Murderball (2005)

At the recent Academy Awards, the best documentary went to the fluffy film "March of the Penguins" which did big box office Stateside, as it catered to the so-called family values of middle-America, but the above film would have been a far worthier winner.  I am usually able to resist the appeal of message movies, but the message here was life-affirming: sport is only the tip of the iceberg in coming to terms with disability.  The movie followed the fortunes of the US quadrilegic rugby team members as they prepared for the Special Olympics and as they faced their previous coach's defection to the Canadian team.  Played in specially-built and adapted wheelchairs, the game is sufficiently violent to deserve its original name of "murderball".  The documentary follows the fortunes of various team members and recently injured potential players without a shred of maudlin self-pity and the surprise is how involved the viewer feels and how one becomes intimate with the teams' hopes and dreams.  As a work of the highest calibre, this documentary wins hands down over penguins in my book.