Movie : Hoosiers

A basketball coach/teacher takes a job at a small town Indiana school. It’s a last chance kind of job. He’s hired by an old friend. He was a successful college coach but is bringing a blemished past that has him taking this job in the sticks. The local team isn’t very good but the community still takes the game seriously and expects instant results. The new coach brings his coaching method and personalty into play with resistance and a whole lot of things against him. Not a lot of options to turn things around but he perseveres and builds the basketball the team and finds some redemption for himself and others.

I don’t know how popular this film was at the time but I do know that I liked it a lot. Basically a feel good underdog movie but what makes it different for me is the director, David Anspaugh, stripped away a lot of the drama and didn’t overdo the sentimentality and just told a real solid story. He really could of gone for the jugular on the cornball shit but he didn’t. Hiring the cast helped that. All the support is solid with the members of the team realistic and looking and playing like they new what they were doing.

Barbara Hershey (a CB fave) as a small town teacher is a whole story on her own. She brings a truthfulness and realism to the role. I never questioned her being the character once. Denis Hopper as one of the players father gets reined in and has some very real moments. He plays a drunk and the whole relationship with him and his son feels authentic.

But it’s the casting of Gene Hackman that again shows me what a great actor he is. I believe his performance from top to bottom. The guy is an acting lesson on how to just be the character. He never over does anything. Subtle but when he loses his temper it’s not over the top it’s just yeah, he’s pissed off. Real stuff Geno. I have to mention his work with others. He just makes everyone better. Not a bad scene.

Good little film with a story you can’t help getting caught up in. You will think you are at that time and place. A little movie magic taking us back there to be part of the ‘Huskers” 1951 season.

“Coach he’s a drunk. He’ll do something stupid” Truer words were never spoken.