User reviews

It's 1951. Coach Norman Dale (Gene Hackman) arrives in the small Indiana town of Hickory. His old friend Cletus gets him a high school teaching and basketball coaching job. He's a former college coach with a troubled past. Fellow teacher Myra Fleener (Barbara Hershey) is intrigued by the newcomer. The best player Jimmy Chitwood refuses to play after the lost of his beloved coach. Myra looks after Jimmy with his troubled home life and doesn't want him to play. Dale throws out the bossy local coach and a mouthy player in the first practice. They are severely undermanned and he benches a disobedient player despite having only four players on the floor. Shooter Flatch (Dennis Hopper) is a drunken former star player and father to one of the players.

This follows the long tradition of the underdog sports movie and builds on it. The story is all cliché and proud of it. Hackman is masterful. Hopper is a great drunk. Hershey is the wearied type and I'm glad that they don't have a 20 year old bright-eyed hottie to play the romantic lead. The movie is earnest to its core and there lies its charms.

When this film came out in 1986, my 5-year-old son Jeff was absolutely determined to see it -- and on the first day of release, at that. He had read about it and seen the trailer on TV, and wouldn't take "no" for an answer. So, I relented, took that Friday afternoon off, and we went to the theater for the first showing.

Just as the title credits started to roll, with Gene Hackman driving through the early autumn Indiana countryside toward his date with Destiny, Jeff laid his head on my shoulder and promptly went to sleep -- and slept throughout the entire film. He had apparently gotten so excited over the prospect of seeing the movie that exhaustion overcame him, as it will with children. I didn't have the heart to wake him up, since I knew we could come back again -- and by the time the movie was over, I knew that I would indeed be seeing it again...and again, because it was plainly one of the all-time greats. It was the best sports movie I had seen up until that time, and it still is. In fact, it has legitimate claim as the best American movie ever. It incorporates all that is unique and good in American culture, and does it better than any other film has ever done. It is a magnificent artistic achievement, quintessentially American and an inspiration to everyone who sees it.

Jeff forgave me for not waking him up -- but not before we went back the very next day. He immediately agreed with me on its greatness. Every time he comes home now, we watch it together, and marvel at its perfection. He has become something of an expert on artistic values (Ph.D. in literature from Yale), but even at the age of 5 he could see that this movie was truly something special. And that it certainly is.

What makes this one of the most popular sports films of all time isn't just the sport, it's because it's such a human-interest film, such a wonderful story of giving people second chances in life. Add a true-life David beat Goliath story and you have an appealing film.

It doesn't hurt that Gene Hackman is the star, either. He may not have that celebrity appeal or the looks of Clark Gable or Bratt Pitt, but this man can flat-out act! He makes a very believable high school basketball coach who is tough-but-fair on the outside and soft-and-compassionate on the inside.

The story of an extremely tiny school defying the odds and becoming a state champion in dramatic form was so inspiring that this film has played thousands of times for 20 years now by high school coaches to their kids for motivation.

But the key to the story is the coach getting a second chance in life to do what he loves and does best and he, in turn, giving others a second chance such as the alcoholic here played by Dennis Hopper. There are great lessons on teamwork, patience, tolerance and a whole bunch of other qualities. In one of the DVD documentaries, both Hackman and Hoppper comment on how many times people have approached them and THIS is the movie they mention that meant so much them. That says a lot since both men have made many famous movies.

An unsung hero of this movie is the cinematography. Man, this is beautifully filmed and the rural Midwest has never looked so pretty and appealing. It paints a beautiful picture of this part of the United States. It also paints a fond remembrance of the early 1950s. You get an honest-to-goodness feel of what it's like to be part of a basketball in this area during that time,

Basketball meant an awful lot - and still does - to these folks. If you are sports fan in particularly, this movie will bring a tear or two to your eyes. However, this story is for everyone who believes people deserve chances to overcome previous mistakes. Few films, whatever the topic, have the "heart" this movie demonstrates.

A movie that defines the idea of the underdogs rising to meet the challenge of greatness, Hoosiers gives the audience something to cheer for. A tough-as-nails coach with a heart of gold, a team of farmboys with dreams of making it to the state finals, a small town pinning their hopes on their little high school - the movie has it all. It is well-paced, and is not overladen with side-plots and frivolities. There are no doped-up, foul-mouthed players, no need for gratuitous "party hearty" shots of the players behaving like hedonists or abusing their opponents. Some sports movies may trade in that stock and be considered "great" for it; this film doesn't and it's better for it. Superbly cast, superbly acted, and superbly executed. A worthy addition to the library of any sports film fan.

This film is primarily about Basketball, but don't let that fool you, I have no interest in the game but I was yanked into it and was feeling the passion of the coach, players and the town all the way through.

