Game Day

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.

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.

I am always surprised to see a movie on cable that I never even heard about, and I really like. Richard Lewis is a very convincing coach, although I think that small town would drive a coach like him crazy. I especially like the key basketball player coming to the realization that his career and life to that point has been a monumental waste. The coach's conversation with the stripper was very important for the audience's understanding of his talent, and how it transcends his debauchery. What I mean is he can perform in spite of his "sex, drugs, rock and roll" lifestyle.

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.

I rate this movie at the same level as Hollywood Knights Very watchable and movies that you and probably not many of your friends have seen or on Kodi. The main characters are priceless and I do not think they have ever reached the same level that they did in these movies. Steve Adler and Newbaum Turk are two great characters in b level movies that are really enjoyable. The pot smoking scene with Steve is quite good.