Best tv shows like The First Olympics: Athens 1896
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Plot Summary:
This movie describes the founding of the modern Olympics and concentrates on the creation of the American team and their trials in getting to the Olympics in Athens.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 423
Genere: Drama, History, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 237 min
Plot tags: serious, captivating, realistic, crying
Best tv shows and movies like The First Olympics: Athens 1896 (1984):
Similar in 90%
Four Minutes (2005)
Plot Summary:
Sir Roger Bannister's historic running of the sub-four-minute mile is celebrated in Four Minutes, an inspiring and respectably authentic TV movie about breaking the most famous barrier in the history of sports.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 376
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Sport
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 88%
Playmakers (2003)
Plot Summary:
Playmakers is an American television series that aired on ESPN from August 26, 2003 to November 11, 2003. It depicted the lives of the Cougars, a fictional professional football team in an unidentified city. The show starred Omar Gooding, Marcello Thedford, Christopher Wiehl, Jason Matthew Smith, Russell Hornsby, and Tony Denison. The show, which ran eleven episodes, was the first original drama series created by ESPN. Although the ratings were very high for ESPN—Playmakers was the highest-rated show on the network other than its Sunday night NFL and Saturday college football games—ESPN eventually canceled the series under pressure from the National Football League, who thought professional football was being negatively portrayed.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 491 min
Plot tags: rough, serious, captivating, realistic
Similar in 83%
Saint Ralph (2004)
Plot Summary:
This Canadian made comedy/drama, set in Hamilton, Ontario in 1954, is a sweet and - at times - goofy story that becomes increasingly poignant as the minutes tick by. It's the fictional tale of a wayward 9th grader, Ralph (Adam Butcher), who is secretly living on his own while his widowed, hospitalized mother remains immersed in a coma. Frequently in trouble with Father Fitzpatrick (Gordon Pinsent), the principal of his all-boys, Catholic school, Ralph is considered something of a joke among peers until he decides to pull off a miracle that could save his mother, i.e., winning the Boston Marathon. Coached by a younger priest and former runner, Father Hibbert (Campbell Scott), whose cynicism has been lifted by the boy's pure hope, Ralph applies himself to his unlikely mission, fending off naysayers and getting help along a very challenging path from sundry allies and friends.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Sport
Country: Canada
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: emotional, sincere, sentimental, realistic, feel good, spiritual, semi serious, inspirational, crying, touching
Similar in 85%
The Bronx Is Burning (2007)
Plot Summary:
The Bronx Is Burning is a television drama that debuted on ESPN on July 9, 2007, after the 2007 MLB Home Run Derby. It is an eight-episode mini-series adapted from Jonathan Mahler's best-selling book, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx Is Burning. The book focuses on baseball's triumph over the turmoil and hysteria of 1977 New York City and how the New York Yankees came to embody the hopes and fears of an unforgettable summer with Billy Martin and Reggie Jackson's warfare under George Steinbrenner's leadership. The show stars Daniel Sunjata, Oliver Platt, and John Turturro, while executive producers Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins, Joe Davola, writer and executive producer James Solomon, and director Jeremiah Chechik work on the show. The series is produced by ESPN Original Entertainment in conjunction with Tollin/Robbins Productions. Filming began on September 18, 2006, in Connecticut and New York. The 2007 debut of the series marks the 30th anniversary of the 1977 World Series win for the Yankees, the first under Steinbrenner. After airing on ESPN, episodes could be viewed on ABC on Demand.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: exciting, serious, realistic, clever, humorous, epic, stylized, mad
Similar in 84%
The English Game (2020)
Plot Summary:
Two 19th-century footballers on opposite sides of a class divide navigate professional and personal turmoil to change the game — and England — forever.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Drama, History, Sport
Country: UK
Duration: 281 min
Plot tags: period piece, inspirational, uplifting, realistic, stylized, costume drama, serious, period drama
Similar in 88%
Spinning Out (2020)
Plot Summary:
Kat Baker is an up-and-coming, high-level single skater who is about to turn in her skates after a disastrous fall. When Kat seizes an opportunity to continue her career as a pair skater with a talented bad-boy partner, she risks exposing a fiercely kept secret that could unravel her entire life.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 48 min
