WIN Magazine, others weigh in on five greatest wrestling films

Want to start an argument among amateur wrestling fans?

Ask them to name the five best wrestlers of all time.

Another way to get fans fired up: let them weigh in on greatest wrestling movies of all time.

WIN Magazine columnist Kyle Klingman weighed in with his picks for the top five mat movies in the publication's August 15, 2018 issue. Klingman took a look at 16 films which incorporate amateur wrestling as a major aspect. (Note: For his list, Klingman makes it clear that he did not consider documentaries, nor Hollywood movies such as "Born on the Fourth of July" which have a wrestling scene but focus on other issues.)

WIN's winners

Kyle Klingman's five greatest wrestling movies:

1. Win-Win: This 2011 film stars Paul Giamatti as a lawyer/high school wrestling coach, and 2010 New Jersey state wrestling champ Alex Schaeffer. Klingman writes: "The film works on a variety of levels. The wrestling scenes are realistic and the storyline is plausible ... The film doesn't force a happy ending, either. Rather, it asks the viewer to face the harsh reality of the decisions we make and why we make them."

2. Dangal: A 2016 film from India about two female wrestlers who are forced into the sport when their father -- a former wrestler himself -- does not have a son. "No wrestling movie treats the sport with more respect than "Dangal" which literally means wrestling in English," said Klingman. "The wrestling scenes are fast-paced, and, for the most part, accurate."

3. Vision Quest: The 1985 film -- based on the novel by Terry Davis -- tells the story of high school wrestler Louden Swain (played by Matthew Modine) and his quest to beat undefeated state champ Shute (Frank Jasper) while pursuing "older woman" Carla (Linda Fiorentino). "The book of the same name is still the best piece of writing fiction, but the film doesn't quite live up," according to Klingman. "The iconic characters in the movie -- Louden Swain, Shute and Kuch -- are still part of the wrestling culture, which is a tribute to the staying power of the film." Klingman adds that "Vision Quest" is the most motivational of the films on his top five list.

4. Foxcatcher: There was considerable buzz surrounding this 2014 film version of goings-on at the Foxcatcher Olympic training facility outside Philadelphia, starring Channing Tatum as wrestler Mark Schultz, Mark Ruffalo as his brother Dave Schultz, Steve Carell as crazed millionaire owner John duPont, and featuring a heavyweight cast of real-life wrestlers and officials. "Foxcatcher" premiered at the prestigious Cannes film festival, where director Bennett Miller won "Best Director" honors. It earned three Golden Globe nominations as well as five Oscar nominations. Here's Klingman's take, in a nutshell: the film had "numerous historical inaccuracies ... Nevertheless, the wrestling scenes are real because of the people who execute them."

5. American Wrestler: The Wizard: IMDb -- Internet Movie Database, an independent, go-to online reference -- described this 2016 film thusly: "In 1980, a teenage boy escapes the unrest in Iran only to face more hostility in America, due to the hostage crisis. Determined to fit in, he joins the school's floundering wrestling team." Here's how Kyle Klingman described it: "Based very loosely on a true story, 'American Wrestler' wraps every single sports clichÃ© into one movie. However, with George Kosturos as the lead, this movie more than makes up for its predictable and implausible plot. The wrestling is good and the story ... is surprisingly relevant to the happenings of today."

After reading Kyle Klingman's column in WIN Magazine, we got to thinking: what have others said?

FivePointMove.com offers its top five mat movies

In April 2016, Timothy Hands of FivePointMove.com -- an amateur wrestling website with the focus on Greco-Roman -- shared his list of the top five amateur wrestling films of all time, opening his feature article with these thoughts:

"We all love amateur wrestling movies. For one, there's just not enough of them.

"Sure, football has plenty, boxing always translates to cinema very well, and even baseball and basketball show up on the big screen. But wrestling? More specifically, amateur wrestling? The well is pretty dry.

"Even despite that, there are enough of them out there that deserve some mentioning. We should note that while this list is not all that serious, we do stand by any reasoning for a movie's inclusion ..."

As with Klingman's list, Hands said of his compilation, "We're not focusing on documentaries, so please save your Dan Gable SportsCentury complaints. This is a different deal." (That said, Hands did include one documentary.)

However, unlike Klingman, Hands presents his list in reverse order ... saving the best for last, so to speak.

5. Win-Win: "Win-Win takes an 'okay' storyline and turns it into the most surprisingly entertaining 90 or so minutes you'll encounter," according to Hands, who provides a rather detailed description of the movie's storyline ... how it incorporates wrestling ... and makes the most of the actual mat talent of Alex Shaffer, "an actual legitimate stud who took home an NJSIAA state title for Hunterdon Central THE YEAR BEFORE THE FILM CAME OUT. So director Tom McCarthy, who was a wrestler himself, nailed that s*** down. Give credit to casting, give credit to Shaffer, whomever. But he was awesome as Kyle. Shaffer perfectly played a laid-back, monotone teen who looks kind of like a burn-out and smokes cigarettes no less, but also turns into a destroyer on the mat."

