Movies like The Athlete

If you like "The Athlete" you are looking for uplifting, touching and exciting movies about / with runner, disability, rehabilitation, marathon, human spirit, follow your dream and ambition themes of Biography and Drama genre shot in USA or Germany.
Find your next favorite and similar movies in two steps: 1. Identify all themes of interest from this film (block below). 2. Look for them in the presented list.
The Athlete (2009)
 6.6
 269
The Athlete (2009)
Original name: The athlete
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA, Germany, Ethiopia
Duration: 92 min.
Story: Running the streets of Rome in 1960, an unknown, barefooted Ethiopian man stunned the world by winning Olympic gold in the marathon. Overnight, Abebe Bikila became a sports legend. A hero in his own country and to the continent, Bikila was the first African to win a gold medal, and four years later in Tokyo would become the first person in history to win consecutive Olympic gold medals in the marathon.
Style: uplifting, touching, exciting, sentimental, independent film, serious, captivating, emotional, realistic, stylized
Plot: runner, disability, rehabilitation, marathon, human spirit, follow your dream, ambition, starting over, against the odds, athlete's life, rivalry, contests and competitions, lifestyle, hopes, overnight success, running, athlete and trainer, accident, african, motivation, olympics, human rights, heroes, resilience, unfulfillment ...
Time: 60s, 70s, 20th century, 1960s
Place: africa, rome italy, ethiopia

Movie in categories

Most similar movies to The Athlete

The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out realistic, serious, emotional and uplifting films with plots about hopes, ambition, biopic, human spirit, athlete's life, power relations and rivalry mostly in Drama, Biography and Sport genres. Some movies like The Athlete: Without Limits (1998), Risen (2010), Terry (2005), The Other Side of the Mountain (1975), Running Brave (1983). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
Without Limits (1998)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 117 min.
Story: The film follows the life of famous 1970s runner Steve Prefontaine from his youth days in Oregon to the University of Oregon where he worked with the legendary coach Bill Bowerman, later to Olympics in Munich and his early death at 24 in a car crash.
Style: inspirational, sincere, factual, exciting, captivating ...
Audience: girls' night
Plot: runner, olympics, track and field, running, death of protagonist, car crash, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, athlete, coach, athlete's life, lifestyle, hopes ...
Time: year 1998, 70s, 20th century, 60s, year 1970 ...
Place: munich germany, oregon, usa, finland, helsinki finland
Similarity:
100%
Helen Keller: The Miracle Continues (1984)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min.
Story: Set in 1898, Cambridge, Massachusetts, depicts Annie Sullivan Macy supporting her student Helen Keller at Radcliffe College.
Style: captivating, uplifting, serious, realistic, touching ...
Plot: disability, deaf, power relations, misfit, hopes, youth, love and romance, dedicated educator, mute or deaf, human spirit, young heroes, college ...
Time: 1900s, 20th century, 1910s
Place: massachusetts
Similarity:
100%
 5.2
 239
Risen (2010)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 113 min.
Story: As one of the rising talents of amateur boxing, Howard Winstone, a young Welsh boy from Merthyr Tydfil, was fast making a name for himself with his knock out right hand. A long professional fighting career surely beckoned? Then disaster strikes. An ...
Style: serious, realistic, captivating, uplifting
Plot: human spirit, rise to the top, against the odds, ambition, athlete's life, boxing, lifestyle, hopes, rivalry, disability, contests and competitions, violent content ...
Time: 50s, 60s, 20th century
Place: europe, england
Similarity:
100%
The Champions: Faster. Higher. Stronger (2016)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: Russia
Duration: 100 min.
Story: The story of three Russian Olympic champions. Ordinary people, who have become the pride of their family and country, and made history of world sports.
Style: captivating, inspirational, exciting, motivational, meditative ...
Plot: olympics, gymnastics, rivalry, against the odds, stubbornness, rise to the top, happy ending, reputation, human spirit, champion, determination, victory ...
Time: 20th century
Place: russia
Similarity:
100%
Movie in collections
 7.7
 564
Terry (2005)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 88 min.
Story: "Terry" tells the story of 21-year old amputee Terry Fox who attempted to run across Canada with only one leg. Unfortunately, he only made it to Thunder Bay, Ontario when he died, one month before his 23rd birthday yet his memories will ...
Style: touching, realistic, sentimental, serious, uplifting
Plot: running, marathon, terminal illness, cross country, human spirit, athlete's life, disability, family relations, life is a bitch, hopes, on the road, one legged man ...
