Hoosiers (MGM Special Edition Set)
Picture: B+
Sound: B Extras: B+ Film: A
A friend once told me simple is better. This film couldn’t be further from the
truth. Finally, a worthy release for the number one sports film of all-time and
certainly a classic piece of film that should be on the shelf of any DVD
collector. The simplicity of this movie
is what sets it apart. The simple tale
of redemption that fleshes out such real and complex characters is a rarity in
film today. These characters are honest
and suffer from simple flaws that find their answer through the game of
basketball. Gene Hackman (The French
Connection, Unforgiven) delivers a superb performance as coach
Norman Dale, which is equally as good as his two Oscar wins.
Set in the 1950’s, coach Dale leads the small town
underdog Hickory Huskies to the state basketball championship, but not without
a few bumps along the way. Through the
simple theme of redemption, we find out the troubled past of coach Dale, Dennis
Hopper (in an Oscar nominated role - Easy Rider, Blue Velvet)
struggling with alcoholism and trying to fix his relationship with his son and
the witnessing of a mature love interest and backbone to the film played by
Barbara Hershey (The Last Temptation of Christ, Falling Down).
Simpler certainly doesn’t translate into stupid. Most films today should take notes on how to
compile many simple elements and mold them into a complex character driven film
that just so happens to revolve around a boy’s game. It’s a pleasure to watch this film for the umpteenth time and
still get emotionally caught up in all the top-notch filmmaking aspects that
put Rocky to shame. Besides the strength of the story, Hoosiers contains several production
elements that also help its case. Fred Murphy’s
(October Sky, Stir of Echoes) cinematography stamps lasting
imagery into your mind. He paints the
landscape of small town Indiana with perfect precision. David Anspaugh’s (Rudy) direction
immerses the audience right into each game, but he also knows when to let a
scene play itself out and let the dialogue control the moment. Finally, how could one forget the haunting,
but brilliant and inspirational score by the late Oscar winner Jerry Goldsmith
(Patton, Chinatown)? I
find this score to be a true artist at his best. You can truly hear Goldsmith’s heart and soul poured into every
frame of film as each point towards redemption is complete. Hoosiers
is a simple period piece that deserves to carry the word “classic” into any
film history book.
The anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image is not bad,
especially as compared to the previous basic DVD. It still has some Video Black and detail issues, but is good
otherwise. The Dolby Digital 5.1 comes
from the Dolby analog A-type theatrical; sound system that was about to be
replaced by their SR system by next year.
In this, the film shows its age, though the Jerry Goldsmith score helps
lift this, as it was recorded under better circumstances. The sound has some harmonic distortion and
warping on occasion, but is otherwise fine for a Dolby remix. Too bad this was not in DTS and further
restoration was not done on the sound.
The fine set of extras include “Hoosier” history: The truth
behind the legend documentary, 30 minutes of deleted scenes with an
introduction by director David Anspaugh and writer Angelo Pizzo, Milan vs.
Munice 1954 Indiana high school championship game, a stills gallery, the
original theatrical trailer, and an audio commentary by director David Anspaugh
and writer Angelo Pizzo. These were all
strong additions fans will wish had been there to begin with. Now, until HD, this Hoosiers Special
Edition set will make everyone happy.
- Jonathan Joy
