The Big Picture: A Century of American Sport, Identity, and Ideology in Hollywood Cinema, 1920s–2020s

This research project examines cinematic representations of sport as a key cultural practice in American society, tracing how these portrayals reflect broader historical shifts, ideological values, and identity formations. Drawing from interdisciplinary frameworks in cultural studies, sociology, and media analysis, the research explores how American sport films negotiate complex intersections of nationalism, masculinity, race, class, and the American Dream. Historically, sport cinema has functioned both as entertainment and cultural hegemony, promoting dominant narratives of individual achievement, upward mobility, and national exceptionalism. Yet, sport films also reveal tensions, contradictions, and social transformations, incorporating shifting societal attitudes towards race, gender, diversity, and multicultural inclusion. Through a focused analysis of American sports films from over 100 years, this research aims to identify evolving cinematic trends—from patriotic hero narratives during wartime to critical explorations of racial and gender inequality in later decades—highlighting sport’s ongoing role in shaping and contesting American cultural identity.