Every Kevin Costner Sports Movie, Ranked Worst To Best

Kevin Costner has starred in a broad range of films over his distinguished career, including eight notable sports movies. Costner rose to prominence in the 1980s after a string of successful film roles, including two of his most famous sports movies. Since then, Costner has become known for his many roles in sports films and Western flicks. His acting and directing skills have earned him numerous accolades, ranging from Academy Awards to Golden Globes and a single Primetime Emmy.

While Kevin Costner’s Western films played a big role in his career, sports movies are what really started him on his way to fame and fortune. Indeed, Costner is something of an icon in this genre, taking the lead role in some of the world’s most memorable and recognizable sports movies. While not every sports film he has starred in turned out to be a hit, he has nailed enough of them to make a name for himself.

8

Chasing Dreams (1982)

As Ed

Chasing Dreams is a 1982 film that represents one of Kevin Costner’s earliest movie roles. The film follows a young boy growing up on a farm who suddenly realizes he’s a talented baseball player. Costner has a minor role in the film, portraying the main character’s older brother who leaves for medical school at the beginning of the film yet is one of the only people in his brother’s life that is supportive of his dreams.

Chasing Dreams is not exactly a popular film today, with Costner’s role – minor as it was – being perhaps the most memorable part of it all. Indeed, Costner is one of the best things about the movie with his charisma and natural allure on screen somewhat distracting considering his small part.

This film serves as a precursor to Costner’s imminent rise to fame, but it’s an otherwise forgettable flick with little else to offer.

7

For Love Of The Game (1999)

As Billy Chapel

The 1999 film, For Love of the Game, is one of Kevin Costner’s many baseball movies, but unfortunately, it’s not the best. For Love of the Game ranks above Chasing Dreams because it’s at least remembered, even if the memories are less than stellar. The film follows Costner’s Billy Chapel as he uses memories of a past relationship to calm him down during his attempt to throw a perfect game in Yankee Stadium.

The movie was directed by Sam Raimi, but the inventive filmmaker is quite subdued, as is Costner in the lead role, which leaves For Love of the Game missing the fun quality of the actor’s other films. Costner was nominated for a Golden Raspberry for this movie, though it is not a particularly bad performance. However, in playing the athlete who is perhaps over the hill, Costner is a bit more dour than the movie needs to be.

6

American Flyers (1985)

As Marcus Sommers

American Flyers

Release Date

August 16, 1985

Runtime

113 Minutes

Director

John Badham

Just before Kevin Costner found his breakout roles in Silverado and The Untouchables, he starred in this early sports movie. American Flyers is a 1985 film that stars Costner as Marcus Sommers, a sports physician and competitive cyclist who takes his young brother David along with him on his determined journey to winning. Along the way, the brothers are forced to confront the possible tragedy lying ahead of them.

Cycling is not a sport that is seen often in movies, but it is made fun and exciting here, providing an inventive approach to the typical road trip movie. Costner was still an unknown actor at the time, so his name could not be counted on to save the movie from becoming a box office bomb. However, it is also clear to see that Costner was a star in the making and the movie earned solid reviews for its nice mix of a simple sports story and a touching family drama about these two brothers.

5

Draft Day (2014)

As Sonny Weaver Jr.

draft day

Release Date

April 7, 2014

Runtime

120minutes

Most of Kevin Costner’s sports movies find the actor himself stepping onto the field or taking part in the action. However, Draft Day does things differently in taking a look behind the scenes at one of the most important days in the NFL. This 2014 film follows Costner’s fictional Cleveland Browns General Manager, Sonny Weaver Jr., as he prepares for the NFL draft, agonizing over whom to select with the first overall pick after he is forced to trade up to number one by the team’s owner.

Those looking for a lot of sports action will be disappointed with Draft Day, but it is an entertaining and fast-paced drama that takes a unique look at the genre. With the whole movie taking place over a matter of hours, there is a lot of excitement to the story. Costner gives a revered performance as a man fighting out of his underdog position with risky deals and risky decisions. Costner is also backed by a strong supporting cast that includes Jennifer Garner, Sam Elliott, and Chadwick Boseman in an early role.

4

Tin Cup (1996)

As Roy “Tin Cup” McAvoy

Tin Cup

Release Date

August 16, 1996

Runtime

135 Minutes

Director

Ron Shelton

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  Rene Russo

  Dr. Molly Griswold
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From Caddyshack to Happy Gilmore, there is something about golf that makes the generally mild sport perfect for comedies. Tin Cup goes a little further by adding some romance into the mix. The film follows Kevin Costner’s Roy “Tin Cup” McAvoy, a former golf prodigy whose interest in the game is reignited when he meets and falls in love with the girlfriend of one of his college teammates.

