8 Bowling Movies Worth Watching

Bowling has appeared in films for decades. Sometimes the whole plot turns on the sport, and sometimes it is a single memorable scene. These eight bowling movies all bring the lanes onto the screen, from a 1979 championship drama to a South Korean film about betting games.

Bowling movies at a glance

• Bowling at the center of the story: Dreamer, Alley Cats Strike, Kingpin, Split
• A bowler as the main character: Greedy
• The bowling alley as a setting: The Big Lebowski, Buffalo '66, Uncle Buck

1. The Big Lebowski (1998)

Written by Ethan and Joel Coen, this crime comedy stars Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski, who is mistaken for a millionaire of the same name and pulled into a kidnapping plot. Between the twists, he keeps returning to the lanes with his friends Walter and Donny, played by John Goodman and Steve Buscemi. The film grew into a cult classic and was added to the US National Film Registry in 2014.

2. Kingpin (1996)

Peter and Bobby Farrelly directed this comedy about Roy Munson, played by Woody Harrelson, a talented bowler whose career ends early. Years later he coaches a young Amish bowler, played by Randy Quaid, for a big-money tournament. Bill Murray plays his rival Ernie McCracken, and Vanessa Angel co-stars.

3. Dreamer (1979)

Noel Nosseck's drama follows a young bowler nicknamed Dreamer, played by Tim Matheson, who works at a small-town bowling alley and wants to become a champion. After a regional win he reaches the national championship, despite a thumb injury and the death of the retired pro who mentored him. Hall of Fame bowler Dick Weber plays his opponent, Weber's son Richard Weber Jr. coached Matheson for two weeks before filming, and the Grand Championship scenes were shot at Dick Weber Lanes in St. Louis.

4. Alley Cats Strike (2000)

This Disney Channel Original Movie, directed by Rod Daniel, premiered on March 18, 2000, with Kyle Schmid, Robert Ri'chard and Kaley Cuoco in the cast. When a school basketball game between East and West Appleton ends in a tie, a bowling competition has to decide the winner, and the West Appleton bowling club suddenly matters.

5. Greedy (1994)

Directed by Jonathan Lynn and written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, Greedy stars Michael J. Fox as Daniel McTeague, a second-string professional bowler. His relatives call him back to help them compete for the fortune of wealthy Uncle Joe, played by Kirk Douglas.

6. Buffalo '66 (1998)

Vincent Gallo directed Buffalo '66, co-wrote it with Alison Bagnall and plays Billy Brown, a man just released from prison. The film's best-known scene takes place at a local bowling alley: Billy bowls, while Layla, played by Christina Ricci, performs a tap dance under a spotlight.

7. Uncle Buck (1989)

John Hughes wrote and directed this comedy, with John Candy as the uncle who looks after his brother's children. Bowling is not the main plot, but the film includes a bowling alley sequence. According to the AFI Catalog, the first day of shooting took place at the Windy City Bowling Alley in Cicero, Illinois.

8. Split (2016)

Not to be confused with M. Night Shyamalan's thriller of the same name: Choi Kook-hee's South Korean film, released in November 2016, is built around bowling. Cheol-jong, once a celebrated bowler, now bowls for money in games arranged by Hee-jin. When they meet Young-hoon, an autistic young man with a natural gift for the game, they see their chance. Yoo Ji-tae, Lee Jung-hyun, Lee David and Jung Sung-hwa lead the cast.

From the screen to the lanes

If one of these films makes you want to bowl, a relaxed evening with friends is a good start. Our article on bowling as a first date has ideas for a night out. And if you start bowling regularly, your own pair of shoes is a sensible first piece of equipment. BOWLIO bowling shoes are made of genuine leather, with a leather slide sole under both shoes, so they suit left- and right-handed bowlers alike.