The Program (1993)

Director:

David S. Ward

Writers (WGA):

David S. Ward (written by) and
Aaron Latham (written by)

Release Date:

24 September 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

Pressure surrounds them. Competition divides them. Talent unites them. A story of what it takes to survive...

Plot:

Several players from different backgrounds try to cope with the pressures of playing football at a major university...

Plot Keywords:

Football Coach | Football Team | Teacher Student Relationship | Young Love | Beautiful Woman

Cast

James Caan	...	Sam Winters
Halle Berry	...	Autumn Haley
Omar Epps	...	Darnell Jefferson
Craig Sheffer	...	Joe Kane
Kristy Swanson	...	Camille Shafer
Abraham Benrubi	...	Bud-Lite Kaminski
Duane Davis	...	Alvin Mack
Jon Pennell	...	Bobby Collins (as Jon Maynard Pennell)
Joey Lauren Adams	...	Louanne (as Joey Adams)
J.C. Quinn	...	Joe's Father
Andrew Bryniarski	...	Steve Lattimer
J. Leon Pridgen II	...	Ray Griffen
Michael Flippo	...	Coach Humes (as Mike Flippo)
Jeff Portell	...	Reporter #1
Ernest Dixon	...	Coach Clayton

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:MA | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #32648) | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Germany:16 | Spain:18

Filming Locations:

Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA

Company:

Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Trivia:

Michigan coaching legend Glenn E. (Bo) Schembechler is in the booth providing color commentary for the Michigan game.

Goofs:

Continuity: The endzone design frequently changes colors from Maroon and Yellow to Red and Black. At one point "Carolina" appears visible (during the Michigan game) in the end zone.

Quotes:

Coach Winters: We gotta ring that bell! We gotta to ring that championship bell!
Steve Lattimer: Ding motherfu**ing dong!

Movie Connections:

Features "SportsCenter" (1979)

Soundtrack:

Welcome to the Jungle

What makes this movie a classic...

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.