This triumphant tale of a high school basketball teams' long-shot attempt to ascend to the State Championship is filled with edge-of-your-seat suspense and breathless excitement! Featuring "fast-break cinematography that catches the pace of the game" (Washington Post) and intense, heart-rending performances from Gene Hackman, Barbara Hershey and Dennis Hopper, Hoosiers redefined the sports movie with a realism and frankness that make you believe in its small-town characters - and cheer for them over and over again.
Hackman is Norman Dale, a basketball coach whose checkered past has led him to a last-chance position with a last-chance team. Made to feel unwelcome by squad members, an icy fellow teacher (Hershey) and townspeople who nearly have him fired, Dale perseveres with a gritty demeanor and an unwavering passion for the game. But winning over the team is only half the battle in a world where small-town teams can end up playing big-time rivals...and a downtrodden outsider can rouse the pride of an entire county.
Directed by
David Anspaugh
Written by
Angelo Pizzo
Starring
Gene Hackman (Coach Norman Dale); Barbara Hershey (Myra Fleener); Dennis Hopper (Shooter); Sheb Wooley (Cletus); Fern Persons (Opal Fleener); Chelcie Ross (George); Robert Swan (Rollin); Michael O'Guinne (Rooster); Wil Dewitt (Reverenf Doty); John Robert Thompson (Sheriff Finley); Michael Sassone (Preacher Purl); Gloria Dorson (Millie); Mike Dalzell (Mayor Carl); Skip Welker (Junior (as Calvert L. Welker)); Eric Gilliom (J. June). Please contact SFC to add other cast members and characters.
Important: the following essays and comments are authored by Soul Food Cinema readers. Whilst the Editor prays for the spiritual integrity of all content of this site, it should be noted that these represent personal opinions and carry no official endorsement. If you consider any content to be a misrepresentation of Catholic teaching, please contact SFC. May God bless you and enlighten you in your reading.
-
Articles, Essays and Reviews
-
Please contact SFC if you are interested in submitting an essay on this film.
-
Readers' Comments and Opinions
-
Click the link to comment on this film. You may like to copy the film title and year (as given above) to your clipboard now for pasting into the following form.