Spending time on an international airline flight presents an opportunity to watch many movies, and on a recent trip to Europe and back, that’s exactly what I did.

I returned last week from a nine-day mission trip to Romania. While there, our group of six men worked on putting up wall board at two separate church training centers. One is located in the town of Suncuius and the other in Stana de Mures, both are in Transylvania – a region in central Romania, made famous by Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, and the many movies it has spawned.

I also had the opportunity to play a few solos on my trumpet at two different churches. It’s always a great experience to travel and minister to people in other countries, and they truly appreciate the sacrifices we make to be with them.

Our trip was made longer by the fact that when leaving Budapest, Hungary, there was fog in London – go figure – that delayed our departure. In turn, it caused us to miss our connecting flight to Dallas. We had to spend a night at an airport hotel and fly out the next day. I guess I can say I’ve been to London, but I didn’t get any where near Big Ben or Buckingham Palace.

On the long nine-hour flights across the Atlantic, I got caught up on a few sports related movies that I haven’t seen.

The first one was Bottom of the 9th. This movie, released in July 2019, didn’t get a lot of publicity, but I really enjoyed it, even though it is full of sports clichés. The story is about a young man who has a lot of baseball talent, but due to a bad decision and accidently taking another man’s life, he winds up in prison. When he gets out he returns to his roots, however, he is not accepted by everyone in the old neighborhood; most of whom can’t forgive him for what he did. He ultimately achieves his dream, at an advanced age, of playing Major League Baseball.

The drama was directed by Raymond De Felitta, from a screenplay by Robert Bruzio. It stars Joe Manganiello, who is fantastic as the wayward baseball player who finds redemption, and Sofía Vergara, is his love interest before going to prison and their relationship is rekindled upon his return.

Another movie I really enjoyed was The Bromley Boys; a comedic British independent film released in 2018. The story is about a teenager, David Roberts, who is obsessed with his local football (soccer) club. Roberts never misses a game, he idolizes the team’s players, and agonizes over the fact that if this team keeps losing there is a chance the team will dissolve. The movie is set during the 1969-1970 season, and is based on the real-life story of Roberts’ and his experiences as a lifelong Bromley supporter.

Along the way, Roberts falls in love with a schoolmate who happens to be the daughter of the Bromley team owner. Their relationship causes additional trouble for Roberts, who tries to inspire his favorite team to victory.

I also watched, The Art of Racing in the Rain, and wish I hadn’t. Not because this was a bad movie, on the contrary, but because it was a tear-jerker and nobody likes to be seen wiping tears from his eyes while watching a movie on a plane. I remember when this movie was in theaters last year, and I had a desire to see it, but didn’t get a chance.

From the movie’s web site; Based on the best-selling novel by Garth Stein, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a heartwarming tale narrated by a witty and philosophical dog named Enzo (voiced by Kevin Costner). Through his unique insight into the human condition, Enzo helps his owner, racecar driver Denny Swift (Milo Ventimiglia), his wife Eve (Amanda Seyfried) and daughter Zoe, navigate life with a refreshing perspective on friendship, family and unconditional love.

I don’t want to give too much away, because I really recommend this film, but there is serious drama in this movie, including facing death, that keep you emotionally invested in this family portrayed on the screen. The racing scenes are just icing on the cake.

The fourth sports related movie I watched was Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story. This documentary, directed by Nate Adams and Adam Carolla, is an in-depth look at the life and career of Willy T. Ribbs, a controversial racecar driver who shattered the color barrier of professional auto-racing and became the first African-American to qualify and race in the Indianapolis 500.

The movie, highlights Ribbs’ career in the 1980s and 1990s, as he became the second African-American to race in NASCAR, which was portrayed as a red-neck sport, comprised mostly of white people, and his eventual success of reaching his goal of racing in the Indy 500, twice. Ribbs faced some serious prejudices in the sport of auto-racing, however, he didn’t always handle it with the class of Jackie Robinson. Ribbs wasn’t afraid of getting into scrapes with fellow racers and team owners, and got much advice from another flashy athlete, Muhammad Ali. It was his attitude that earned him the nickname “Uppity.”

I highly recommend all four of these movies, but don’t wait until you’re on a trans-Atlantic flight to watch them. Someone just might see you tearing up.