Don’t mess with The Dude! The Big Lebowski‘s just been named the best bowling movie of all time by GoBowling.com. The bowling industry’s official website has revealed the list of the five greatest bowling movies of all time (I had no idea there were actually five good bowling movies), with The Big Lebowski‘s continuing popularity helping to propel it to the top spot.
“With more than 71 million people taking to the lanes each year, making bowling the nation’s #1 participatory sport, it’s no wonder that bowling has carved out a niche within pop culture, particularly in the film industry,” stated Frank DeSocio, President of Strike Ten Entertainment. “Beginning with Racing with the Moon and soaring to new heights with The Big Lebowski, bowling is a favorite backdrop in some of the most popular movies from the past three decades. We wanted to celebrate and pay homage to the movies that continue to generate excitement for the sport of bowling.”
And now without further ado, here are the five best bowling movies according to people who really know the leisure activity/sport. All wording describing the reasons behind these five films making the cut is courtesy of GoBowling.com:
1. The Big Lebowski (1998) – The Coen Brothers’ flick has amassed a passionate fan following with its ensemble cast of bowling buddies Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and Steve Buscemi, providing iconic one-liners and popularizing White Russians and bowling leagues.
2. Kingpin (1996) – This close second featured memorable performances from Woody Harrelson and Randy Quaid, but it was Bill Murray as Ernie McCracken who stole the show with one of the most famous poses to appear in sports movies.
3. Racing with the Moon (1984) – An 80’s cult classic that features two of the most popular celebrities of today – Sean Penn and Nicholas Cage – as two friends who work in a bowling alley.
4. The Flintstones (1994) – Fred and Barney paved the way as members of the first bowling league in this early 90’s classic featuring a Stone-Aged John Goodman.
5. Grease 2 (1982) – The bowling center served as the local hangout for Michael and Stephanie, and was also the birthplace of the classic hit, “We’re Gonna Score Tonight,” while also serving as one of Michelle Pfeiffer’s first major motion pictures.