Plot tags: inspirational, uplifting, psychological, suspense
Similar in 88%
My Brother's Keeper (2004)
Plot Summary:
Identical twin brothers Lou and Eric plan to compete together in the National Rowing Championships. But when Eric leaves their small town to attend an Ivy League University, the brother's bond is torn apart.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 219
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, captivating, exciting, crying, freeze frame
Similar in 81%
The Game of Their Lives (2005)
Plot Summary:
Based on a true story, this film tells the tale of the 1950 US soccer team who, against all odds, beat England 1 - 0 in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Although no US team has yet won a World Cup title, this story is about the family traditions and passions which shaped the lives of the players who made up this team of underdogs.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama, History, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: exciting, sentimental, serious, realistic, independent film
Similar in 78%
Personal Best (1982)
Plot Summary:
This film chronicles the relationship of two female world-class athletes. Mariel Hemingway and real-life Olympian pentathlete Patrice Donnelly play runners who train together, compete against each other and eventually become lovers. Scott Glenn plays their coach in this film that culminates with the trials for the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 128 min
Plot tags: sexual, erotic, tense, sentimental, sincere, uplifting, touching, serious, realistic, crying
Similar in 75%
Friday Night Lights (2006)
Plot Summary:
Friday Night Lights is an American drama television series based around a high school football team situated in Texas. The series takes place in the fictional town of Dillon: a small, close-knit community in rural Texas. Particular focus is given to team coach Eric Taylor and his family, Tammy and Julie. The show uses this small town backdrop to address many issues facing contemporary American culture, including family values, child development, life lessons, school funding, racism, drugs, abortion and lack of economic opportunities.
IMDB Rating: 8.7
IMDB Votes: 71000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: sincere, realistic, sentimental, serious, suspenseful, mysterious, dramatic, grindhouse, teen, light hearted
Similar in 87%
Make It or Break It (2009)
Plot Summary:
Set in the world of competitive gymnastics, the series follows a group of teen Olympic hopefuls as they train for their day in the spotlight.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: feel good, serious, captivating, teen, sentimental, realistic
Similar in 75%
The Junction Boys (2002)
Plot Summary:
Tom Berenger leads an outstanding cast in this bone-crunching dramatization of legendary college football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant's debut at Texas A&M in the summer of 1954. The often unnerving story finds Bryant ducking the school's good ol' boy network of rich, influential alumni by spiriting his new team away to a makeshift training base in a tiny town called Junction. There, Bryant runs the equivalent of a POW camp, brutalizing an oversized, underdeveloped bunch of rowdy young men and tormenting those who seek medical attention for cracked spines and deadly heat exhaustion. Berenger delivers a warts-and-all performance as the vulgar, monstrous, yet much-respected Bryant, and the direction by seasoned television vet Mike Robe is brisk and almost explosively charged. Whatever one thinks of Bryant's punishing methods, the film does not flinch from telling its powerful tale. --Tom Keogh.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 979
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, sincere, captivating, realistic
Similar in 85%
Texas Rising (2015)
Plot Summary:
A depiction of the rise of Texas from the Battle of the Alamo to San Jacinto. A story told through the lives of the men who gave everything up to defend an infant country from a ruthless Dictator and savage Native Americans, and paved the way for the Republic of Texas to emerge.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama, History, Western
Country: Mexico, USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: historical drama, serious, captivating, realistic, costume drama, spaghetti western
Similar in 75%
Berlin '36 (2009)
Plot Summary:
Berlin 36 is a 2009 German film telling the fate of Jewish athlete Gretel Bergmann in the 1936 Summer Olympics. She was replaced by the Nazi regime by an athlete later discovered to be a man. The film is based on a true story and was released in Germany on September 10, 2009. Reporters at Der Spiegel challenged the historical basis for many of the events in the film, pointing to arrest records and medical examinations indicating German authorities did not learn Dora Ratjen was male until 1938.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 944
