The 9 Best Women's Sports Movies In Honor of The Mighty Macs

Bring It On (2000)

Director: Peyton Reed

Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku and Jesse Bradford

Sport: Cheerleading

Why It Is Awesome: It is an unabashed fluff comedy that you can't resist watching every time it replays on cable television. Starring Kirsten Dunst and Eliza Dushku as enemies-turned-cheer frenemies, Bring It On's high school clique takes its sport dead seriously -- so seriously that it introduces a choreographer named Sparky to build a new number around "spirit fingers." It's Mean Girls with starched uniforms and without heavy-handed lessons about friendship.

Girlfight (2000)

Director: Karyn Kusama

Stars: Michelle Rodriguez, Santiago Douglas and Jaime Tirelli

Sport: Boxing

Why It Is Awesome: If you're looking for a female-driven sports film that doesn't end with a romantic kiss and a team of cute cheerleaders singing "Mickey," look no further than this gritty drama about a troubled teenager who channels her aggression into boxing. Michelle Rodriguez is not so much a pretty lead who can score a winning goal without breaking a sweat or mussing her hair, but a rugged competitor who literally packs a punch.

Bend It Like Beckham (2002)

Director: Gurinder Chadha

Stars: Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley and Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Sport: Soccer

Why It Is Awesome: Bend It Like Beckham combines sports, romance and a dash of soccer mom comedy in this enjoyable coming-of-age movie. Although underdog sports films all seem to feel the same, this one is original and features a pre-Love Actually Keira Knightley.

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