Spring's coming and so is a new year of sport. Throughout the years, there have been scores of passable, forgettable sports movies and countless variations on the “underdog rising up” theme.

But every so often, a sports film comes along that either transcends the genre or simply embraces it with gusto. Here are five of the best.

Raging Bull (Martin Scorsese, 1980) Easily the most important, most grand of all sports films, Scorsese’s epic character study of boxer Jake LaMotta (Robert De Niro), the flawed, childish brute who seeks to rise to the top, even if his own stubbornness and crushing insecurities will never allow that to happen. Scorsese opens his film with the slow dance of the Sweet Science, LaMotta, in slow motion, dancing, jabbing and ducking to the strains of Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana. It is, perhaps, the only time LaMotta is presented in such blissful terms. For Raging Bull is about nothing less than the death of the American dream, even as it celebrates the poetry of one of boxing’s greatest practitioners.

Hoop Dreams (Steve James, 1994) With the exception of Raging Bull, fiction has never been better than this reality. The film follows two Chicago high school ballers, struggling to make their dreams of playing in college (and, eventually, the NBA) come true. With fits and starts, and never pulling punches when it comes to showing the boys’ eagerness, Hoop Dreams manages to be both desperate and hopeful. At the time, due to bizarre voting procedures, Hoop Dreams was robbed of an Oscar nomination. It has since gone on to be one of the most successful, universally-acclaimed nonfiction films in history, scoring with avid sports fans, film critics and moviegoers alike.

Bull Durham (Ron Shelton, 1988) Probably the most realistic of all baseball films, Bull Durham, has gained god-like status with its fans, and rightfully so. Kevin Costner plays Crash Davis, a catcher brought in to put a rookie pitcher, “Nuke"” LaLoosh (Tim Robbins), through the trials of getting to “The Show.” Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon) romances them both, covering all bases, so to speak. Shelton’s film has a truly lived-in feel, a baseball film that feels inhabited by real baseball types. This is, after all, not really about winning or losing. It is about playing the game.

Hoosiers (David Anspaugh, 1986) Certainly the most widely-embraced film on this list, Hoosiers is a feel-good film that has an enormous built-in fanbase (Indiana basketball, hello?), as well as 20 years of television replays and VHS/DVD sales. Despite its homespun, uncomplicated approach to the team spirit aesthetic, Hoosiers throws in some nice touches, such as the temper of Coach Norman Dale (Gene Hackman) and the involvement of the town drunk, Shooter (Dennis Hopper). Hoosiers is a Rocky-like feel-gooder, but that exterior belies the film’s internal soul.

Tin Cup (Ron Shelton, 1996) Shelton’s second film on this list, Tin Cup is another authentic approach to the underdog story. In this case, the central character is an underdog of his own creation. Roy “Tin Cup” McAvoy (Kevin Costner) is a bull-headed, impulsive rebel, whose reckless, albeit brilliant, golf playing has hampered his greatness in the past. Now stuck working as a golf pro at a driving range (sheesh!), Roy decides to pursue his rival’s girlfriend (Rene Russo) and a spot on the U.S. Open. During his wild quest for the green, he encounters his nemesis (played with steely perfection by Don Johnson), a cold streak (which is tied closely to his other drive), and his band of local merrymakers (led by Cheech Marin in an award-worthy performance). The denouement at the U.S. Open is one of the most exhilarating sports finales in movie history.

Also recommended: Rocky, Eight Men Out, Caddyshack, The Hustler, Jerry Maguire, White Men Can't Jump, The Bad News Bears, When We Were Kings, Bang the Drum Slowly, Rounders, Field of Dreams, Kingpin, Searching for Bobby Fischer, The Cincinnati Kid, Major League, Million Dollar Baby, Slap Shot, Dogtown and Z Boys, The Set-Up, and a special mention to Ken Burns' remarkable documentary, Baseball.

Rick Curnutte is a freelance film critic and the creator and editor of the online film quarterly The Film Journal at www.thefilmjournal.com.