4. Legendary: This 2010 film is produced by WWE and features one of its superstars, John Cena, in the role of a former amateur wrestler who seems to have messed up his life after stepping off the mat. However, his younger brother, a "nerdboy" (as Hands describes him) seeks to stop being bullied by high school classmates by going out for wrestling, and reconnects with big brother Cena for lessons. Hands has issues with various elements of the movie; however, he admits, "If we're judging this based on attributes good amateur wrestling movies should have, such as an internal conflict, desire for achievement, and decent character play, Legendary hits on all of them."

3. Reversal: In describing this 2001 small-budget film focused on a Pennsylvania high school wrestler and his contentious relationship with his coach/father, Hands states: "For this masterpiece to work, it had to deliver big on other fronts. Father/son conflict? Check. Oddball girlfriend? Check. Badass kid from another school coming to take your spot? Check." Hands goes on to write, "So why is this movie on the list? The dynamics between the characters, for one ... And most importantly, the wrestling is really, really good, thanks in large part to (actual wrestlers Danny) Mousetis and (Jeremy) Spates actually scrimmaging somewhat in the climactic scene. If you haven't seen this one, you are seriously missing out on some decent choreography and 'WTF' dialogue."

2. Takedowns and Falls: This film chronicles the 2006-07 season of the Central Dauphin Rams, a top high school team based in Harrisburg, Pa. Yes, it's a documentary. "We swore we wouldn't include documentaries, but this is an easy exception," Hands says of his decision to include "Takedowns and Falls." "This is about amateur wrestling movies, not amateur wrestling documentaries. But the thing is, 'Takedowns and Falls' was actually produced and released like a motion picture, so it meets the criteria on a technicality." Hands goes on to say, "The actual wrestling in Takedowns and Falls is obviously, all real. And since it's a high-level team with high-level kids, the action is easy to watch. You get some match highlights, practice room battles, and even glimpses of what it's like for the Pepplemans (Walter and Marshall) working out at home ... It might not be a 'fun flick', but the film is as engrossing and motivating as it gets."

1. Vision Quest: "'Vision Quest' is wrestling's version of 'It's a Wonderful Life'" according to Hands. "There is no equal. It is the king of all amateur wrestling movies. No other film has approached its status. And even if you have seen VQ 200 times, you never, EVER get sick of it ... The reason why this is the standard bearer for all amateur wrestling movies is because the arc is just untouchable. It slowly builds. Even if you have never seen Vision Quest before and have an idea how it ends, the story doesn't plod. There might be a lot going on, but it's never complicated. You might have expected Louden to wind up sleeping with Carla, but how and why it goes down is a nice surprise. You, the viewer, feel validated in your own right. VQ has that going on for you all day long. Just when you figure the goal is to make weight to wrestle Shute, it switches to having a shot at Carla. And then it switches back. It's incredible."

The Wrestling Insider Facebook group poll

It's a safe bet to assume there have been countless discussion threads in wrestling forums -- and "official" polls -- which have allowed wrestling fans to weigh in on their favorite movies featuring amateur wrestling. One of the most recent was set up at The Wrestling Insider group on Facebook in mid-August 2018.

As of Monday evening, Aug. 20, "Vision Quest" was the top vote-getter -- and runaway favorite -- with 302 votes. In a distant second was "Foxcatcher" with 28 votes, followed by "Legendary" with 21 votes. In fourth place was "Pinned", a documentary on Lance Palmer's high school wrestling career, with 8 votes. "Spooner", a Disney film about an escaped forger who blends into society by becoming a high school wrestling coach, had 3 votes ... and "The Hardest Six" -- a 30-minute wrestling film from 2013 now available for viewing online -- with one vote.

The debate will never end ...

There will always be lists, polls, articles -- and discussion and debates -- about which amateur wrestling movies are "best." Each of us has our own criteria as to what makes a wrestling movie "great." For many of us, it's the authenticity of the action on the mat -- does it look like an actual wrestling match? Is the plot plausible ... and believable? If it's based on a true story ... how true is it? (In his WIN Magazine article, Kyle Klingman described a biopic with a thrilling Hollywood ending that was pure fantasy, with a championship match had had no resemblance to what really happened to the actual wrestler.) Or are there basic "issues" that would earn any movie a "thumbs down" -- bad acting, bad script, irritating soundtrack?

Even though wrestling movies are rather rare, every so often a new one emerges. As of this writing, "The Last Champion" may be about to be released to eager amateur wrestling fans everywhere. Here's how this new movie is described in at its official website:

"Inspired by films such as 'Hoosiers', 'Rudy', and 'Rocky', 'The Last Champion' is a story of redemption, courage, love, and forgiveness.

"For years my co-writers (wife Hallie Todd and daughter Ivy Withrow) and I have wanted to do a project like 'The Last Champion'. As collaborators, we were able to bring our individual perspectives to the piece while sharing a common vision for the final product. We've always been moved by films with great underdog characters and wanted to write something that entire families could watch and enjoy together." -- Glenn Withrow, Director

If you're like me, you'll be eager to see "The Last Champion" and see where it ranks among YOUR favorite amateur wrestling movies ... thus continuing the discussion and debate and ranking.

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WIN Magazine, others weigh in on five greatest wrestling films

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