Amazon.com: One of the most rousingly enjoyable sports movies ever made, this small-town drama tells the story of the Hickory Huskers, an underdog basketball team from a tiny Indiana high school that makes it all the way to the state championship tournament. It's a familiar story, but sensitive direction and a splendid screenplay helped make this one of the best films of 1986, highlighted by the superb performances of Gene Hackman as the Huskers' coach, and Oscar nominee Dennis Hopper as the alcoholic father of one of the team's key players. As the drama unfolds we come to realize that many of the characters (including Barbara Hershey as a schoolteacher with whom Hackman falls in love) are recovering from disappointing setbacks, and this depth of character is what makes the otherwise conventional basketball story so richly rewarding. Like Rocky, Rudy, and Breaking Away, this is a quintessentially American movie about beating the odds and rising above one's own limitations. Just try to watch it without cheering! --Jeff Shannon
Yes, `Hoosiers' follows a familiar formula when it comes to telling the story of the Hickory Huskers, and Indiana high school basketball team that rises to greatness under the wing of their new coach Norman Dale. What sets the film apart though are the wonderfully fleshed out characters that add weight and depth to the film. It flows the same as most sports films do, but this film has heart whereas most sports movies do not. The brilliant performances also aid in this regard, adding layers of emotional attachment to the people involved and causing the audience to invest themselves fully into the film.
Norman Dale is an ex-college basketball coach who has spent that last ten years in the navy after being fired for punching a player in the face. This single mistake has plagued Dale for years and it still hangs over his head as he attempts to move forward and coach this high school team. The problem is that the town of Hickory is a very emotionally invested town, each and every individual taking a special interest in the basketball team, and so the insertion of new blood sends the town in a frenzy. They immediately attack Dale for his unconventional coaching techniques, and when the team doesn't perform too well on the court the town tries to get Dale fired. Still, Dale presses forward, trying his best to move his team in the right direction, and he soon begins to make friends out of a few influential townsfolk, most importantly Jimmy, the towns basketball star who refused to play after his previous coach died.
The film, like almost every other sports themed drama, makes a point to be an inspirational and moving film about overcoming obstacles to attain greatness, and in that respect it works much grander than most other films thanks to the wonderful performances by the cast. Gene Hackman (one of our greatest working actors) is a joy as Norman Dale, giving his character so much warmth and undeniable charm. He is the outcast, he is the rebel but he is so comfortable and charismatic that you want to rally beside him every step of the way. Barbara Hershey is also wonderful as Myra Fleener, the young teacher who is initially turned off by Dale but soon falls for him. She does a beautiful job of fleshing out her characters real drive and motivations.
The real star here is Dennis Hopper, who thankfully earned an Oscar nomination for his performance. He really sinks deep into his character, giving him such a believable arch. As Shooter, the town drunk, Hopper plays on our sympathies, but never leaves us without reason to sympathize. He isn't lazy with his portrayal but really works at building layers around this man.
Hoosiers{Blu-Ray Version}, April 18, 2008 By Sam - See all my reviews 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.
Hoosiers good movie but not enough., May 6, 2007 By J. J. Esquivel Becerra "Charolin" (Mexico City) - See all my reviews It's a good movie but a poor transfer to Bluray.
One of the Best (Sports) Movies Ever! Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RE4QP7865FH67 'Hoosiers' is a super sports' tale About headstrong coach Norman Dale,
Who Comes to Indiana's Hickory, A tiny town set on victory.
Norman's way comes first and foremost. No wins for him to brag or to boast.
Warming a cold shoulder from icy Myra Fleener. Chilly stares and curt comments couldn't be keener.
Jimmy's the town basketball hero. Opting out brings success down to zero.
With help from Shooter, the village drunk. The prospects get higher with every slam dunk.
Jimmy's the hero in every way. Can he help Norman save the day?
Watch 'Hoosiers' if you haven't seen. One of the greatest sports' movies there's ever been.
Collectible item I found the piece I was looking after trying to download stupid copies from the internet. It is worth! buying originals from amazon.
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.
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