"Balls " in the Movies Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cast Away

"Cast Away" is a 2000 film starring Tom Hanks and Helen Hunt and directed by Robert Zemeckis. Chuck Noland (Hanks) is an engineer for FedEx who experiences a crash landing in the Pacific Ocean. He is the only survivor and is marooned on a desert island with little food and only the wreckage from the plane to help him survive. He opens one of the packages and discovers a volleyball which he names Wilson. Not to spoil the movie but the saddest part of the story is when Chuck attempts an escape of the island and loses his faithful volleyball companion to the open sea.

Answer: Dodgeball

"Billy Madison" is a 1995 comedy directed by Tamra Davis and starring Adam Sandler, Bradley Whitford, and Bridgette Wilson. Billy is born into a rich family but is forced to return to grade school to prove that he could pass all 12 grades and earn the right to run his father's company. Billy completes each grade in two-week intervals and makes friends with kids in the 3rd grade.

In one scene however, Billy takes on the elementary kids in dodgeball making a number of them cry. Ultimately, Billy graduates, wins the company, and the love of his 3rd grade teacher.

Answer: Space Jam

"Space Jam" was a 1996 movie produced by Ivan Reitman and directed by Joe Pytka. In the story, Jordan has just retired from the NBA but becomes embroiled in crazy game of basketball helping the Looney Tunes characters take on Swackhammer and the Monstars who have stolen the basketball powers of some of the greatest players in the NBA. Fortunately, Bugs Bunny, his girlfriend Lola, Daffy Duck, and a late cameo by Bill Murray helps the good guys win. His experience saving toontown persuades Jordan to return to play again with the Chicago Bulls.

Answer: Rugby in South Africa

"Invictus" is a powerful story of South Africa's triumph in the 1995 Rugby World Cup which was held historically for the first time in South Africa. Nelson Mandela was the President of the country (played by Morgan Freeman) who enlists the help of the national rugby team to help bring hope to a nation in post-apartheid South Africa.

The Springboks historically beat the New Zealand All-Blacks 15-12 in the World Cup Final in extra time.

Answer: Silver Shoes

"The Firm" is a 1988 film starring Gary Oldman that focuses on soccer hooliganism in England. The lead character is a family man by day but a soccer hooligan with West Ham's Inter-City Firm on the weekends. "Bend it Like Beckham" is a 2003 movie that follows Parminder Nagra (Jess) and her dream of becoming a soccer player against the strict wishes of her traditional Sikh parents. "Kicking & Screaming" is a 2005 movie starring Will Ferrell as a parent that takes on the challenge of coaching a rag-tag group of children.

Although, I do not know a soccer movie entitled "Silver Shoes" there is a great family flick called "Golden Shoes" that stars Christian Koza and his challenge to play in a youth soccer league.

Answer: Franz Beckenbauer of Germany

"Victory" was directed by John Huston and follows a team of Allied prisoners of war as they play a friendly exhibition game against a German team. The team is coached by John Colby (Michael Caine) who is an ex-England professional player from West Ham.

The POWs with the help of the French resistance plan to escape during the exhibition game. The team is losing 4-1 at half-time and have the opportunity to escape through the sewers. However, they decide to go back out and play the second half. Thanks to a great save as time expires by Hatch (Sylvester Stallone), the team earns a 4-4 draw. During the confusion of the spectators storming the field in celebration, all of the POW players manage to escape. Pele, Moore, and Ardiles are simply brilliant in this movie. Pele plays the part of Corporal Luis Fernandez, Bobby Moore stars as Terry Brady and Osvaldo Ardiles plays Carlos Rey. All three are POWs at the camp and part of the ragtag soccer team pulled together by Colby. Franz Beckenbauer is a star football player who played in three World Cups for Germany.

He is one of only two men to win the World Cup as a player (1974) and a manager (1990).

Answer: Air Bud: Home Run

The "Air Bud" franchise began in 1997 with the movie "Air Bud". In this film, Buddy, the Golden Retriever, shows his skills in basketball while befriending his new owner Josh. In the movies that follow, Josh's golden retriever learns to play American Football in the 1998 "Air Bud: Golden Receiver", soccer in the 2000 "Air Bud: World Pup", baseball in the 2002 "Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch," and volleyball in the 2003 "Air Bud Spikes Back".

Answer: Cricket

"Million Dollar Arm" was released in 2014 and directed by Craig Gillespie and produced by Disney Pictures. Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel win a reality show competition in India coordinated by sport agent J.B. Bernstein. The men are cricket players who are taught to throw baseballs. The movie follows the story of the young men moving to America and being overwhelmed by the experience. After failing miserably at the first major league tryout, the boys impress the head scout of the Pittsburgh Pirates and are given contracts to be the very first Indian professional baseball players.

Answer: Balls of Fury

"Balls of Fury" raked in over 40 million dollars at the box office in 2007. The movie features Dan Fogler as Randy Daytona, a former child prodigy in the sport of table tennis. His services are enlisted by the FBI to take down Feng (Christopher Walken), a criminal mastermind who was responsible for killing his father 19-years before. Very funny movie with some excellent table tennis skills on display, many endowed with Hollywood magic.

Answer: Strangers on a Train

"Strangers on a Train" follows Guy Haines (Farley Granger) and a fateful meeting on a train with psychopath Bruno Antony (Robert Walker). Guy wants to get rid of his cheating wife Miriam (Laura Elliot) and Bruno wants someone to kill his abusive father.

The two men talk about exchanging murders so that neither one can be tracked to a motive. Guy does not take the talk seriously. However, Bruno murders Guy's wife and then expects Guy to keep his end of the bargain.