Genere: Drama, History, Sport
Country: Germany
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: uplifting, disturbing, serious, realistic, period drama
Similar in 79%
Bert & Dickie (2012)
Plot Summary:
Thrown together just five weeks before the final of the 1948 London Olympics, Bert Bushnell (Doctor Who's Matt Smith) and Dickie Burnell (Sam Hoare) defied all the odds and made history in the double sculls. This is the story of how they did it - not only by pushing physical and emotional limits, but also by overcoming their vast professional and personal differences.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 375
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Sport
Country: UK
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: uplifting, serious, realistic, exciting
Similar in 90%
Soul of the Game (1996)
Plot Summary:
Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson are the greatest players in the Colored leagues, and everyone expects that one of them will make the leap to the Major Leagues, now that there is talk of integration. But, unexpectedly, it's the rookie with the army record, Jackie Robinson, that gets tapped to be the first.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, History, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: sentimental, sincere, uplifting, touching, serious, emotional, realistic
Similar in 79%
Triumph of the Spirit (1989)
Plot Summary:
Fact based story about a former Greek Olympic boxer who was taken as a prisoner during World war II and placed in the Auschwitz prison camp. There he was permitted to survive as long as he fought for the amusement of his captors. His father and brother were also held as insurance that he would continue to fight.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Sport, War
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: disturbing, independent film, tense, bleak, serious, realistic, suspenseful, crying, inspirational, odd
Similar in 83%
Backstairs at the White House (1979)
Plot Summary:
Behind the scenes at the White House during eight administrations, as told by the people who work there.
IMDB Rating: 8.3
IMDB Votes: 472
Genere: Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 540 min
Plot tags: historical drama, uplifting, touching, serious, captivating, emotional, realistic, political drama
Similar in 79%
Gracie (2007)
Plot Summary:
This is the story of a teenager named Gracie Bowen, who lives in South Orange, New Jersey, is crazy about soccer, as are her three brothers and former soccer star father. Although Gracie wants to join her brothers and father in the nightly practices, she is discouraged by everyone except her elder brother, Johnny. Her father does not believe that girls should play soccer and tells her that she is neither tough enough nor talented enough to play with the boys team. Undeterred, Gracie finds reserves of strength she never knew existed, and persists in changing everyone's beliefs in what she is capable of, including her own. She faces an uphill battle when she fights to give women the opportunity to play competitive soccer. But as the beautiful and strong person that she has always been but she also brings her family together in the face of their own tragedy.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, emotional, realistic, sincere, serious, crying
Similar in 76%
Prefontaine (1997)
Plot Summary:
It's the true-life story of legendary track star Steve Prefontaine, the exciting and sometimes controversial "James Dean of Track," whose spirit captured the heart of the nation! Cocky, charismatic, and tough, "Pre" was a running rebel who defied rules, pushed limits ... and smashed records.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: talky, factual, intense, sincere, rough, serious, inspirational, non fiction, cult classic, captivating
Similar in 83%
A Season on the Brink (2002)
Plot Summary:
"A Season on the Brink: A Year with Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers" is based on the best-selling book by John Feinstein. The movie chronicles Indiana's 1985-86 season, when Knight granted Feinstein unprecedented access to the team and its practices, meetings, and huddles.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 555
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: Germany, USA
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: uplifting, serious, realistic, captivating
Similar in 76%
Pride (2007)
Plot Summary:
In this uplifting film based on a true story, coach Jim Ellis (Terrence Howard) shocks the community and changes lives when, aided by a local janitor (Bernie Mac), he sets out to form Philadelphia's first black swim team. But the odds are against them as they battle rigid rules, racism and more.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: Germany, USA
