Now we know how it goes. Your partner’s thinking rom-com, you’re craving some action. Who says you can’t have both?
So, peep this game plan: Ease them into the world of athletic greatness with a Valentine’s weekend movie marathon. We’ve got the perfect lineup to get hooked on the power and resilience of athletes: inspiring stories, underdog victories and maybe even a little on-screen romance.
Uppercut, starring Ving Rhames, drops on February 18. The Baby Boy actor plays Elliot Duffond, a boxing legend brought in to train a young, female boxer. It’s about grit, determination and the sweet science of boxing. Uppercut is about overcoming obstacles, pushing limits and finding your strength, themes everyone can relate to.
The Fire Inside (2024)
Ryan Destiny trained for months to embody boxing great Clarissa Shields, the only American to win back-to-back boxing gold at the Olympics.
Big George Foreman (2023)
Khris Davis steps into the ring to play George Foreman, showcasing his rise from poverty in Houston, TX, to his rise as a boxing Olympics gold medalist and one of the most renowned heavyweight champions in the world.
Sweetwater (2023)
It’s all about Nat Clifton, who went from the Harlem Globetrotters to become one of the first African Americans to sign a contract with the National Basketball Association (NBA).
King Richard (2021)
Will Smith won an Oscar for playing their determined and demanding father, Richard Williams, who played a key role in the rise of the Williams sister on the tennis circuit.
Race (2016)
This biographical drama film chronicles the life of African American athlete Jesse Owens, who won a record-breaking four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Creed (2015)
We’re sure your girl won’t complain about seeing Michael B. Jordan star as Adonis Creed, who’s trains to battle inside the ring by Rocky Balboa, a friend of his father Adonis Creed.
42 (2013)
The late great Chadwick Boseman plays Jackie Robinson, the first black athlete to play in Major League Baseball, despite racism and Jim Crow laws. His No. 42 jersey was retired by the league in 1997.
From the Rough (2011)
It’s all girl power as Taraji P. Henson stars as Catana Starks, the first woman ever to coach a college men’s golf team. She guided her players to an all-time record at the PGA National Collegiate Minority Championship.
Ali (2001)
Will Smith stepped into the gloves of boxing legend Muhammed Ali to explore a decade of his life, from his capture of the 1964 heavyweight title from Sonny Liston to reclaiming the title from George Foreman in 1974.
