Hoosiers

What makes this one of the most popular sports films of all time isn't just the sport, it's because it's such a human-interest film, such a wonderful story of giving people second chances in life. Add a true-life David beat Goliath story and you have an appealing film.

It doesn't hurt that Gene Hackman is the star, either. He may not have that celebrity appeal or the looks of Clark Gable or Bratt Pitt, but this man can flat-out act! He makes a very believable high school basketball coach who is tough-but-fair on the outside and soft-and-compassionate on the inside.

The story of an extremely tiny school defying the odds and becoming a state champion in dramatic form was so inspiring that this film has played thousands of times for 20 years now by high school coaches to their kids for motivation.

But the key to the story is the coach getting a second chance in life to do what he loves and does best and he, in turn, giving others a second chance such as the alcoholic here played by Dennis Hopper. There are great lessons on teamwork, patience, tolerance and a whole bunch of other qualities. In one of the DVD documentaries, both Hackman and Hoppper comment on how many times people have approached them and THIS is the movie they mention that meant so much them. That says a lot since both men have made many famous movies.

An unsung hero of this movie is the cinematography. Man, this is beautifully filmed and the rural Midwest has never looked so pretty and appealing. It paints a beautiful picture of this part of the United States. It also paints a fond remembrance of the early 1950s. You get an honest-to-goodness feel of what it's like to be part of a basketball in this area during that time,

Basketball meant an awful lot - and still does - to these folks. If you are sports fan in particularly, this movie will bring a tear or two to your eyes. However, this story is for everyone who believes people deserve chances to overcome previous mistakes. Few films, whatever the topic, have the "heart" this movie demonstrates.

Gene Hackman gave his usual Oscar-winning performance while Dennis Hopper was simply outstanding. What can you say about a feel good movie like this. I've always enjoyed happy ending and this was one of the best. It almost made me feel like I wanted to be a basketball fan in Indiana in 1951. This movie left me feeling that I wanted to watch it again (I've already seen it five times). That's what great movies do to you, they force you to keep coming back. For me, Patton and The Sting were like that. I've seen Patton 15 times and The Sting at least 10. That's why I purchased Hoosiers instead of renting it. I've recommended it to my friends so they can derive the same satisfaction from it that I did. It helps to be a sports fan but not necessarily because this movie was a metaphor for life. It was truly a David versus Goliath-type story.

"Hoosiers" is a film that feels like it was made during Hollywood's Golden Age. The movie is somewhat based on the true story of a small Indiana high school that defied the odds in 1952 and won the state basketball championship. Gene Hackman is the mysterious, hard-nosed coach that must win at all costs. However, he has a secret from his past that could tear the team apart. Hackman does some of the best work of his storied career here. His character is reminiscent of his Oscar-winning turn in "The French Connection" some 15 years earlier. Barbara Hershey is super as usual as one of the school teachers in town. Dennis Hopper shines the most in his greatest screen role. He received his lone Oscar-nomination here by playing a drunken father of one of Hackman's players. "Hoosiers" is very similar to "The Last Picture Show" in its ability to show small-town life at its most realistic. It is also a film that will have the whole audience cheering, ala "Rocky". Easily the best basketball film ever made and one of the best, and most under-rated, films of the 1980s. 5 stars out of 5.

When this film came out in 1986, my 5-year-old son Jeff was absolutely determined to see it -- and on the first day of release, at that. He had read about it and seen the trailer on TV, and wouldn't take "no" for an answer. So, I relented, took that Friday afternoon off, and we went to the theater for the first showing.

Just as the title credits started to roll, with Gene Hackman driving through the early autumn Indiana countryside toward his date with Destiny, Jeff laid his head on my shoulder and promptly went to sleep -- and slept throughout the entire film. He had apparently gotten so excited over the prospect of seeing the movie that exhaustion overcame him, as it will with children. I didn't have the heart to wake him up, since I knew we could come back again -- and by the time the movie was over, I knew that I would indeed be seeing it again...and again, because it was plainly one of the all-time greats. It was the best sports movie I had seen up until that time, and it still is. In fact, it has legitimate claim as the best American movie ever. It incorporates all that is unique and good in American culture, and does it better than any other film has ever done. It is a magnificent artistic achievement, quintessentially American and an inspiration to everyone who sees it.

Jeff forgave me for not waking him up -- but not before we went back the very next day. He immediately agreed with me on its greatness. Every time he comes home now, we watch it together, and marvel at its perfection. He has become something of an expert on artistic values (Ph.D. in literature from Yale), but even at the age of 5 he could see that this movie was truly something special. And that it certainly is.

David Anspaugh's "Hoosiers" is a film about the passion to excel in sports. It's also about a man's comeback to the game after a rough patch in his own life. "Hoosiers" is a timeless film that will look good after years of its release because it speaks to us about how someone can inspire a group of people to do their best, as they become confident in what they are trying to accomplish. The film was lovingly written for the screen by Angelo Pizzo.

Coach Norman Dale gets a reprieve in life when he is hired to coach the Hickory basket ball team in rural Indiana. Basketball is the game where most people in that state take an unusual interest. Their passion for the sport is evident. The new coach is looked with suspicion because he is an outsider and he believes in teamwork. He wants everyone to participate equally, which doesn't make for excitement in the court. The coach doesn't want anyone overshadowing another, that's why he insists in total involvement. Needless to say, his method clashes with the parents and towns people from the start.

The coach's past comes to haunt him when Myra Fleener, one of the teachers, discovers an article that reveals an incident Mr. Dale would like to forget. At the same time, Myra realizes the goodness in the coach's heart by involving the drunken Shooter into helping him with the team.

Gene Hackman has one of the best opportunities of his distinguished career with his portrayal of Coach Dale. He is splendid in the film and he wins us with his decency and by sticking to his principles, which he passes on to the team members. Barbara Hershey is also good as Myra, the young woman who falls in love with Dale. Dennis Hopper plays Shooter, the father of one of the kids in the team who has a drinking problem.

"Hoosiers" is an inspiring film that ought to be seen by young people because of its message about team spirit and how to interact with one another in peace and harmony.