When the game’s over, get more at the library

As of this writing, the outcomes of Wimbledon have not yet been determined. The only thing we know for certain is that for the first time since 1911, no American will enter the final phases of the various matches.

Also, as of this writing, the winner of the FIFA World Cup in soccer has not been determined. The only thing known for certain is that the winner will be a European country, and the United States team is definitely out of the running.

Wimbledon is the classiest event in world tennis competition, and the nationalities involved make no difference. It is an individual effort. World Cup soccer, of course, is just the opposite. A good showing at the World Cup is a source of extreme nationalistic pride for many countries. Wars have been waged over a country’s honor involved in a game of “futbol.”

Now, while most American sports enthusiasts have turned their attention to baseball’s upcoming All-Star game, there are still folks out there who care about the game of tennis and sport of soccer. Unfortunately, these events are hours away by time zones in England and Germany.

So for those die-hard fans who can’t stay up late or get up early, the library can offer some pertinent diversion. Thanks to Hollywood and filmdom, there are a few films available on both sports that are worth a good look and a bowl of popcorn.

Tennis fans might well enjoy “Match Point,” about a retired tennis pro who has signed on as the pro at a posh British tennis club and the romantic mess he makes of things. It’s a Woody Allen film, with much to say about the nature of love and fidelity.

“Wimbledon,” with Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst, is a romantic comedy with an emphasis on the word “romantic.” It’s a story that Hollywood has told many times in many sports, but this is the first time with tennis as the background, and its “twist” is that it is heartfelt, rather than formulaic.

And just for a charming autobiographical story, there is “The Squid and the Whale.” While the story of the breakup of a marriage as seen through the eyes of the children is not about tennis, it does involve an affair with the tennis coach of one of the boys, wonderfully played by one of the Baldwin brothers ? William this time.

Soccer fans need not be disappointed. “Mean Machine” and “A Shot at Glory” are two gritty and terrific films about the sport that the rest of the world calls football. “Mean Machine” is sort of a British “Longest Yard,” and “A Shot at Glory” features Robert Duvall as the Scottish coach of a soccer team that may be dissolved and moved to Ireland by its American owner, Michael Keaton.

Two other films take a lighter look at the game. The incomparable “Bend It Like Beckham” is not only the story of athletic accomplishment by a young woman, but is a tale of the clash of cultures. “Fever Pitch” stars British heartthrob Colin Firth as a teacher obsessed with his team, Arsenal, and shows how his personal life suffers from his passion as a fan. (Yes, this was remade in the United States as the movie “Fever Pitch,” but the game is baseball and the team is the Boston Red Sox. Why the same title? Because a soccer field is called a pitch and in baseball the pitch is, well...)

If nonfiction films are a preference, the library also has “Really Bend It Like Beckham,” an instructional DVD that features ? David Beckham! There is also a terrific documentary, “The World at Their Feet: The Legendary Story of the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team.”

Any of these films may be checked out of the Newport Beach Public Library. If your local branch does not have a copy on the shelf, remember that films and books may be requested to be sent to your local branch. Just ask a librarian, or go online to make a request.