Rating  - I love the movie, but Coach Dale was a fraud
Let's be honest here, Hoosiers is the best basketball ever made. It is the sports movie by which all future sports movies are made. It's the classic tale of a small team overcoming great odds to win it all. What makes this story so compelling is that it's based upon a true story.
The Hickory Hucksters are a 1950s high school basketball team of small-town, rural Indiana. They represent the entire town in the stereotypical story where the entire town shuts down on game night. Filmed in a perfect representation of midwestern America, the blue-collar innocence is beautiful.
A new coach named Norm Dale (Hackman) was just hired to lead the town's boys to victory, but everyone doesn't agree with this methods. He's a mystery, and outsider, and he plans on teaching the boys the fundamentals of basketball, and this doesn't sit well with the town.
Everyone knows the rest. The coach and team overcome great odds, Jimmy Chitwood helps to save coach Dale's job by swaying the town hall vote, Shooter (Dennis Hopper) is given a chance at redemption - to himself, his family, and his town - the team is embraced by the town, and Jimmy leads them to a state championship. It's an incredible tale with great action, compelling characters, and a happy ending. I have a problem, however, and it is with coach Dale.
While he may look the part and sound the part, coach Dale is a horrible coach, and I'm not sure if he really understands basketball at all. His insistence on four passes is meant to teach a lesson on teamwork and running an offense, but that insistence also stifles creativity. It is not unbelievable to envision several opportunities in which the team would have passed up easy shots for a much more difficult opportunity.
That's bad enough as a basketball strategy, and I'm quite sure the original Muncie team didn't follow that obtuse gameplan, but the most egregious problem with the movie is coach Dale's final choice during the state playoffs. At that point, Jimmy Chitwood was roughly 67 for 68 throughout the playoffs, missing MAYBE one shot. Why on earth would coach Dale attempt to set up Jimmy as a decoy when it's plainly obvious that Jimmy's the entire team and can't be stopped by anyone on the planet?! It's simply absurd.
Don't get me wrong, the movie is awesome. It's one of my favorites, but the coaching is ridiculous.
Rating - One Of The Ten Best Films of All Time...
There can be no doubt that this is one of the finest, well-made, and produced movies that Hollywood has ever released. The casting is perfect and the direction flawless.
"Hoosiers" is set in a town in Indiana which is famous for its love of basketball. Gene Hackman plays coach Norman Dale who comes to Hickory, Indiana to get a struggling high school team back on its feet. He is met with anger and suspicion on the part of the townspeople and apathy and suspicion on that part of the players.
What ensues is a lesson in character and fortitude that extends its reach far beyond the game of basketball. Dennis Hopper plays the father of one of the team members who has seen far better days. As a bitter, unrepentent alcoholic, he proceeds to make things harder for his son and the team. Barbara Hershey plays a sarcastic high school principal who resents not only the new coach, but the sport and the town. But as the movie progresses, we see a metamorphosis on the part of all as lives begin changing around the game of basketball.
You can look at this movie as being about basketball. And it obviously is. However, it transcends that and, to me, is a story of redemption, and triumph. In fact, it might take two viewings to really get the subtle nuances this movie delivers.
Set against the backdrop of Indiana scenery, and filmed beautifully, you will find yourself getting caught up in the magic of this story. The soundtrack is beautiful as well. This is one of those movies that delivers a special gift. I wish I could give it ten stars.
Rating - Hoosiers{Blu-Ray Version}
GREAT SPORTS MOVIE! INSTEAD OF REVIEWING MOVIE, WHICH WE ALL KNOW IS A GREAT SPORTS MOVIE, JUST WANTED TO SAY THE BLU-RAY PICTURE IS A HUGE IMPROVEMENT OVER MY OLD DVD. I'M ONLY REPLACING MY OLD MOVIES THAT I LOVE BUT LOOK BAD ON MY NEW HDTV. WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THE PICTURE QUALITY ON THIS. THE ONLY DRAWBACK TO THIS BLU-RAY IS THERE AREN'T ANY EXTRAS EXCEPT FOR A TRAILER. BUT IF YOUR LOOKING FOR BETTER PICTURE QUALITY, YOU WON'T BE DISSAPOINTED.
Rating - Hoosiers
I had not seen this movie, but I was so glad that I bought it. It was wonderful!!!!!
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