The underlying thread is of forgiveness and second chances. You never really know what was behind the need for these second chances, but that doesn't matter, you feel for these people, and a lot of that is to do with Gene Hackman.

One of my favourite actors, Hackman pulls off a fantastic performance here, with an amazing backup from Dennis Hopper. What a combination.

Passion, guts, determination, and without too much of a sickly taste in the mouth. A lovely film to watch.

David Anspaugh's "Hoosiers" is a film about the passion to excel in sports. It's also about a man's comeback to the game after a rough patch in his own life. "Hoosiers" is a timeless film that will look good after years of its release because it speaks to us about how someone can inspire a group of people to do their best, as they become confident in what they are trying to accomplish. The film was lovingly written for the screen by Angelo Pizzo.

Coach Norman Dale gets a reprieve in life when he is hired to coach the Hickory basket ball team in rural Indiana. Basketball is the game where most people in that state take an unusual interest. Their passion for the sport is evident. The new coach is looked with suspicion because he is an outsider and he believes in teamwork. He wants everyone to participate equally, which doesn't make for excitement in the court. The coach doesn't want anyone overshadowing another, that's why he insists in total involvement. Needless to say, his method clashes with the parents and towns people from the start.

The coach's past comes to haunt him when Myra Fleener, one of the teachers, discovers an article that reveals an incident Mr. Dale would like to forget. At the same time, Myra realizes the goodness in the coach's heart by involving the drunken Shooter into helping him with the team.

Gene Hackman has one of the best opportunities of his distinguished career with his portrayal of Coach Dale. He is splendid in the film and he wins us with his decency and by sticking to his principles, which he passes on to the team members. Barbara Hershey is also good as Myra, the young woman who falls in love with Dale. Dennis Hopper plays Shooter, the father of one of the kids in the team who has a drinking problem.

"Hoosiers" is an inspiring film that ought to be seen by young people because of its message about team spirit and how to interact with one another in peace and harmony.

For a sports movie this is a very good period piece. Hackman was very believable as coach overall if you like basketball movies you can't go wrong with this one.

This movie is authentic nostalgia for anyone who grew up in the mid-west in the 50's and 60's. It's what life looked like when I myself "came down to this planet" in the late 1940's and experienced my teens in the 60's.

The old school with high ceilings and gleaming wooden floors, the gyms with the gold-toned wall-tiles, even the hospital scene with the nurse in her starched white uniform -- all evoke a peculiar beauty that you no longer find today.

There is even a scene where a young teen girl yells "NO!" to an unjust referee call, and her pointy glasses and pony tail look so much like me back then, it feels like a glimpse into a parallel dimension.

I'd say this is a must-see experience for people my age -- although all ages can thoroughly enjoy the basketball action.

I'm glad for the social progress since then. But there is a "peculiar beauty" from those times that is starkly missing today.

A coach with a checkered past (Gene Hackman) and a local drunk (Dennis Hopper) train a small town high school basketball team to become a top contender for the championship.

Although I am not one who cares for basketball or sports films (they all seem to follow the same general plot), this one does have some good things going for it. Namely, Gene Hackman, who never makes a bad movie (or at least never plays a bad role). And Dennis Hopper, who is something of a wild card and is appropriately cast as a drunk.

Beyond that, it is just a feel good movie. Nothing too heavy, sort of the thing you expect from the 1980s. And that is just alright.

This film is entertaining, well-written, and definitely one that will get you cheering for the team! The down-side is that it's at times melodramatic and overly-tear-jerking and uses almost every sentimental cliche ever written at least once. While there are some great lines ('God wants you on the floor, son') there are also some *horribly* cliched lines as well ('I've wanted to kiss you since the moment we first met!')

Gene Hackman is fabulous in this, as the former college coach turned Navyman who comes to small town Hickory, IA to coach basketball. And being from Bloomington, I can vouch for the frenzied obsession we of Indiana have for basketball;), so it was no surprise to see how unwelcome he was in town with unorthodox methods and bing an outsider as well (always a good kicker for a plot). Add the loss of then best player in town, who decides not to play ball that year, and the challenge is on!

But the plot slips away too much at times. The Dennis Hopper as an alcoholic former basketball star who is given a chance to be an assistant if he cleans up plotline could have been interesting; but his 'agonized' moments on the floor dragged on too much, and the plot turned sour when he relapsed, and was eventually discarded and never resolved properly (save for a sloppy and cheezy heartstrings moment where his son declares that they'll move in together when it's all over, -snif-snif-snif-). As well, the shameless and worthless attempt to inject romance into the film stuttered and failed...Barbara Hershey playing a colleague who the coach gets off on the wrong foot with and then falls for, is too typical and rated barely a glimpse or two in the overall story. Why bother?? It was a subplot that had absolutely nothing to do with the story, hardly had any screen time, and was never properly dealt with. It was just wasted screen time.

