Movies like The Blind Side never fail to capture people’s hearts and emotion with its inspiring story that champion the human spirit.
The award-winning film that won Sandra Bullock her first Oscar, The Blind Side chronicles the story of Michael, a homeless teenager who was adopted by a family and supported his football ambitions despite his shortcomings.
Despite being released in 2009, it is surprising to see the lessons of The Blind Side about humility still resonating with a lot of audiences today. With this, we have compiled movies like The Blind Side that offers the same heart-wrenching effect!
10 Heartwarming & Inspirational Movies Like The Blind Side
1. Invictus (2000)
Clint Eastwood’s Invictus reimagines a historic moment where President Nelson Mandela invites the South African nation to unite and support a rugby team competing in the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
With memorable performances by Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman as Mandela, Invictus is a triumphant reminder that spreading kindness and compassion can truly come a long way in the face of difficult obstacles.
If you are looking for movies like The Blind Side that tells inspiring real-life sports stories, make Invictus a priority watch!
9. Moneyball (2011)
Sports movies don’t usually fare with non-sports lovers, but Moneyball manages to create an inclusive story of baseball’s most innovative discoveries.
Brad Pitt plays Billy Beane, the manager of the Oakland Athletics baseball team who reinvents their playing method using a model that has never been used before—all with the help of statistics!
You don’t need to firmly grasp the technicalities of baseball to appreciate Moneyball because there’s more to it than just the sport. The film juggles its plays like a science experiment, which makes Moneyball ultimately enjoyable.
8. 42 (2013)
42 tells the story of Jackie Robinson, the first black athlete to play for the Major League Baseball (MLB) in the 1940s.
42 was under the radar for many audiences when it was released in 2013, but those who will get the chance to see it will find brilliance in the late Chadwick Boseman’s impressive turn as Robinson. The film also boasts of an impressive supporting cast, with Harrison Ford, Nicole Beharie, and Christopher Meloni providing nuanced performances.
Minor flaws aside, 42 still manages to inspire by being an important addition to movie biographies.
7. Hoop Dreams (1994)
Hoop Dreams documents the story of two high school students in Chicago and their dream of becoming professional basketball players.
Lauded by film critics such as Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel as the greatest film of the 1990s, Hoop Dreams is a powerful portrait of what documentaries can do by transcending small moments to impactful memories.
Clocking in at almost three hours, Hoop Dreams transforms its story of basketball dreams into a platform that explores issues of social class, education, and race in the contemporary period.
6. Eddie The Eagle (2015)
Dexter Fletcher’s Eddie The Eagle, a movie based on the real-life story of ski athlete Michael “Eddie” Edwards during his underdog years, is a perfect complementary watch to movies like The Blind Side because of its feel-good vibes!
The film stars Taron Edgerton as Edwards, who aspires to compete at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Alberta. Removed from his Olympic team, a snowplow driver (Hugh Jackman) volunteered to train Edwards to help him win the competition.
Many people will find something relatable to Eddie The Eagle—and even discover a very valuable lesson to cherish and learn in the process!
5. Jerry Maguire (1996)
Many of us may remember Jerry Maguire’s iconic lines like “Show me the money!” or “You complete me” but what the movie truly represents is a heartwarming story of a man who is willing to risk everything all for humility and love.
Tom Cruise plays the titular sports agent who was fired from his firm. With only one client agreeing to stay by his side, he must defy expectations and win an upcoming sports competition to prove nay-sayers wrong.
Movies like Jerry Maguire rarely come these days. It’s funny, heart-warming, and most importantly, motivational. Go see it!
4. Friday Night Lights (2004)
Fans of movies like The Blind Side would have a large chance of enjoying Friday Night Lights, a football movie about teamwork and perseverance.
The movie follows Gary Gaines (Billy Bob Thornton), the coach of the Permian High School Panther football team who must drive his team to victory regardless of the many obstacles they have to face.
A lot of critics and movie lovers have described Friday Night Lights as one of the best sports movies in recent years, even spawning a five-season series on NBC that was also recognized with awards.
3. Rocky (1976)
When it comes to a list of sports movies like The Blind Side, including the first Rocky movie starring Sylvester Stallone is mandatory.
Like other titles on this list, Rocky is also an underdog story, about a man who is determined to win a coveted boxing championship title despite being a no-name.
Rocky is more than just a classic, it’s a milestone in the sports movie genre with lessons that are universal and timeless. Young audiences who will watch it today will still feel inspired like many did when it first came out.
2. Creed (2015)
If Rocky is on the list, its reboot Creed should also have a slot somewhere here. The movie continues the story of Rocky, now training the son of an old friend who had passed away.
It’s essentially Rocky for the new generation, aided with an impressive direction by Ryan Coogler who marries classic Rocky tropes and new techniques from today’s cinema. But you definitely have to see Creed for its edge-of-your-seat climactic boxing sequence done in one long shot.
Like Rocky and other movies like The Blind Side, Creed is a prime example of where sports movies can go by simply staying true to its heart.
1. Remember the Titans (2000)
Of course, we have to end the list with Remember the Titans, a movie about a football coach appointed to an underdog high school team.
Remember the Titans is a landmark for sports movies. While its other counterparts such as Rocky and Friday Night Lights managed to inspire by embracing our inner underdogs, Remember the Titans offered a valuable lesson that our identity should not be a hindrance in achieving greater things.
Sure, Remember the Titans might cling to a lot of tropes from the sports genre, but it truly accomplished something remarkable for other football movies that came after.