Le programme: Vaincre à tout prix

I'm not a football fan, although it's not like I haven't enjoyed football films from the past.... such as "North Dallas Forty," "Semi-Tough," and "The Longest Yard." Not that any of those were pure football movies, but maybe that's why I enjoyed them. So I didn't look at "The Program" from the eyes of a football fan, but from the perspective of whether it's a good movie or not. Certainly it's very professionally made and acted, and the football scenes are pretty exciting. (The point-of-view shots with the football helmet's bars in the foreground made you feel like you were there, as in any self-respecting shoot 'em up video game.)

The main reason why I was attracted to give "The Program" a peek was that I was in a James Caan state of mind... having recently seen him in "Warden of Red Rock," and rediscovering what a fine actor he can be. My first disappointment is that Caan, as the coach, is present mainly as a vehicle to keep the film moving along. He fixes things when the boys screw up, acts tough, makes appropriate facial expressions... and is basically a one-dimensional character with no depth. Naturally, the film has decided to focus on the lives of the football players, as youth sells.

Basically, we pursue the love lives of two jocks. Joe makes a play for Camille (played by the original Buffy, Kristy Swanson), while Darnell zeroes in on Autumn (Halle Berry... who helps make the movie come alive), after suckering her to tutor him. In both instances, both women are vehemently against dating these guys. (Camille, in fact, flat out states that she does not go out with football players; she ultimately does so by losing a bet.) Now, it's nothing new in movies... as sometimes in real life... for a fellow to court a reluctant girl only to win her over at the end. I know we like to see that sort of thing. However, neither of these young men had the kinds of characteristics that would turn these girls' pretty heads in the manner that they did. Darnell's sweet, but not educated enough to hold a sharp gal like Autumn for long; and Joe can be a smarty-pants, smirking jerk at times, especially for a hard-nosed and demanding sort that Camille is initially established to be.

However, not only do the girls fall for these guys (and, granted, some women have been known to fall in love for no good reason)... but they do so in a totally devoted and nearly altruistic way. I could have bought one of the female characters doing so, but both? How very unrealistic; in real life, unless a woman feels that immediate click... before surrendering so completely... usually she will make a man jump through many more hoops than what these lucky b******s go through. We're just moving the plot along, folks.

This is a great display of how Hollywood movies are made... I can imagine the screenplay being discussed by the marketing whizzes at Disney, where the committee of account executives decided that everything should safely and neatly fall into place. All the predictable cliches have that neat, happy ending... Darnell finally bonds with his rival, for example; Joe's neglectful father is shown tuning into to his son's big game. Yes, the movie pushes the right buttons, but there is no soul within; like in so many Hollywood cookie-cutter films... films that are, too often, hard to distinguish one from the next.

That's the best way to describe 1993's "The Program" in as few words as possible. It's a realistic drama/sports film focusing on a handful of players and their stories as individuals and members of the ESU Timberwolves.

I was well into the second half of the film when it dawned on me that I was into the characters' stories and had forgotten I was watching a movie, which is always a good sign. The characters include the quarterback (Craig Sheffer) who has to deal with the incredible pressure of his position and the fact that his Dad's an aloof drunkard who's given up on life; the linebacker who takes steroids to compete and starts to become a rage-oholic; the black dude from the ghetto who memorizes big words to appear smart; and more. For most of them, their lives and futures hinge on the game and so getting seriously injured can wipe out their very reason for existence. James Caan is notable as the coach.

As for women, there's Halle Berry in her prime and Kristy Swanson, but their roles are too limited and there are essentially no other women to be found, except cheerleaders & students in the background.

People who have played university football have pointed out that "The Program" is realistic in its depiction. It's a really good sports film for sure, but 1999's "Varsity Blues," which focuses on Texas high school football, edges it out. In fact, "Varsity Blues" ranks with my all-time favorite movies; it's got a more compelling story & characters, a funner vibe and better women. But both of them are must-see sports flicks.

The film runs 112 minutes and was shot at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, and the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.

GRADE: B+

The Program is an extremely pumped up look at college football and at individual players on a college team. Speaking from experience as a college player, most of the things in this movie are grossly exaggerrated (no teammates I played with ever wanted me to spit in their mouth). However, there are a few revealing moments in this movie that capture life on a college football program. Standard performances, directing and screenplay are adequate in this film, but its true enjoyment will be by those who have participated in organized football, especially college. A rating of 7 out of 10 was given.

This is a great football movie. Being a former college footballo player I can speak from experience of the pressures of the field and the perks you get off it. Craig Sheffer was outstanding as Joe Kane the star Quarterback dealing with demons, his demon was a big one alcohol. Kristy Swanson was great as Camile Joe's love interest. These two have excellent chemistry. Andrew Bryhanski roll as Lattimer was dead on. He played a steroid abuser perfectly. The best part of the movie is the last game when Latts makes the goal line play and The coach(played by James Caan) grabs him looks at him and they both know latts is back on the juice. All in all this is a outstanding movie and I would recommend it to anyone.

The college football team of the Timberwolves is made up of students from all over America and of all sorts of background. Joe Kane is the team's poster boy and is tipped to go all the way to the NFL; Darnell is a rookie from the tough streets looking for a break with the team and his tutor Autumn and the rest of the team are made up of steroid takers, trash takers and course flunkers. With all this raw aggressions and raw ability, Coach Winters must try and hold it all together despite his own problems.

It has been so many years since it came out that many viewers will have forgotten the fuss that made this film better known than it really deserved to be at the time. I won't go into it but I really fail to see (aside from the one impersonation) why a scene involving chicken with cars was cut yet a scene involving chicken with trains was left in – surely if one was unsuitable then the other should be so too? Now, over 10 years later the film remains more famous that it deserves on the back of some fortunate casting – it was the cast list that attracted to this film. The actual story is a fairly ho-hum sports movie with all the usual clichés about college sports as well as the usual semi-drama stories around the characters – overcoming bad backgrounds, party excesses, girl troubles and so on. As a basic sports movie it is enjoyable enough but it doesn't really do anything that makes it stand out from the genre.

The cast is the ongoing selling point of the film and the performances are OK considering that the material doesn't give them a great deal to do other than go through the genre motions. Caan plays a grizzly old coach who has to cover the player's indiscretions and he does it well enough. Berry looks OK but has little to do in a very male dominated film. Sheffer is supposed to be the lead role but he doesn't really have the ability and he is easily swallowed up by his support cast. Epps is good and minor female roles are also given to Swanson and Adams. Bryniarski overplays his steroid addict but still works and I thought Davis showed a gentle touch when he was given the chance to in minor scenes during the final game.

Overall, aside from the controversy that helped it getting a bigger audience at the time of release and the good list of names in the cast, this is actually just a competent film rather than a really good one. It has all the usual clichés that you expect from college sports films and it doesn't do anything special with them but it doesn't do them badly either. Entertaining as along as you know what to expect.