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: inspirational, uplifting, serious, emotional, realistic, sincere, touching, crying, exciting, road movie
Similar in 87%
Kingdom (2014)
Plot Summary:
A raw family drama set against the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in Venice, California. Alvey Kulina owns Navy St. MMA with the help of his girlfriend Lisa Prince. He is willing to go through extraordinary means to make sure his fighters are taken care of, but all of this responsibility comes at a steep price. He has complicated relationships with both of his sons, Jay and Nate, who are both struggling with their own identities and places within Alvey’s life and gym.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: rough, serious, exciting, captivating, realistic, erotic, dramatic, crime drama, sensual, bleak
Similar in 82%
Eight Men Out (1988)
Plot Summary:
The great Chicago White Sox team of 1919 is the saddest team to ever win a pennent. The team is bitter at their penny pincher owner, Charles Comiskey, and at their own teammates. Gamblers take advantage of this opportunity to offer some players $ to throw the series (Most of the players didn't get as much as promised.) But Buck Weaver and the great Shoeless Joe Jackson turn back at the last minute to try and play their best. The Sox actually almost come back from a 3-1 deficit. 2 years later, the truth breaks out and the Sox are sued on multiple accounts. They are found innocent by the jury but baseball commissioner Landis has other plans. The eight players are suspended for life, and Buck Weaver, for the rest of his life, tries to clear his name.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Drama, History, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 119 min
Plot tags: realistic, factual, atmospheric, talky, intense, serious, captivating, inspirational, independent film, non fiction
Similar in 85%
Sons of Liberty (2015)
Plot Summary:
The story of a group of very different men fighting in the American Colonies for freedom, and how they will shape the future for the United States of America.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 270 min
Plot tags: captivating, historical drama, exciting, serious, realistic, tense, suspenseful, political, period drama
Similar in 79%
Chariots of Fire (1981)
Plot Summary:
The true story of British athletes preparing for and competing in the 1924 Summer Olympics.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 65000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: UK
Duration: 125 min
Plot tags: inspirational, period piece, christian film, costume drama, historical drama, sentimental, motivational, feel good, non fiction, sincere
Similar in 86%
Seabiscuit (2003)
Plot Summary:
True story of the undersized Depression-era racehorse whose victories lifted not only the spirits of the team behind it but also those of their nation.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 76000
Genere: Drama, History, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 140 min
Plot tags: inspirational, sentimental, feel good, touching, emotional, light, period piece, factual, serious, realistic
Similar in 86%
The Final Season (2007)
Plot Summary:
True story of Kent Stock, who in the early 90's, gives up a job and ditches his wedding plans to take over as head coach as the Norway High School baseball team. Kent must win over his players and convince them and himself that he can fill their former coach's shoes and that they can go out winners. In the summer of 1991 Norway High's baseball tradition ended on a triumphant but sombre note.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 119 min
Plot tags: sentimental, sincere, touching, realistic, historical drama, serious, captivating, emotional, independent film
Similar in 75%
Without Limits (1998)
Plot Summary:
The film follows the life of famous 1970s runner Steve Prefontaine from his youth days in Oregon to the University of Oregon where he worked with the legendary coach Bill Bowerman, later to Olympics in Munich and his early death at 24 in a car crash.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 117 min
Plot tags: inspirational, sincere, factual, exciting, captivating, touching, emotional, realistic, feel good, crying
Similar in 79%
Miracle (2004)
Plot Summary:
In 1980, the United States Ice Hockey team's coach, Herb Brooks, put a ragtag squad of college kids up against the legendary juggernaut from the Soviet Union at the Olympic Games. Despite the long odds, Team USA carried the pride of a nation yearning for a distraction from world events. With the world watching, the team rose to the occasion, prompting broadcaster Al Michaels' now famous question to the millions viewing at home: "Do you believe in miracles?" Yes!.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 58000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Sport
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 135 min
Plot tags: uplifting, touching, factual, sincere, captivating, feel good, inspirational, emotional, realistic, motivational