Hoosiers

Many people have been asked one common question, not just here in the Massachusetts, but all over the country. What is the ultimate, hands down, best sports movie out there? Some will say Miracle, some will say The Fighter, and some will say with pride and without a doubt, Hooisers. 

Maybe because I am catching this movie too late, or maybe I have seen countless other amazing sport movies that Hoosiers doesn't make my list.

Hoosiers star, Gene Hackman plays Norman Dale, previously a college coach at Ithaca, comes to coach the small team in Indiana where basketball is the equivalent to air. However, recently the team lost their star player Jimmy, a troubled boy who has lost his way due to a death in his family. Even when the entire town is hoping Jimmy will come back, words won't even come out of his mouth.

Within the first two minutes of Dale's first practice, he gets rid of the temporary coach that the team had before his arrival and two team members. Now that the team is down a few key players, their chances are slimmer than ever to win a game. Dale didn't give in to the locals, they were harsh and clearly didn't like change in the small town. When the team goes on a losing streak the town becomes angry and wants to get rid of Dale. It is at this point Jimmy speaks to the entire town, that he is going to play once again, but on one condition: the coach stays. The team starts winning, and the winning doesn't stop.

To me this is just another underdog team winning, we've all seen it. The one where all odds are against them, but somehow someway, they beat the that clearly towers over them. But something is different about this movie and the actors actually play this sport. They show a true love for the sport of basketball and as a team.

This movie doesn't just show the amazing efforts of a basketball team, but the amazing efforts a coach gives the team to really succeed and see what they're capable of. And the shocking efforts a man gives another man to make something of himself and to clean up. He gives the town an eye opening experience. That change is good, get out of the rut, live up to the fullest and don't follow, but instead rise up to the occasion and live for something.

If you like the underdogs winning, which don't get me wrong, I personally always root for the underdog, then you will could fall easily in love with this movie. For me however, I feel like I've seen this scenario multiple times and I was hoping for a catch or something to throw my thought about the movie off. Something to lean over to my friend and be like, wow, I really wasn't expecting that to happen.