Time: 20th century, 70s
Place: newfoundland, canada
Similarity:
29%
Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story (1996)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min.
Story: The true story of Olympic gold medalist Gail Devers (Charlayne Woodard) and her fight to combat Graves disease while becoming the fastest female sprinter in the world. From a setback in Seoul that nearly costs her the use of her feet to her ...
Style: independent film, serious, realistic, uplifting
Plot: running, olympics, track and field, radiation, power relations, disability, unfulfillment, athlete's life, human spirit, hopes, athlete and trainer, contests and competitions ...
Time: 90s, 20th century
Place: barcelona, seoul
Similarity:
27%
The Other Side of the Mountain (1975)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min.
Story: A female skiing champion is paralyzed in a tragic skiing accident. Her girlfriend is taken out of competition when she contracts polio.
Style: independent film, realistic, serious, uplifting, emotional ...
Plot: quadriplegic, disability, skiing, physical disability, love, winter olympics, polio, accident, illness, psychopath, grief, paralysis ...
Time: 70s, 1950s, year 1975, 50s
Similarity:
27%
 6.7
 860
Running Brave (1983)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: Canada
Duration: 106 min.
Story: The story of Billy Mills the American Indian that came from obscurity, to win the 10,000 meter long distance foot race in the Tokyo Olympics.
Style: period piece, inspirational, captivating, uplifting, serious ...
Plot: running, olympics, track and field, runner, campus, male objectification, motivation, native, society, follow your dream, athlete and trainer, contests and competitions ...
Time: year 1983, 20th century, year 1964, 60s
Place: usa, kansas, south dakota
Similarity:
27%
Movie in collections
exciting movies
15385
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16927
The Terry Fox Story (1983)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story: The true story about the Canadian cancer amputee hero who decided to run across Canada on only one leg to raise money for cancer research.
Style: sad, serious, realistic, uplifting, captivating ...
Plot: running, physical disability, disability, illness, runner, cross country, heroes, child illness, homecoming, terminal illness, on the road, athlete's life ...
Time: year 1981, 80s, 70s, 20th century
Place: newfoundland, canada, british columbia
Similarity:
27%
 6.6
 400
Bert & Dickie (2012)
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, Sport
Country: UK
Duration: 89 min.
Story: Thrown together just five weeks before the final of the 1948 London Olympics, Bert Bushnell (Doctor Who's Matt Smith) and Dickie Burnell (Sam Hoare) defied all the odds and made history in the double sculls. This is the story of how they did it ...
Style: uplifting, realistic, serious, exciting
Plot: competition, athlete's life, human spirit, against the odds, hopes, rivalry, contests and competitions, lifestyle, olympics, teamwork, motivation, partner ...
Time: 1940s, 20th century, year 1948
Place: london, england
Similarity:
24%
The Pistol: The Birth of a Legend (1991)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story: A story about the great basketball player "Pistol" Pete Maravich when he was in the eighth grade. He plays on the varsity basketball team at Daniel High School but has some very difficult obstacles standing in his way of playing. The only ...
Style: independent film, serious, realistic, sentimental, emotional ...
Plot: basketball, youth, faith, sport team, power relations, contests and competitions, hopes, prodigy, tragic hero, lifestyle, rivalry, aging ...
Time: 90s, year 1959
Similarity:
24%
The Brooke Ellison Story (2004)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min.
Story: Rendered a quadriplegic since a child from a near-fatal neck injury, a young girl fights against all odds to succeed in life from grade school to her acceptance into college under the assistance of her loyal and dedicated mother.
Style: sincere, touching, sentimental, saga, captivating ...
Plot: quadriplegic, disability, college, against the odds, hospital, teenage love, lifestyle, family problems, parents and children, tragic hero, society, single parent ...
Time: 21st century
Similarity:
24%
 6.9
 2K
The Hammer (2010)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min.
Story: A coming of age drama following the life of Matt Hamill, the first deaf wrestler to win a National Collegiate Wrestling Championship.
Style: uplifting, captivating, sincere, sentimental, touching ...
Plot: deaf, wrestler, mute or deaf, underdog, overcoming, hopes, athlete's life, ambition, against the odds, contests and competitions, rivalry, opponent ...
Time: 21st century
Place: usa
Similarity:
23%
 4.8
 814
Counterpunch (2013)
Genre: Action, Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min.
