Hoosiers

If credit should be given to anybody for the success of the film Hoosiers then Gene Hackman should be the first one in line. He's the building block on which the entire film rests. Its his film to win and his film to lose, much like the basketball games in which he coaches. The sincerity of his performance as a high school basketball coach with a checkered past is one so honest that very few actors would be able to pull off. Hackman isn't just any actor though, he's a great actor and an iconic one at that. A feat which is something that very few movie stars are able to accomplish. In watching his performance in Hoosiers I was reminded of all his little quirks and mannerisms that are uniquely Hackmanesque. Its easy for audiences to take a great actors work for granted especially when their volume of it is so big and substantial.
Another great actor who helps Hackman shoulder the weight is Dennis Hopper, an actor whose already been praised more than once on this blog. Here we see a sight of Hopper we don't usually see. A man who has lost control of his life only to now desperately want the chance to find the strength to save it. As the town drunk and father to a son on the basketball team, Hopper is the films emotional anchor. A scene when he wanders into a crowded gymnasium after having a little to much to drink is heartbreaking. Hackman sees Hoppers drunk as the man he wants to be and not just the man he is. Eventually to coax him out of his drunken haze Hopper reluctantly accepts an offer to help coach the team. This dynamic allows for both characters a shot at redemption.
On the downside the picture is somewhat cheesy but put into the context of when it was made (mid 80's) its important to remember that the clique's it deals with weren't so obvious at the time. It falls into that stereotypical underdog story. We've seen it a thousand times before. Little team goes on to accomplish big aspirations. Opps! Did I give it all away. Even still though its Hackman, Hopper, and a damn good 1950's set production that make this film a little something more than your than your typical sports movie.

B

1986