Still, the film as a whole is worth the cheeziness of some parts. The ending is predictable, but in a heart-swelling way. Sure, some of the scenes are a bit too long and jerking, but in the end it doesn't matter because it just feels right. It's handled as well as possible, considering it has to be Hollywood, even in little Hickory. A solid film, could have been better, but not by too much. 7/10.

Critics compared it to 'Rocky', but this hackneyed inspirational drama actually looks and sounds more like 'The Natural', trading an enduring baseball myth for the fairy tale of small town high school basketball. Never mind the competitive spirit: the film is more a celebration of spacious skies and amber waves of grain, with hard luck coach Gene Hackman leading his undisciplined team to the Indiana State championship, bullying his way into the hearts of taciturn, conservative farm community where the game is regarded almost as a religion. The outcome of every match up is never in doubt; no matter how far behind they may be, the Hickory Hucksters always manage to find themselves with a tie score just before the final buzzer. But the music-and-montage approach to the sport flattens the genuine mania and suspense generated on a high school basketball court. Every cliché, from the triumphant music fanfares to the slow motion, game winning jump shots to the exultant crowd scenes, is as familiar as an old pair of gym sneakers, which is sure to be a reassuring comfort to some viewers. But to others it may simply mean the time has come to buy a new pair of shoes.

Everybody, especially those who live in the Midwest, will love this movie about an intense coach (Gene Hackman) with a questionable reputation who finds himself in a small Indiana town faced with the unenviable task of turning around tiny Hickory High's 8-man basketball team. Basketball fans will appreciate the movie for its authentic portrayal of small-town high school basketball in the 1950's. ALL viewers will enjoy this fun film for its triumphs and its classic, feel-good story of David and Goliath. This movie is not about a basketball team. This movie is about an entire community that comes together and rallies around the one thing they can all share - the Hickory High Huskers. 10/10

This site shows this movie to have about the normal number of "goofs" (here, all minor) - but its "perfection" is in the fact that this is an interesting, truly uplifting story, with warm characters, outstanding performances, and an appeal to everyone, whatever sex, age, background - and equally for those who know and/or care little for the game of basketball.

There isn't a finer actor around than Gene Hackman, and Dennis Hopper is in the same league. All of the rest of the cast perform admirably, also.

With the film now 20-years-old, since it depicted events in the 1950's, 30 years prior, it is just as fresh, and even a bit more nostalgic now than when originally released.

(An interesting fact to note if you watch the film again: the actor playing Jimmy, the team's super-stat, while athletic, had not been a basket-baller in real life; whereas the shorter young man playing the team's "scrub," was the best in reality, and had to "act" to appear less-talented than he was.)

"Hoosiers" is a film that feels like it was made during Hollywood's Golden Age. The movie is somewhat based on the true story of a small Indiana high school that defied the odds in 1952 and won the state basketball championship. Gene Hackman is the mysterious, hard-nosed coach that must win at all costs. However, he has a secret from his past that could tear the team apart. Hackman does some of the best work of his storied career here. His character is reminiscent of his Oscar-winning turn in "The French Connection" some 15 years earlier. Barbara Hershey is super as usual as one of the school teachers in town. Dennis Hopper shines the most in his greatest screen role. He received his lone Oscar-nomination here by playing a drunken father of one of Hackman's players. "Hoosiers" is very similar to "The Last Picture Show" in its ability to show small-town life at its most realistic. It is also a film that will have the whole audience cheering, ala "Rocky". Easily the best basketball film ever made and one of the best, and most under-rated, films of the 1980s. 5 stars out of 5.

A story about a small town high school with a spotty coach and an alcoholic as his assistant. A fine performance by the late Dennis Hopper winning the Oscar for. Supporting Actor and the usual solid performance by Gene Hackman. You .have the trials and tribulations of getting to the state finals. I ley my bias towards my Alma Mater, Buna High School Buna Tx cloud my objectivity in my review. What the Hickory coach pulled off was nothing short of a miracle considering the few players he had to work with and the lack of height on the front line.

I have been reading, and summing up comments about this movie. I can't believe how misunderstood this movie is. First and foremost this is not a movie about the Milan team's championship, and Bobby Plump's winning shot. The Milan game is the most famous, and storied game in Indiana and is only used as the quientessential example.

The movie is a collection of typical things that happen in Indiana High School basketball which is known as "Hoosier Hysteria". The locker room scenes are typical, found each year at tournament time. The small town involvement is typical. Players deciding if they want to succumb to the social pressures of the sport, or dreaming of winning is typical. Teacher nudging is typical. The appearance of religious faith is also typical in small town Indiana. It's right in the bible belt.

