Failed college coach Norman Dale gets a chance at redemption when he is hired to coach a high school basketball team in a tiny Indiana town. After a teacher persuades star player Jimmy Chitwood to quit and focus on his long-neglected studies, Dale struggles to develop a winning team in the face of community criticism for his temper and his unconventional choice of assistant coach: Shooter, a notorious alcoholic.
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Gene Hackman
Norman Dale
Barbara Hershey
Myra Fleener
Dennis Hopper
Wilbur "Shooter" Flatch
Sheb Wooley
Cletus Summers
Maris Valainis
Jimmy Chitwood
David Neidorf
Everett Flatch (#21)
Brad Long
Buddy Walker (#14)
Steve Hollar
Rade Butcher (#25)
Brad Boyle
Whit Butcher (#43)
Kent Poole
Merle Webb (#12)
Director
David Anspaugh
Tagline
"They needed a second chance to finish first."
Status
Released
Original Language
EN
Budget
$9,000,000
Revenue
$28,600,000
Production
De Haven Productions, Hemdale Film Corporation
CinemaSerf
March 4, 2025
I really found it quite hard to get excited about this rather predictable story, even though Dennis Hopper turns in one of his best character efforts. The story centres on basketball coach “Dale” (Gene Hackman) who takes over a third rate school team in Indiana. Their team spirit is pretty non existent but there are spirits a-plenty going down the throat of the enthusiastic “Shooter” (Hopper) whos...
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