What it’s about
This biopic of famed New York Yankee Lou Gehrig (Cooper) traces his storied athletic career, portraying the ascension of the legendary southpaw to the best team in baseball, as well as his romance and eventual marriage to devoted wife Eleanor (Wright). The movie culminates in his final gallant battle with a rare and fatal disease, soon to bear his name. We watch as Gehrig bears this ultimate challenge with the same grace and finesse he displayed as a ballplayer.
Why we love it
Potent inspiration for a country newly at war, this sentimental tearjerker still holds up beautifully, with lots of patriotic flavoring and the inspiring atmosphere of a simpler, nobler time. The magnetic Cooper was never better, Wright is radiant as his spouse, and we even get a glimpse of Babe Ruth playing himself. Don't miss this affecting ode to a long-ago era when our nation's role models really were heroic.