Story: Based on a true story. A young boxer, Emilio, from the wrong side of the tracks with big dreams of winning the Golden Gloves boxing championship, finds himself at a cross roads after being locked up. As he fights his way back into the winning circle ...
Style: rough, serious, realistic, emotional, tense ...
Plot: rivalry, athlete's life, one more chance, starting over, ambition, boxing, lifestyle, hopes, contests and competitions, follow your dream, power relations, martial arts ...
Time: 21st century
Place: usa, florida, miami
Similarity:
23%
 6.5
 823
Champions (1984)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance, Sport
Country: UK
Duration: 106 min.
Story: The true story of jockey Bob Champion who overcame cancer to win the 1981 Grand National
Style: sad, independent film, serious, realistic, captivating ...
Plot: horse, racehorse, horse riding, horse race, doctors and patients, biopic, horseman, jockey, chemotherapy, cancer, family relations, power relations ...
Time: 80s, year 1979, 70s, year 1981
Place: kentucky, usa
Similarity:
23%
Carnera: The Walking Mountain (2008)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: Italy, Romania
Duration: 125 min.
Story: The life of Primo Carnera a.k.a. "Ambling Alp", Italian professional boxer and the World Heavyweight Champion from June 1933 to June 1934, but also accused by some of having ties to the mob.
Style: touching, serious, emotional, captivating, realistic ...
Plot: boxer, hopes, boxing, athlete's life, follow your dream, against the odds, ambition, rise to the top, contests and competitions, prodigy, underdog, biopic ...
Time: 1930s, 21st century
Place: italy, new york, europe
Similarity:
23%
 6.8
 1K
1000 to 1 (2014)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min.
Story: Cory Weissman is a college basketball player who suffers a devastating stroke. He perseveres to find new meaning in his life both on, and more importantly, off the court.
Style: captivating, emotional, serious, inspirational, realistic ...
Plot: rehabilitation, therapist, fraternity, telephone call, ambition, basketball player, recovery, hopes, against the odds, disability, parents and children, life is a bitch ...
Time: 21st century
Place: usa
Similarity:
22%
Don King: Only in America (1997)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 121 min.
Story: A cinematic portrait of the famous fight promoter and boxing manager.
Style: exciting, serious, realistic
Plot: boxing, boxer, biopic, entrepreneur, gangster, urban ghetto, power relations, athlete and trainer, hopes, rise and fall, life is a bitch, rise to the top ...
Time: 80s, 70s, 20th century, 60s
Place: africa
Similarity:
22%
Movie in collections
 6.1
 30
Matchups (2003)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min.
Story: Ian Willams -- who was born blind in one eye -- grew up undaunted to become an elite college basketball player. But his dream of winning a national championship and turning pro was sidetracked when a tragic accident left him completely blind. ...
Style: serious, realistic, touching, independent film
Plot: blindness, prodigy, against the odds, disability, ambition, dedicated educator, human spirit, follow your dream, athlete and trainer, hopes, youth, athlete's life ...
Time: 21st century
Similarity:
22%
The Least Among You (2009)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min.
Story: Black college graduate Richard Kelly reluctantly accepts a plea bargain requiring him to spend two semesters at an all-white seminary after he's wrongly accused of crimes committed during the 1965 Watts riots. Facing bigotry on all sides, ...
Style: captivating, emotional, touching, independent film, thought provoking ...
Plot: racism, rebellion, human spirit, self discovery, against the odds, student life, social relations, society, hopes, clergy, life is a bitch, discrimination ...
Time: 60s, 20th century, 21st century
Place: usa, california
Similarity:
22%
 7.2
 24K
The Express (2008)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: Germany, USA
Duration: 130 min.
Story: Based on the incredible true story, The Express follows the inspirational life of college football hero Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy.
Style: inspirational, factual, serious, realistic, sincere ...
Audience: family outing, family friendly
Plot: american football, african american, athlete and trainer, college, racism, biopic, friendship, courage, mentor, ambition, success, against the odds ...
Time: 20th century, 1940s, 1950s, year 2008, 60s ...
Place: new york, usa, cleveland ohio, new jersey, texas
Similarity:
22%
Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault (1996)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min.
Story: A dramatization of the life of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault (Don Cheadle), with a lot of factual based occurrences. A reformed junkie returns from prison to clean up his act and devote the rest of his life to the young kids of Harlem. 1996 ...
