The best are often those rooted in truth, even if it’s just a grain of it! Here are three sports movies that may not have been the biggest box office hits but certainly hit the spot for inspiration and rooting for the underdog value…

Moneyball

Brad Pitt plays the role of Billy Beane, former player and general manager of Oakland A, a baseball team that has no budget to buy players with and is losing out to all the big teams because of this.

Beane tests the resolve of his colleagues as he uses a new and unusual strategy to pick players, but of course, his seemingly crazy method manages to turn the team from failure to success.

Soul Surfer

A combination of a coming-of-age movie, Jaws, and the story of the determination of a young girl to overcome the odds that are stacked against her, this 2011 movie featured an all-star cast including Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt, and AnnaSophia Robb.

Soul Surfer’s story focuses on the consequences of a shark attack where Bethany lost her arm and almost died. Instead of becoming a victim to her fate, Bethany fights back and rises to every challenge she faces.

Secretariat

This 2010 film tells the life story of Secretariat, the horse that defied the racing betting to win the Triple Crown in 1973. It’s a Disney production, so a great one to watch with the kids, and a cracking yarn to boot.

Penny Chenery (Diane Lane) is a housewife who takes over her father’s stables when he falls ill, even though she knows little about horseracing.  Facing bankruptcy following her father’s death and a $6million bill in death taxes, she syndicates Secretariat, selling 32 shares worth more than $6million as long as he can win a 3 year old distance race.

She’s assisted by trainer Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich) to deal with working in the male-dominated racing business and trains Secretariat up to become the first horse to win the Triple Crown in 25 years.

What’s your favourite sports film? Let us know below…