The unthinkable has happened in the English Premier League. Leicester City began the season at 5000/1 odds on finishing top and as of right now, they’ve won the whole damn thing.
This is a club that has never taken out the Champions title in their 132 year history. This is a club that if you had put 20 quid on them at the start of the season, you’d now be looking at a hefty 100k pay out. This is the ultimate sporting underdog story and let’s be real, a film is probably well and truly on the cards.
Until then, here are 11 (in honour of the players on a team) underdog films you should watch in celebration. Some of them are even available to watch for free at SBS on Demand - click the logo on the image to watch that film in full (no logo = not available).
A League Of Their Own
With war taking hold of America's men and major league baseballers, women stepped up to fill the stadiums around the country, but not without a fight on their hands. A League Of Their Own follows the journey of two sisters swept up in the world of Major League Baseball. Geena Davis, Tom Hanks and Rosie O'Donnell star and also remember when Madonna was an actor? (Yeah, that happened).
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Girlfight
Telling the story of a young girl fighting against gender stereotypes to follow her dream, Girlfight saw Michelle Rodriguez's film debut as Diana Guzman. The Brooklyn teen suffers from anger issues and decides to channel them into taking on the male dominated world of boxing, against her parents wishes, of course.
[link title="Girlfight review: It's the flip side of Billy Elliot." url="node/4022"]
Source: SBS Movies
Cool Runnings
Loosely based on the true story of the Jamaican bobsled team, Cool Runnings charts the unlikely story of how a group of Jamaiacan runners go from failed Summer Olympic participants to everyone's favourite Winter Olympic team.
(Walt Disney Pictures) Source: Walt Disney Pictures
Hoop Dreams
Following the journey of two African-American teens from lower socio economic backgrounds as they are begin the process for recruitment to the NBA, Hoop Dreams is a documentary that covers a range of hot topic issues such as race, education, social class, American values and the importance of family.
[link title="Hoop Dreams - Review" url="node/55436"]
Source: SBS Movies
Rocky
Chronicling the rise of Italian-American Rocky Balboa from small time boxer to taking on the world's best, Rocky was written and directed by its star Sylvester Stallone. This is the underdog film series that keeps on keeping on. With seven films in total, it doesn't look like the world is tiring of hearing about Rocky Balboa any time soon.
*cue 'Eye of the Tiger'*
(United Artists) Source: United Artists
The Karate Kid (1984)
Before Jaden Smith was even a thought for Will and Jada, the original karate kid, Daniel LaRusso, (Ralph Macchio) was being taught martial arts with the "wax on and wax off" method by the one and only Mr Miyagi (Pat Morita). There's plenty of montage and the ultimate come-from-behind performance by an injured Daniel.
(Columbia Pictures) Source: Columbia Pictures
The Mighty Ducks
When Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez) finds himself on the wrong end of the judicial system and having do public service by coaching a pee-wee hockey side, there's only one way for his team to go... and that's up. Except their skills aren't finessed and their arch nemesis team, The Hawks, stand in their way. This rag tag bunch of misfits became ultimate squad goals for kids in the '90s and beyond.
(Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures) Source: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Ping Pong
What's better than playing a game of ping pong than watching a documentary about a bunch of over 80-year-old pensioners living out their dreams of playing in a ping pong championships in Inner Mongolia? These are people who, quite literally, never say die.
[link title="Ping Pong Review" url="node/6199"]
Source: SBS Movies
Playoff
A biopic film about Israeli basketball coach Max Stoller, Playoff remembers one of the country's greatest international sporting successes - coaching Maccabi Tel Aviv to become the European Champions in the late '70s. In a surprising turn of events, Stoller went onto become a national villain as he later took on the job of coaching the West-German side.
Source: SBS Movies
The Swimsuit Issue
Forming Sweden's first all-male synchronised swimming team starts as a joke but becomes a second chance for a group of has-been athletes not quite ready to let go of their glory days . With a world championship on the line and no one to take them seriously, the guys rally to prove their detractors wrong.
Source: SBS Movies
The Race
11-year-old Mary is a girl trying to make it in the "boy’s world" of go carting. Well, her road to success is never going to be easy, but against all odds (plus with a little help from her loyal friend), she sets about building a go-cart and winning over the most unlikely hearts.
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The Race Source: SBS Movies
