hollywood vs Reality by Jon Johnston
PG-13 | Biography, Drama, Sport | "The life of renowned runner Steve Prefontaine and his relationship with legendary coach Bill Bowerman."
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Coming soon!
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Young Woman and the Sea (2024)
PG | Biography, Drama, Sport | In 1920s New York, Gertrude (Trudy) Ederle becomes an accomplished swimmer with the support of her older sister, mother, and trainers, overcoming sexism and other adversities, becoming the first woman to ever swim across the English Channel.
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The First Woman to Swim the English Channel Beat the Men’s Record by Two Hours by Becky Little on history.com
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National Girls & Women in Sports Day: The Greatness of Gertrude Ederle by Lianne McCluskey on Swimming World Magazine
More to Come!
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Are there any more sports films based on a true story to include here? Any more facts vs. fiction? Reach out and contact me. I am open to respectful questions, comments, positive feedback, and constructive feedback about this website. Thank you, and enjoy the movies!