That Championship Season (1982)

Director:

Jason Miller

Writer:

Jason Miller (play)

Release Date:

14 January 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

It started as a friendly meeting between 4 old buddies with their basketball coach and ended up in revealing the truth about their relationship...

Plot Keywords:

Coach | Basketball | Adaptation Directed By Original Author | Father Figure | Reunion

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Bruce Dern	...	George Sitkowski
Stacy Keach	...	James Daley
Robert Mitchum	...	Coach Delaney
Martin Sheen	...	Tom Daley
Paul Sorvino	...	Phil Romano
Arthur Franz	...	Macken
Michael Bernosky	...	Jacks
Joseph Kelly	...	Malley
James M. Langan	...	Cooney
Tony Santaniello	...	Marelli
William G. McAndrew	...	Harrison
Barry Weiner	...	Sharman
Edward Cunningham	...	Newspaper Editor
Robert E. Schlesinger	...	Nelson
George Lowry	...	Zookeeper

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:M | Finland:K-12 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

American Zoetrope Studios - 1040 N. Las Palmas Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Trivia:

The play "That Championship Season" won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 1973.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Mayor Sitkowski is riding the exercise bicycle in his office in Scranton, the sun is shining outside, but the apparently live baseball game he is watching from Yankee Stadium is being played at night. Scranton isn't far enough west of the Bronx for this to happen.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Bruce Dern/Leon Redbone (#8.15)" (1983)

An insightful and humorous account of personal relationships

That CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON examines the effects of strong emotions based on long standing friendships and winning teamwork on four former high school teammates and their coach, now middle aged men. This film shows the winning out of long standing bonding among five guys (for 25 years), now middle aged, over practicality and common sense. i.e. the guys backing Sitkowski (Bruce Dern) for re-election, even though he is probably washed up. This movie shows how old friendships and fond memories of the past can triumph over the stressful realities of the present. Down yuppyism, up corny, melodramatic memories and buddyism! I think this movie is great for the human spirit! Its also a dark comedy and, therefore, should be taken lightly. No political correctness here! Its like Woodstock lasting for 25 years. I, a hopeless romantic, give this movie a 10. The impact on the five old comrads of hearing the replay of the championship game's last seven seconds is both corny and dramatic. In today's eye for an eye, cut-throat world it is doubtful if these guys would have ever remained lifelong friends.