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
George Rogers	...	Coach Myers
Bernard Mixon	...	Reverend Wallace
Mary Holloway	...	Alvin's Mother
Steven Griffith	...	Joe's Brother
George Nannarello	...	Advisor Smith
Jason Byce	...	Athletic Director Howard
Mindy Bell	...	Sharon Braver
Jim Fyfe	...	Nichols
Jason Jenks	...	Alvin's Tutor
Bob Neal	...	Brad Harvey
Albert Haynes	...	Mississippi Tailback
Andre Farr	...	Mississippi Tackle
Jed Oldenburg	...	History T.A.
Lynn Swann	...	Himself
Bo Schembechler	...	Himself
Robert Fuller	...	Tim Waymen
Al Wiggins	...	Mr. Haley
Lynelle Lawrence	...	Leslie
Julia Miller	...	Debbi
Patrick Robert Smith	...	Debbi's Boyfriend (as Patrick Smith)
Dan Hannafin	...	Regent Chairman
Charles Portney	...	Richard Fowler
John Bennes	...	Edward Learnihan
Charles Lawlor	...	Charles Shane
Deanna Perry	...	Rehab Nurse
Tim Parati	...	Steroids Dealer
Robert D. Raiford	...	Chancellor Wilson
George Lee	...	Fat Cat Alumnus
Chris Berman	...	Himself
Leslie Broucker	...	Trainer
Roger Bright	...	E.S.U. Doctor
J. Don Ferguson	...	Referee
Rhoda Griffis	...	Reporter #3
Steve Zabriskie	...	Himself
John R. Murphy	...	History Professor
Robert Hook	...	Trainer
Tracy Fowler	...	Orderly
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
T.J. Healy II	...	Coach (uncredited)
Scott Holroyd	...	(uncredited)
Jody Millard	...	Mississippi Linebacker (uncredited)
Elizabeth Slagsvol	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Al Whiting	...	ESU Wide Receiver #88 (uncredited)

Directed by
David S. Ward

Writing credits (WGA)
David S. Ward		(written by) and
Aaron Latham		(written by)

Produced by
Samuel Goldwyn Jr.	....	producer
Duncan Henderson	....	executive producer
Tom Rothman	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Michel Colombier

Cinematography by
Victor Hammer		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Kimberly Ray
Paul Seydor

Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster

Production Design by
Albert Brenner

Art Direction by
Carol Winstead Wood

Set Decoration by
Kathe Klopp

Costume Design by
Tom Bronson

Makeup Department
John R. Bayless	....	makeup artist
Susan A. Cabral	....	key makeup artist
Vivian McAteer	....	hair stylist
Rita Parillo	....	assistant hair stylist

Production Management
Celia D. Costas	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
J. Tom Archuleta	....	first assistant director: second unit (as Tom Archuleta)
Allan Graf	....	second unit director (as Allan L. Graf)
Josh McLaglen	....	first assistant director
Tom C. Peitzman	....	second second assistant director (as Tom Peitzman)
Douglas A. Raine	....	second assistant director

Art Department
David B. Brenner	....	construction coordinator (as David Brenner)
Chris Buchinsky	....	illustrator
Thom Caraccio	....	signwriter
Scott A. Carruth	....	set dresser
Karen Ettline-Bloomer	....	property assistant
Louis S. Fleming	....	property master (as Lou Fleming)
Harold Fuhrman	....	set designer
Matt Furginson	....	leadman
Dale Gordon	....	assistant construction coordinator
Tim Jackson	....	construction foreman (as Timothy C. Jackson)
J. Luther Jones III	....	greensman
Eric Luling	....	set dresser (as Eric J. Luling)
Paul Oliver	....	stand-by painter (as Paul W. Oliver)
Doug Petersen	....	carpenter (as Doug Peterson)
Raymond Prado	....	illustrator (as Ray Prado)
John Sanders	....	assistant property master
Paul Stanwyck	....	head painter
Richard Whitney	....	scenic artist
Steve A. Stephenson	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Robert J. Anderson Jr.	....	sound mixer
Bobbi Banks	....	adr editor
Beth Bergeron	....	supervising adr editor
Jeffree Bloomer	....	cable person
Robert Bradshaw	....	sound editor (as Bob Bradshaw)
Fred Burke	....	foley editor
Marc Deschaine	....	adr assistant
Michael Dressel	....	foley editor
Gordon Ecker	....	sound editor
Todd Egan	....	assistant sound editor
Dennis Fuller	....	boom operator
David Gertz	....	foley mixer
Hector C. Gika	....	sound editor (as Hector Gika)
Laura Graham	....	adr editor
Cynthia Haagens	....	adr editor
Robert Heffernan	....	adr editor (as Robert Hefferman)
Devon Heffley Curry	....	adr editor (as Devon Curry)
Joseph Holsen	....	sound editor
Glenn Hoskinson	....	sound editor
Kurt Kassulke	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Kwiatkowski	....	sound editor
Lee Lemont	....	adr editor
Don MacDougall	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ian MacGregor-Scott	....	foley editor
James Moriana	....	foley artist
Rocky Moriana Jr.	....	foley editor
Jay Nierenberg	....	sound editor
Jeffrey Perkins	....	supervising sound re-recording mixer
Janelle Showalter	....	adr assistant
Shawn Sykora	....	supervising foley editor
Jeffrey Wilhoit	....	foley artist
Richard E. Yawn	....	supervising sound editor

