"They needed a second chance to finish first."
Failed college coach Norman Dale gets a chance at redemption when he is hired to coach a high school basketball team in a tiny Indiana town. After a teacher persuades star player Jimmy Chitwood to quit and focus on his long-neglected studies, Dale struggles to develop a winning team in the face of community criticism for his temper and his unconventional choice of assistant coach: Shooter, a notorious alcoholic.
Gene Hackman
Norman Dale
Barbara Hershey
Myra Fleener
Dennis Hopper
Wilbur "Shooter" Flatch
Sheb Wooley
Cletus Summers
Maris Valainis
Jimmy Chitwood
David Neidorf
Everett Flatch (#21)
Brad Long
Buddy Walker (#14)
Steve Hollar
Rade Butcher (#25)
Brad Boyle
Whit Butcher (#43)
Failed college coach Norman Dale gets a chance at redemption when he is hired to coach a high school basketball team in a tiny Indiana town. After a teacher persuades star player Jimmy Chitwood to quit and focus on his long-neglected studies, Dale struggles to develop a winning team in the face of community criticism for his temper and his unconventional choice of assistant coach: Shooter, a notorious alcoholic.
I really found it quite hard to get excited about this rather predictable story, even though Dennis Hopper turns in one of his best character efforts. The story centres on basketball coach “Dale” (Gene Hackman) who takes over a third rate school team in Indiana. Their team spirit is pretty non existent but there are spirits a-plenty going down the throat of the enthusiastic “Shooter” (Hopper) whose son plays for the team and who isn’t the worst tactician - but is never sober often or long enough to consistently make much odds. With a team that couldn’t beat an egg and a deputy who can barely stand up, we now set off on a fairly standard story from a 1950s United States where opportunities were thin on the ground and sport could offer a way out for many. Hackman is fine, but not really anything more as we discover his character’s baggage and demons; Barbara Hershey tries to impose herself but her “Myra” has little to get her teeth into and Oscar nominated or not, I just didn’t take to Jerry Goldsmith’s confused score that was half Vangelis and half AOR. Even if you didn’t know the actual history upon which this is based, it’s an easy guess and that very procedural nature of the drama robs it of much jeopardy, even as the simulated match action takes place. It’s a motivational feel-good film and ought to be shown to illustrate to kids that winning is important, but not so much as the team-building aspects of sport that only work if everyone playing can rely on everyone else. It’s watchable enough, but isn’t anything special.
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