When a sport becomes popular, it does not take long until it is immortalized on the silver screen.
After all, a movie can show drama and comedy in a way which is not always possible with the real sport unless under extremely fortuitous circumstances.
Here is a look at some of the most memorable bowling movies ever made.
1. Mystery Men
Ok, so this is a bit of a cheat since the movie is about superheroes, not bowling.
However, it does feature one superhero called The Bowler (played by Janeane Garofalo) who uses a magic bowling ball in order to subdue her enemies.
The film was a comedy and a spoof on the superhero genre.
Despite an all-star cast including Ben Stiller, Geoffrey Rush and William H. Macy, the film didn’t do so well, although it still maintains a minor cult following.
2. Kingpin
This is, simply put, the ultimate bowling movie.
Again a comedy, this one is completely centered around the sport of bowling and also has a veritable cast of actors including Bill Murray, Randy Quaid and Woody Harrelson.
It is also a tale of redemption with Harrelson’s character struggling to get back to the top after being betrayed by Murray’s character, Ernie McCracken, the best bowler in the world.
While things don’t turn out so well, this is still a movie recommended to all fans of the sport.
3. The Big Lebowski
This film is not so much about bowling, although the sport is featured prominently in it.
However, this comedy is undoubtedly considered a classic by people who have absolutely nothing to do with bowling and one of the Coen Brothers’ best.
With an all-star cast including Jeff Bridges, Steve Buscemi, John Goodman, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore and John Turturro, this is definitely a movie to see.
These movies are highly recommended for any avid bowler, and thus would make a great gift as well. Take a look at our list of the best bowling gifts for more ideas, and you’ll find that some of these cult favorite movies have quite a few novelty gift ideas too.
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