The Program (1993)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

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:

The original release of the film contained a scene where several ESU players lay on the yellow dividing line of a busy local road as a test of their courage. When two young men were killed, and several others injured, by imitating the stunt, Buena Vista excised the scene from the film. No post-theatrical versions of the movie feature the sequence, leading many to speculate that the studio destroyed the actual camera negatives scene.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: In the final game, Darnel is sitting on the bench he says, "Punk ass Griffin," but his lips don't move

Quotes:

Alvin Mack: Let's open up a can of kick ass and kill 'em all, let the paramedics sort 'em out.

Movie Connections:

Features "SportsCenter" (1979)

Soundtrack:

Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major

Put the women and children to bed...

The Program is an extremely pumped up look at college football and at individual players on a college team. Speaking from experience as a college player, most of the things in this movie are grossly exaggerrated (no teammates I played with ever wanted me to spit in their mouth). However, there are a few revealing moments in this movie that capture life on a college football program. Standard performances, directing and screenplay are adequate in this film, but its true enjoyment will be by those who have participated in organized football, especially college. A rating of 7 out of 10 was given.