The movie was almost as good as the game.

Rating: 10/10 (11 January 2000)

As a Hoosier who had just graduated from high school, I remember this game vividly. Even though I watched it on a small black and white TV, remember this was 1954, the heart stopping, pulse pounding suspense was almost unbearable. The movie follows the game fairly well, but there are some inaccuracies. The school was named Milan, not Hickory, and they played Muncie Central, not South Bend Central. The name of the hero was Bobby Plump. I will never forget Plump holding the ball at the center of the court for over 4 minutes with the score tied, and then with 18 seconds left he worked the clock down to five seconds, and then made the shot "heard round the world." Butler Fieldhouse held around 15,000 people, but there are several million Hoosiers who claim to have been there that night. Hackman and Hopper were marvelous in their respective roles, but they really don't represent the real coaches at Milan. I don't believe there was that much strife on the team, like it is depicted in the movie either. For sports fans, or just people who like to root for the little guy, this movie is for you.