Every film genre has its clichés. What would a romcom be without a meet-cute and a sassy best friend dispensing advice over a latté? What would a horror film be without sudden power outages and phones that have conveniently lost service? The difference between sports movies and most other film genres, however, is that sports movies aren’t just filled with clichés, they’re defined by them. All but the most creative filmmakers approach sports movies as a paint-by-number operation. They all hit the same several dozen beats, just in different sports and with different characters.
Some sports movie clichés are essential to drama. If the team doesn’t overcome incredible odds, they aren’t heroes. If it isn’t all on the line at the last moment, there is no climax. (This is the case in super-ripped Jake Gyllenhaal’s new movie, Southpaw, where he plays a boxer who loses everything and has to fight his way back to keep his family together.) But, some clichés have carved out a spot in sports movies because of tired tradition or sheer laziness. It’s time to hang those tired tropes in the rafter where they belong. Here are The 10 Worst Sports Movie Clichés.
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He doesn’t play by the rules, despite the fact that he plays a sport that operates by a set of rules. From Happy Gilmore to Tim Riggins, we love maverick sports stars who do things their own way, damn the consequences. Why do we like these athletes who live outside the law and aren’t afraid of a little unnecessary roughness? Just like we love cowboys, slightly crooked cops, and brooding anti-heroes, there is something alluring about someone who refuses to play by the rules, because that’s exactly what most of us spend our cubicle-bound lives doing.
Screenwriters: If you’re going to include a bad boy in your next script, do us a favor and think outside the box. If he is a long-haired, strong, silent, playboy who parties a little too hard, and finds the establishment to be hypocritical, but ultimately has a kind heart, then we may be forced to take our Netflix queue elsewhere.
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The bad boy of the team isn’t the only one who has problems. The team’s coach is often using his job as a step on the path to redemption. The same can be true of an aging athlete, depending on the story. Either way, this character’s arc begins in a bar, court room, or dilapidated house. They’re in a bad place. When it is suggested that they take up coaching or attempt a comeback, they are quick to remind everyone that “they don’t do that anymore” and “they’re too old for that shit.”
Of course, 10 minutes of screen time later, guess what happens? Turns out they’re down to be the subject of a sports movie after all.
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This is the number one weapon of the saintly coach and the coach with demons alike. Regardless of what kind of moral ground they stand on, by this point in the movie, the coach has changed this team for the better. But after all of that hard work, things are starting to fall apart. The other team is just that good. The pressure is just too great. There’s only one thing left to do: give one helluva speech.
They say actions speak louder than words, but in sports movies, if those words come when there are about 15 minutes left in the movie, those words are more powerful than any action you can imagine.
[related_link href=”http://www.vh1.com/news/8466/jake-gyllenhaal-southpaw-body-workout-routine/” text=”How Did Jake Gyllenhaal Get His Southpaw Body?”]
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If you ever find yourself in a sports movie, do yourself a favor and make sure you’re never alone or with just one other character in a locker room. If you’re alone in a locker room, odds are that you’ll find out about a family tragedy, discover what you thought was a slight pain is actually a career-ending injury, or you’ll take the opportunity to do the PEDs that will ultimately get you kicked off of the team.
Just like you never leave a friend alone in the house in a horror movie, true teammates don’t leave a fellow player alone in the locker room.
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