Style: captivating, realistic, serious, sincere, emotional
Plot: basketball, drug abuse, addiction, drug, african american, black, motivation, african, athlete, heroin, biopic, power relations ...
Time: 70s, 20th century, 60s
Place: harlem, new york, usa, manhattan new york city, africa
Similarity:
21%
 5.6
 906
Phantom Punch (2008)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 104 min.
Story: From his discovery by a priest while serving time at the Missouri State Penitentiary to the infamous 'Phantom Punch' by Cassius Clay which effectively ended his career, the movie spans the years from 1950 to Liston's mysterious and ...
Style: realistic, captivating, rough, serious, sincere ...
Audience: boys' night
Plot: boxer, boxing, black american, infidelity, prison, rise and fall, discrimination, racism, prison life, lifestyle, downfall, athlete's life ...
Time: 20th century, 60s, 50s, 1950s, 70s
Place: usa, missouri
Similarity:
21%
Movie in collections
 5.6
 864
Best (2000)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 102 min.
Story: The life story of former Manchester United football legend, George Best.
Style: realistic, serious, captivating, emotional
Plot: football player, athlete's life, rising to stardom, ambition, rivalry, life is a bitch, sport team, celebrity culture, professional sports, football, football team, biopic ...
Time: 60s, 90s, 70s, 20th century
Place: ireland, england, europe, northern england, manchester
Similarity:
20%
 7.7
 5K
Door to Door (2002)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story: Sometimes the true heroes in our lives are those people who inspire us not with their superhuman accomplishments but simply by their refusal to give up in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds and the dignity in which they go about their lives. ...
Style: feel good, serious, touching, realistic, tear jerker ...
Audience: family outing
Plot: salesman, disability, cerebral palsy, against the odds, misfit, underdog, ambition, hopes, society, human spirit, door to door salesman, public humiliation ...
Place: oregon
Similarity:
20%
The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake (2011)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: Hong Kong, China
Duration: 115 min.
Story: When the women of her time had their feet bound to please men, Qiu Jin was already questioning the sexual inequality of feudal traditions. Free-spirited and well-educated, she grew up practicing martial arts and was as well versed in poetry as she ...
Style: stylized, exciting, serious, rough, captivating ...
Plot: martial arts, ambition, idealism, fighting the system, rebellion, rivalry, one man army, master warrior, human spirit, society, discrimination, hopes ...
Time: 19th century
Place: china, asia
Similarity:
20%
Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (2009)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story: Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story is a movie based on the life story of world-renowned neurosurgeon Ben Carson from 1961 to 1987.
Style: uplifting, sincere, inspirational, christian film, realistic ...
Audience: family outing
Plot: medical, african american, against the odds, neurosurgeon, human spirit, medicine, surgeon, ambition, biopic, medical school, physician, doctor ...
Time: 70s, 60s, 2010s, 20th century, 80s
Place: cuba, usa, detroit, west germany
Similarity:
19%
Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story (2003)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min.
Story: Based on a true story. Liz Murray is a young girl who is taken care of by her loving, but drug-addicted parents. Liz becomes homeless at 15 and after a tragedy comes upon her, she begins her work to finish high school.
Style: sincere, serious, touching, captivating, realistic ...
Audience: teens, chick flick, family outing, teen drama
Plot: homeless, homeless teenager, against the odds, drug addict, youth, starting over, university, family problems, dysfunctional family, hopes, society, aids ...
Time: 90s, 21st century
Place: nova scotia, america, new york, usa
Similarity:
19%
High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story (2003)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 110 min.
Story: Based on the true story of the rise and fall of poker legend Stu "The Kid" Ungar.
Style: serious, realistic, period piece, captivating, suspense ...
Plot: gambling, rise and fall, gambler, human spirit, ambition, rivalry, tragic hero, life is a bitch, hopes, addiction, genius, legend ...
Place: las vegas
Similarity:
19%
Maradona, the Hand of God (2007)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: Italy, Argentina
Duration: 110 min.
Story: Dramatizing of the many shocking highs and lows of Argentine soccer hero Diego Maradona, an extraordinary athlete and arguably the greatest player in the history of the sport.
Style: serious, sincere, sentimental, realistic, uplifting
Plot: rise and fall, rise to the top, lifestyle, prodigy, athlete's life, society, rivalry, rising to stardom, hopes, rehabilitation, folk hero, addiction ...
Time: 70s, 60s, 20th century, 80s
Place: argentina, napoli italy, naples italy
Similarity:
19%