Game Day

This film chronicles the sad and pathetic existence of a second-tier college basketball coach (Richard Lewis) as he prepares for the big game. Rather than preparing by running drills with the team, or going over special plays he catalogs his drug collection and scams on the local college girls. Everything culminates on game day, with one of the most unpredictable basketball games ever filmed.

Richard Lewis is brilliant in this film. His "pep" talks to the basketball squad sound as if they were written by Mamet on his best and most cynical day. The delivery of one speech in particular is perfectly done, you will recognize it when you hear it. This speech is the antithesis of every lame "rah-rah" game winning speech I have ever heard in a sports related movie.

The tag line for this film is: "This ain't Hoosiers," and it is an apt one. It is as if Steven Klein (writer and director) has seen every relevant sports film and passed judgment on them, banishing the sports film to a strange bizarro-world, then returning it, just recognizable.

A brilliant snapshot of late 20th century America, Game Day is a pressure cooker plot, with viewers increasingly dreading the inevitable, thankfully surprising and rewarding, explosion.

A dark Basketball Cinderella story, with a middle of nowhere underdog team getting a once in a lifetime chance at fame and glory; making it to the national championship, lead by a washed up 'has-been', that literally has been to the national championship five times before, and lost every single time - coach Steven Adler. Richard Lewis delivers his best dramatic performance as coach Adler, a role that covers everything from uplifting motivational speeches to disturbing manifestations of self destruction, as he gives up on everything... except, the game. 'I am good at the game' says Lewis in a blend of self determination and an ironic excuse for everything he is not quite as good at. An unsettling charisma around his character draws you in and keeps you hooked, like it or not.

The film is beautifully shot and edited - blending intense heart-racing peaks, with insightful social commentary and dark comedy. Speaking of comedy, casting the incomparable late comic Greg Giraldo is a beautiful touch.

I couldn't recommend this enough; great charismatic protagonist , well-crafted, thoroughly entertaining and thought-provoking - Game Day's got it all.

I'm a total sports movie junky so I was surprised to see this title pop up. I didn't recognize it, but I love Richard Lewis (and Greg Giraldo is in this, btw) and the trailer on YouTube looked cool, so I gave it a shot. I have to say, I've seen a lot of sports movies, and this one has some of the best game footage/editing that I've seen. Also, while it can be a bit raunchy at times, it's really funny. And Richard Lewis was a total revelation. Definitely some of his strongest acting work as the down and out coach.

Anyway, this one brought me back to my love of classic 90's sports films.

Richard Lewis shows why he should be considered for many more parts than he has in the past. His range as an actor is confirmed by his performance in this wonderful look at college basketball. The game sequence is one of the best I've ever seen in a sports movie as far as realistic play is concerned....that from an ex-basketball player from Kansas. Despite the fantastic finish, the play of the game, the flow of it, is much more credible than any basketball film I've seen before but it is so much more still. As a commentary on cannabis, it is non judgmental and wonderfully objective. I just think that anyone with a good sense of humor should view this film and see Richard Lewis at his best. It opened my eyes to his talent and I have since been a big fan of his.

When I first saw this movie it was because I was up late at night and couldn't sleep. It was showing on shotime, and I decided to watch it because it was a sports movie. I really enjoy watching sports movies because they are inspiring. Unfortunately this movie didn't inspire me at all, but it made me laugh real hard. The movie has many characters, and it takes you into their lives one by one. The drugged out basketball coach, the town mayor who gambles people's money, and the basketball player who feels like a he didn't accomplish anything in his life. All of these characters all share one common interest, and that is that they're all going to be at the national game against Miami. This movie is really funny, and Richard Lewis is really funny as he plays the role of the head coach. His pre-game speeches are just hilarious. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who is into that dark sort of comedy, and I would give it 4 out of 5 stars.