Smaller, less talented underdog teams are the life-blood of passion about playing, and winning. Winning systems, coaching tactics, fundamentals, and character-building are staples of the Hoosier H.S. game. Read John Wooden's books and you'll see them clearly. (John Wooden-Martinsville, IN; Purdue, and UCLA).

The character played by Dennis Hopper is underscored, not by his drunken state and redemption, but by his basketball knowledge. In Indiana, everyone from every walk of life knows more about the history of the game, and how to win the game than the coach. There are walking, talking Hoosier basketball historians in every small town.

Another Hoosier staple is the sequence of the tournament. Every march since the 1920's the Indiana H.S. tournament starts with a sectional, regional, sweetsixteen, and final four state championship. Hence, all games and scores that were shown in the movie. Although, Hickory H.S. is fictictious, the opposing team names were real Indiana schools in the western part of the state: Jasper, Linton, Logootee, etc.

The movie actually tried, but fell short in my opinion of the excitement at tournament time. The noise level, and absolute excitement of the H.S. tournaments is something you have to experience. Just walking into the gyms gives you chill bumps. Being the local game night hero is paramount, (but it creates it's own special problems.) I firmly feel, having experienced it myself, that the movie makers were trying to capture a unique phenomenon in sports using typical events. They displayed the key aspects of Indiana H.S. basketball in film to communicate the experience to the rest of the world.

I was pleased, and excited to see how many reviewers were inspired by the film. Many who lived these events over the years are similarly motivated.

P.S. Coaches do not kiss teachers except in Hollywood.

Gene Hackman is a fantastic actor who has not become a cartoon version of himself like DeNiro and Pacino has. Neither of those guys try anymore, they just be themselves, and everybody loves them for it. Hackman on the other hand always hand in a good and often varied performance (see Unforgiven, Crimson Tide, Hoosiers) that has me belive that he is the character he is playing, and not just Gene Hackman. Anyway, this movie was pretty good, even the simple basketball games have you cheering for the small town Indiana team. Dennis Hopper turns in a great performance as a drunk (I'm not so sure it was a performance though) that wants to redeem himself in the eyes of his son, and isn't sure he can handle it. Good flick to watch if you can't decide on anything else at the video store.

I have seen it more times than southern people have been UFO's. It's a true story of a basketball coach who led his little high school basketball team to victory against all odds. Coach Norman Dale (Gene Hackman) is a former college basketball coach of the Ithaca Warriors who turns up in French Lick, Indiana to coach their local high school basketball team. He has a checkered past and a history of causing trouble. Right off the bat he gets into it with Barbara Hershey who is a teacher who becomes acting principal when the former one has a heart attack. Hershey doesn't like Dale at first but gradually warms up and becomes his ardent supporter and romantic interest. The townspeople don't like the Coach at all either and try to get him fired to no avail. But Dale has a recipe for success and it shows quickly when his team keeps winning and winning. I must say all the performances are terrific the best being Hackman and Dennis Hopper in his best role as Shooter, an alcoholic dad of one of the players who loves and knows basketball better than anyone and who Hackman recruits as assistant coach. Hopper is pure magic and it's touching to watch him with Hackman as Dale cares about him and won't give up on him. If you haven't ever watched this one do so it's an inspiration.

Some of our finest performers (Gene Hackman, Barbara Hershey, Dennis Hopper) are terrific here but David Anspaugh's high school basketball Cinderella story works more like a industrial motivational film promoting teamwork, which it does all the way up to its conclusion--and then it abandons the concept in favor of the individual heroics that's been chastised throughout. Anspaugh tries to cloak his rah-rah enthusiasm by setting his story in 1951 rural Indiana (it's based on a true story about the 1954 Milan Indians, the smallest Indiana school to ever win the state championship), projecting a more innocent time so that this type of story can be conferred the status of legend. But the contemporary (for 1986--it's very dated today) synthesized score by Jerry Goldsmith gives it away and Angelo Pizzo's misguided screenplay doesn't trust its own premise, leaving the viewer confused and a little skeptical. Still, there's plenty to admire in the committed performances by the leads: regardless of the spacy script, they insist on delivering top-notch work, even though the filmmakers don't deserve it.

A poor basketball movie. A gruff coach with a dubious background comes to a small Indiana high school basketball team in the 1950's and coaches the boys to victory by "breaking them down first, and then building them up."

Not a bad subject. Photography OK. But the plot is totally predictable. No real sub-plots. Nothing added to make the movie exciting. You know what is going to happen from the very beginning. Suitable for 4th Graders.