HOOSIERS (1986) C widescreen 114m dir: David Anspaugh

w/Gene Hackman, Barbara Hershey, Dennis Hopper, Sheb Wooley, Fern Persons, Brad Boyle, Steve Hollar, Brad Long, David Neidorf, Kent Poole

From Variety's review of the film: "Hoosiers is an involving tale about the unlikely success of a smalltown Indiana high school basketball team that paradoxically proves both rousing and too conventional, centered around a fine performance by Gene Hackman as the coach.

"During the opening reels, first-time feature director David Anspaugh paints a richly textured portrait of 1951 rural American life, both visually and through glimpses of the guarded reticence of the people. Dialog rings true, and the characters are neither sentimentalized nor caricatured. Tension is built nicely as the farmboys advance through the playoffs.

"Pic belongs to Hackman, but Dennis Hopper gets another opportunity to put in a showy turn as a local misfit."

From The Movie Guide: "Bursting with emotion and full of exhilarating game action, HOOSIERS captures the ambiance of small-town Indiana basketball. David Anspaugh's direction is assured, Fred Murphy's cinematography and Jerry Goldsmith's score masterful, and the performances uniformly strong. However, the film clearly functions as wish-fulfillment for the people who are nostalgic about all-white basketball, leaving a nasty aftertaste."

HOOSIERS was nominated for Oscars for Best Supporting Oscar (Hopper) and Score (Goldsmith).