Ahead of a new Netflix show offering a fresh and humorous take on American sports, why not revisit an underrated sports comedy?
Kate Hudson takes the lead as Isla Gordon in Running Point, a witty sports satire about the newly appointed manager of a highly successful basketball team. This series, co-created by Mindy Kaling, is set to hit the streaming platform this week.
Before you dive into your next comedy marathon, consider warming up with another basketball-themed comedy featuring a well-loved Hollywood star.
Champions, also available on Netflix, serves as an ideal pick-me-up, celebrating the spirit of sport before Running Point pulls back the curtain on behind-the-scenes antics.
Woody Harrelson, known for his role in The Hunger Games, portrays a disgruntled minor-league basketball coach who finds himself sentenced to community service after a clash with a fellow coach. Tasked with coaching a ragtag team of players with disabilities, he gradually rediscovers his love for the game through their passion.
While the film didn’t score high with critics, earning a 59 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it was a hit with audiences who awarded it a 95 percent score and showered it with glowing reviews online, reports the Mirror.
Professional critic Mark Kermode also defended the film for the Guardian, calling it “uplifting” and penning: “What makes Champions a treat is the deftness with which Mark Rizzo’s script sidesteps sentimentality in favour of something more raucously truthful, conjuring fully rounded characters with believably messy lives, all delivered with Dodgeball-style sporting chutzpah.”
A glowing five-star user review on Google proclaimed: “This is an outstanding movie…
“The real stars of this movie, however, are the entire team of actors, all with actual disabilities, who act and play the lights out under Harrelson’s gifted coaching,” and admitted, “I did not expect Champions to be nearly as good as it is.”
Another impressed viewer commented: “A beautiful movie. The actors did an amazing job and kept part of their own personality in it.
“Very funny, and one of those movies that makes you feel warm and fuzzy. A movie about friendship and gives education [about] people with disabilities and showing us how much they are capable of and how much they contribute to society.”
Meanwhile, a five-star review on the film social media site Letterboxd gushed: “I love films like this in this sub genre. A massively wholesome easy watch that had the perfect amount of humour and emotional moments, I teared up twice at the end and got so invested in the team and story.
“Nothing crazy technically wise but for how it made me feel and what I enjoy, it was perfect. Woody Harrelson was amazing. Definitely a film I will rewatch a lot.”
Fellow fans wholeheartedly agree that this uplifting comedy is an absolute must-see, so be sure to catch it before Netflix drops its brand-new original sports-themed sitcom.
Champions is available to stream on Netflix. Running Point premieres Thursday, 27th February.