2023 NAACP Image Awards: 3 ‘Outstanding Motion Picture’ Winners You Should Watch if You Love Sports
February is a busy month for entertainment as many significant events are set to take place, including Rihanna’s highly anticipated Super Bowl Half-Time Show performance, marking her return to live performances in over five years. In addition, the 2023 NAACP Image Awards will also be taking place later that month on Saturday, February 25, marking the first time the show will be airing live in three years. So, in honor of both events, we’ve created a quick list of 3 “Outstanding Motion Picture” winning films you should watch if you love sports. And don’t forget to catch NAACP’s celebration of Black excellence next month.
Remember the Titans
Remember the Titans took home the win for “Outstanding Motion Picture” one year after its release in 2001 and follows the real-life story of coach Herman Boone, portrayed by Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington, and his attempt to integrate the then T. C. Williams High School football team in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1971.
The sports biopic featured an ensemble cast, including Wood Harris, Ryan Gosling, Will Patton, Ryan Hurst, Donald Faison, and many more. Remember the Titans beat out several classic films, including Love & Basketball, Men of honor, Shaft, and The Original Kings of Comedy.
Ali
Academy Award-winning actor Will Smith portrays famed boxing champion and active Muhammad Ali in the 2001 biographical sports drama Ali which followed ten years of the athlete’s life. The project earned “Outstanding Motion Picture” a year after it premiered in theaters beating out Baby Boy, The Brothers, Training Day, and Rush Hour 2.
The movies starred several prominent actors, including Jamie Foxx, Jon Voight, Mario Van Peebles, Ron Silver, Jeffrey Wright, and many more.
The Great Debaters
Denzel Washington starred and directed the 2007 film The Great Debaters, based on the true story of poet and professor Melvin B. Tolson, a professor at Wiley College Texas who, in 1935, inspired students to form the school's first debate team. They ultimately became the first black debate team to challenge Harvard's prestigious debate champions. The film co-stars a slew of extraordinary talent, including Forest Whitaker, Denzel Whitaker, Kimberly Elise, Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett, and more.
The film won “Outstanding Motion Picture” in 2008, coming on top of several movies, including American Gangster, I Am Legend, Talk to Me, and Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married?
Watch the NAACP Image Awards live on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at 8:00 pm ET/PT on BET.
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