Simply A Masterpiece

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

OK ladies this movie, is about football. No its about the Program, yeah the program. I was scratching my head recently trying to remember this movie which i thought may have had Cuba Gooding JR in it about football. These two scenes kept playing out in my head, one was of a bunch of guys on the yellow line in the middle of a two lane street lying down head to foot while cars rushed by. The other was of this guy head-butting car windows. Well thats all i had to go on and after much scouring i found the movie the same place i always do. In a thrift store for a dollar! So i run home and toss it in waiting to see this part with the team on the ground in the street, and its not there. Apparently life imitates art and people who saw the original screening took to the streets and lay down in traffic. Some people died and plenty were hurt in a scarring prospect that left filmmakers to delete, and destroy the negative. I actually thought the movie was pretty good sides that and the head-butting scene is totally in tact. I wonder how many people head-butted cars after this? Or did steroids, this movie has an odd charm. I only played pop warner so i don't know if this is an accurate portrayal of college football, but really does it matter? were not exactly talking about portraying Jesus Christ here, its football and despite the name feet are mostly used just for running. Bunch of up and comers and well established actors and actresses in this one. Done well, it was worth the dollar, but in all honesty it was good. Seven thumbs.

Not really much plot - just life on a major college football team with the emphasis on their Heisman candidate QB and the freshman RB. James Caan dominates the film as the head coach who has seen it all and, after two losing seasons in a row, knows he needs a winner . Has this guy ever been in a really bad movie or given a bad performance? Goes back a long ways - he was making movies with John Wayne in the 60s.Hale Berry (before she became a star) has a big part as the tutor to the star RB. Even looks pretty for about the only time in her career. But the real appeal is Kristy Swanson, the most beautiful women in film history. She plays the QB's girl and is her usual knockout self, though she looks a few pounds overweight.

OK, so this movie isn't a big Academy Award winner. OK, so it doesn't rank up there with Brian's Song or is as flashy and symbolic as Any Given Sunday.Maybe it doesn't have the attitude of The Last Boy Scout or North Dallas Forty; it lacks the comic appeal of Necessary Roughness. But you know what it does have that all of those above-mentioned films lack, a connection to any person that has ever stepped out on that field and experienced the pressures and bliss that comes with the nitty gritty game of football. I remember seeing this movie in the sixth grade and having never been into football that much, I didn't expect a lot. Yet,I walked away in awe at the sheer excitement experienced from this movie. This was an instant classic and even years later in my high school football days, the players were still talking about it. It is one of the best and most realistic football movies made. It puts you in the mindset of a big play maker like Jefferson or a back-breaking linebacker like Alvin Mack. It also has its human side displaying the pressures of trying to live up to expectations and coping anyway you know how. In Joe's case it's through a bottle. Lattimer sees enhancement drugs as the only way out...the film just takes you down to their level. Better yet, it's a college experience that you haven't experienced yet, or are trying to remember (it goes so fast!). After viewing this movie so many times every year when the college ball season starts, or even back in the day before two-a-days began; I can't help but to get excited and giddy from viewing it. My tape has worn out and I now own the DVD, I just wish they would add the deleted scenes. The Program will always be on my top ten list and that's why I give it a great rating.

About as well as you can address the fleeting world of sports. Like most sports film it tries to reveal a stoic creed of fraternity amongst the players, but comes off looking like a bad "join the army/mom&pop/apple pie" americana promotion. the male/female connections in the film are barely believable and exhibit almost no chemistry. the only redeeming facet is the performance of the steroid-abusing lineman who approaches each game with some sort of indian-death battle mentality.