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Tin Cup was well-received by fans and critics, and its blend of comedy and drama creates an engaging narrative that is thoroughly entertaining. Costner received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance, which is one of the lighter ones of his career. It is a lot of fun to see him being goofy as this unorthodox golfer whose passion for the game is only outweighed by his stubbornness. It builds to a wonderful climax that goes against sports movie conventions and still leaves audiences satisfied.

3

McFarland, USA (2015)

As Jim White

McFarland, USA

Release Date

February 20, 2015

Runtime

128 Minutes

Director

Niki Caro

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Sports movies based on true stories have an added impact on audiences and Kevin Costner embraces one such inspiring feel-good story. McFarland, USA is a 2015 film that stars Costner as Jim White, the coach of a high school cross-country team in McFarland, California. The story follows White’s leadership of his mostly Latino team as they claw their way to the state championship, which they win in a truly inspirational fashion.

McFarland, USA is full of valuable lessons in perseverance and determination, and Costner’s performance meets his usual standard of excellence. As the only big name in the cast, Costner allows the young costars to shine, but he also carries the movie as a man who is pushing his athletes to their full potential but is also having his eyes open to their struggles that he does not understand. While the movie doesn’t break any new ground in terms of its story, it delivers a crowd-pleasing and entertaining sports story.

2

Field Of Dreams (1989)

As Ray Kinsella

Field of Dreams

Release Date

May 5, 1989

Runtime

107 minutes

Director

Phil Alden Robinson

Field of Dreams is one of the most iconic sports movies ever created, blending the love of sports with a touching story about fathers and sons. Costner stars as Ray Kinsella, a farmer who decides to build a baseball field in his cornfield after having a vision of a deceased baseball legend, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson. Ray builds the field and more dead baseball legends begin to appear to him, prompting him to begin selling tickets to the games played there to avoid the bank foreclosing his farm.

Field of Dreams is one of the most inspirational sports films ever made, and in 2017, it was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry. It was also nominated for several Academy Awards, and its cultural prevalence has only grown since its release. The field built for the movie remains open for tourists, and in 2019, the MLB constructed a small stadium adjacent to the original in which an annual Field of Dreams game is played.

The movie’s strange premise has a fairy tale element to it, but it is Costner’s performance that helps to keep things grounded. He plays Ray as a man who is in disbelief about his own actions but is determined to follow them through. His childlike excitement about it all adds a lot of charm to the story.

1

Bull Durham (1988)

As Crash Davis

Bull Durham

Release Date

June 15, 1988

Runtime

108 minutes

Director

Ron Shelton

Bull Durham is not only Kevin Costern’s best sports movie but it’s also considered by many to be the best film of his career. It is a sharply written and expertly acted movie that blends a fun baseball story with comedy and romance. Costner plays Crash Davis, a veteran player in the minor leagues who is brought in to help mentor a new talented, confident, yet inconsistent pitcher (Tim Robbins). Meanwhile, the two ballplayers find themselves fighting for the affection of a passionate fan (Susan Sarandon).

Bull Durham is ranked as the greatest sports movie of all time by Sports Illustrated, and it is the best-reviewed sports movie ever on Rotten Tomatoes. While it may not have had the same cultural impact as Field of Dreams, Bull Durham tells a superior story and its clever comedy puts it a step above other sports films.

Costner gives one of the best performances of his career, playing the swagger of a player who has been around for a long time with the sadness of reaching the end of his career. He is funny and charming while also pulling off the romantic lead just as convincingly.

What’s More Iconic? Kevin Costner Sports Movies Or Westerns?

While Kevin Costner has made a name for himself in the sports movie genre, it is not the only genre he has become closely associated with. Costner has become a modern Western legend throughout his career, with the actor appearing in five true Western movies and starring in the neo-Western series Yellowstone. Given the fact that Costner has directed three of those projects, it seems that he has a closer tie to the genre than with sports movies. However, it is worth a closer look to determine whether Costner’s sports movies are more iconic than his Westerns.

As with his collection of sports movies, Costner’s collection of Westerns is a bit of a mixed bag. Wyatt Earp found Costner taking on one of the most iconic Old West figures of all time, but the flawed movie paled in comparison to Tombstone. His latest entry in the genre, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1, was a notorious bomb that may prevent Costner’s ambitious Horizon franchise from being completed. However, while some felt it was a dull return to the genre, others called it a masterpiece.

Costner’s most notable Western title is Dances with Wolves, which became a box office smash and won 7 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for Costner himself. However, Costner has also appeared in some truly underrated gems of the Western genre, including Silverado and Open Range, both of which should be considered greats of the genre.

In the end, however, Costner’s sports movies come out on top thanks to Bull Durham and Field of Dreams, two films that often fight for the title of best baseball movie of all time. While Dances with Wolves earned more accolades than either of those projects, it has not aged particularly well, and even its Best Picture win is cast in criticism as it beat out Goodfellas. Meanwhile, Bull Durham and Field of Dreams have cemented themselves as iconic movies that still please fans and earn new fans decades later.