Movies with Balls: The Greatest Sports Films of All Time, Analyzed and Illustrated

In their first book, podcaster (Big Screen Sports) Bandujo and graphic designer Bryson were inspired by the question “What would the tickets from our favorite sports flicks look like?” They narrowed their scope by ruling out true stories and came up with 26 fictional sports films about the greatest games never played. The book’s first section, “Glory Lasts Forever,” features quintessentially classic films such as Field of Dreams, Caddyshack, and Bend It Like Beckham. The next section highlights fictional athletes such as Cole Trickle in Days of Thunder and Daniel LaRusso in The Karate Kid. The authors then discuss movies with physical battles, such as Dodgeball and Rocky IV. For each sports flick, Bandujo gives a plot synopsis, the game/match/showdown featured in each film, a breakdown of the gameplay, and the game’s MVP. A highlight is Bryson’s illustrations of the ticket stubs for each fictional game (like the Cleveland Indians’ American League East championship game in Major League) or a diagram of the famous golf fight between Bob Barker and Adam Sandler in Happy Gilmore.