Blue Chips

"Blue Chips" is a vastly under-rated sports film which deals with the shady dealings of colleges and their players. Nick Nolte plays a college basketball coach who is so desperate to return to his glory days that he breaks the rules by giving his newest recruits (Shaquille O'Neal, Anfernee Hardaway, and Matt Nover) basically anything they and their families want. School alumnus J.T. Walsh is the catalyst to these shady dealings and now the college has a winning team again, but at what price? "Blue Chips" is another one of William Friedkin's films that is much deeper than it first appears on the surface. With the exception of "The French Connection" and "The Exorcist", this is his finest film as a director. His documentary-style makes you feel as if you are in on all the action. Numerous parts are played by real basketball players and coaches, adding a great bit of realism to the story. "The French Connection" benefited from this style by having real cops in key roles and "The Exorcist" did the same having priests play themselves. Shaquille O'Neal, Anfernee Hardaway, and Matt Nover do surprisingly well with the material. They are all three-dimensional characters and shine throughout the film. However with that said, it is Nick Nolte who is the primary factor that makes the film well worth while. Far from perfect, but still a very good movie. 4 out of 5 stars.

Yes, I would admit that this movie is not THE greatest basketball movie of all time. I suppose Hoosiers would get that title. The only real pet-peave I had is that the basketball players such as Penny, Shaq, and Matt are not exactly Shakespearean actors. Of course, their athletic ability is perfect for their parts and the movie covers their acting deficiencies enough with plenty of playing scenes including numerous dunks by Shaq. I'm a huge college b-ball fan and the cameos including Pitino, Knight, Tark, and Dicky V give the movie a better sense of realism. Knight was certainly great at playing himself, which involves yelling-cursing at the players and refs. Nick Nolte makes this movie, however. He comes off thoroughly convincing as a veteran college coach who is facing the twilight of his career and considers illegal recruiting tactics to get a winning team again. The series of the movie with his recruiting visits is the best part. He did a great job at kissing up to the players and parents. Now is this movie realistic? I don't know for sure, but it was still entertaining and fun to watch nonetheless.

This movie is very underrated, it hasn't gotten nearly the credit it deserves. I thought it was very well done, although it wasn't perfect, it was still very good. It is the first movie to talk about a problem that is very prominent in todays colleges and their methods of recruiting. The film is very well written and Nick Nolte does a great, great job playing the conflicted coach.

Nick Nolte carries the movie and Mary McDonnell is great in a supporting role. It's not just a film for those who follow hoops or hate the inexplicable incompetence of the NCAA, it's also a story about the human condition.

This isn't a bad movie at all. Considering the scandals that have come to light about college athletes receiving cars, houses, money, etc. this film has even more relevance today than it did when it first came out.

To see a Shaquille O'Neal full of potential and natural talent (yet not yet spoiled by his own success) is a thrill - even for a Kings fan. His acting isn't the point; it's the few scenes that show him actually playing basketball that are worth watching for.