Clichéd and mushy - but very enjoyable

Rating: Null/10 (11 January 2002)

An ex-college basketball coach comes to a small Indiana town to coach the basketball team. Despite opposition to his methods from the locals he works with the team in his own style - learning lessons about humanity and second chances. As the season begins so does his work.
From the opening scene you know how this film is going to go - a small town basketball team? I wonder if they'll win a major competition despite overwhelming odds? I wonder...... Basically this is just another US sports movie that gives a nice warm glow that comes from seeing underdogs putting their all into a game. However it's better than that, the basic set up is a bit clichéd but the characters and the delivery makes it feel better that it is. The plot however, doesn't really manage to rise out of the usual sports movie clichés - coach with controversial methods, smallest kid on team scoring game winning baskets etc. and is ultimately nothing new.
The subplots however do add value to the film. Dennis Hopper's drunk is a key character and is perhaps the most interesting strand to the film - dealing with second chances, failure and redemption. Hackman's romance with Hershey is perhaps a little stale and unnecessary but is still quite an interesting addition to the story. The performances are also good. Hackman, Hershey and Hopper give the whole film a very professional feel, even if Hopper is the only one who's character is not a total genre stereotype.
Overall this is a very enjoyable film - yes it's very clichéd and you basically know how things are going to go as soon as the first character says "we don't like new methods round here", but it's very charming and full of good performances. The basketball action is well filmed and it does feel like small town high school basketball. Clichéd but warm and fuzzy!