All-Time Best Sports Films? Don’t Forget Tripletts of Belleville

With the Beijing Olympics in its final few days, a great documentary film could be in the making — Michael Phelps to Usain Bolt, the pageantry of the opening ceremonies to the vast technology wonderment.

With pretty good timing, AOL recently announced its top-25 sports movies of all-time. It’s a great list, but there’s plenty for room second-guessing since such lists are always subjective.

Poster For The Tripletts Of Belleville

Here’s the AOL top 10, followed by a list of another top-10 list compiled in reaction to the AOL list by Bill Ordine of the Baltimore Sun.

And there’s my nomination for one of the great sports films in history that didn’t make either list, but should have.

America Online’s Top 10.

10. The Hustler; 9. Remember The Titans; 8. Hoop Dreams; 7. Field of Dreams; 6. Caddyshack; 5. The Natural; 4. Hoosiers; 3. Bull Durham; 2. Raging Bull; 1. Rocky.

Baltimore Sun’s Top 10

10. Horse Feathers; 9. The Cincinnati Kid; 8. The Hustler; 7. Eight Men Out; 6. Somebody Up There Likes Me; 5. Blood And Sand; 4. North Dallas Forty; 3. Requiem For A Heavyweight; 2. Bleacher Bums; 1.The Harder They Fall.

SportsPageFair.com (Addition To Any Top-10 List)

The Tripletts of Belleville

For anyone with at least a passing interest in the Tour de France, the 2003 animated film is a must-see. It’s retro, it’s hip, there’s very little dialogue, there’s dark and poignant satire and sweetness. It’s a one-of-a-kind film that was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature, making it the first PG-13 animated film to be nominated in that category, and Best Original Song.