Special Effects by
Joe Digaetano	....	special effects coordinator (as Joe Di Gaetano III)
Kathleen Tonkin	....	special effects foreman
Robert Vazquez	....	special effects foreman

Visual Effects by
Luc G. Nicknair	....	visual effects plate shots, director of photography (uncredited)

Stunts
Tim A. Davison	....	stunts (as Tim Davison)
Cindy Folkerson	....	stunts
Russell Friedenberg	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Allan Graf	....	stunt coordinator
Marian Green	....	stunts (as Marion Green)
Steve Hart	....	stunts
Darren Norris	....	stunts
Pee Wee Piemonte	....	stunts (as Richard Piedmonte)
Rex Pierson	....	stunts
Lincoln Simonds	....	stunts
Michael Adams	....	stunt driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael Burke	....	gaffer
David S. Campbell	....	first assistant camera: second unit (as David Campbell)
Alan Cohen	....	second assistant camera
Chuck Cohen	....	director of photography: second unit (as Charles Cohen)
Blaise Dahlquist	....	rigging gaffer (as Blaise R. Dahlquist)
Jeff Durling	....	electrician
Michael A. FauntLeRoy	....	first assistant camera (as Michael A. Fauntleroy)
Ken Finlay	....	best boy
David Galbraith	....	second assistant camera
Michael Gershman	....	camera operator
John Gilchrist Jr.	....	grip (as John E. Gilchrist Jr.)
Jeff Hand	....	first assistant camera
Jimmy Harritos	....	rigging electrician
Alec Hirschfeld	....	camera operator
Edward W. Lowry	....	dolly grip (as Ed Lowry)
Nick Nelson	....	electrician
John Panuccio	....	best boy grip (as Jack Panuccio)
Robert T. Prate	....	rigging grip (as Robert Prate)
Tom Prate	....	key grip (as Thomas J. Prate Jr.)
P. Scott Sakamoto	....	camera operator
Charles Seabrook	....	grip
Barry Wetcher	....	still photographer
Steve A. Stephenson	....	rigging grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Mark Fincannon	....	casting: South Carolina
Tammy L. Smith	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Linda S. Cormany	....	set costumer (as Linda Cormany)
K. Drew Fuller	....	set costumer
Greg Hall	....	set costumer
Deborah Latham	....	costume supervisor (as Deborah A. Latham)
Keith G. Lewis	....	set costumer
Tom Numbers	....	costume supervisor (as Tom R. Numbers)

Editorial Department
Gail DuFosse	....	assistant editor (as Gail du Fossé)
Sharon Smith Holley	....	assistant editor: film
Gloria Kaiser	....	color timer
Jeremiah O'Driscoll	....	assistant editor
Clay Rawlins	....	first assistant editor
Theresa Repola Mohammed	....	negative cutter
Frederick Wardell	....	additional editor (as Fred M. Wardell)

Music Department
Michel Colombier	....	orchestrator
Bruce Fowler	....	orchestrator
Clark Germain	....	scoring mixer
Dan Huff	....	musician (as Dann Huff)
Tom Kramer	....	music editor
Patti Zimmitti	....	music contractor

Transportation Department
Walt Freitas	....	transportation co-captain
Michael D. Kuljis	....	transportation co-captain (as Michael Kuljis)
Michael C. McEntyre	....	transportation co-captain (as Michael R. McEntyre)
Russell McEntyre	....	transportation coordinator
Wayne Stone	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Jill Balloun	....	office production assistant
Melanie Bell	....	assistant production coordinator (as Melanie E. Bell)
Kathleen 'Bo' Bobak	....	production assistant
Leslie Broucker	....	trainer: football players
Eva Z. Cabrera	....	script supervisor
Tona B. Dahlquist	....	football coordinator
Mark Robert Ellis	....	assistant football coach (as Mark Ellis)
Cindy Franke	....	assistant: Mr. Henderson
Russell Friedenberg	....	strength coach: actors
Fred Gabrielli	....	caterer (as Alfred Gabrielli)
Allan Graf	....	head football coach
Mackie Hayes	....	football liaison: University of South Carolina
T.J. Healy II	....	location manager
Thomas J. Healy IV	....	craft service (as Thomas Healy IV)
Sam Holland	....	assistant location manager (as Sam T. Holland)
Robert Hook	....	equipment manager
Shannon Kane	....	key assistant accountant (as M. Shannon Kane)
Richard Klotz	....	location manager
Mitch Kreindel	....	unit publicist
Christopher Lee	....	assistant location manager
Beth McElhenny	....	production assistant
Michael John Meehan	....	location manager
Julia Miller	....	assistant: Mr. Ward
Jonise Misiewicz	....	payroll accountant
Roger Parkinson Jr.	....	assistant accountant (as Roger Parkinson)
Jacqueline A. Shea	....	production coordinator
Suzanne Sherrill	....	assistant: James Caan
Allen E. Taylor	....	production accountant
Peggy Tison	....	assistant accountant
Diana Ascher	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The
• Touchstone Pictures

Distributors

• Buena Vista Pictures (1993) (USA) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Fox Network (1996) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Touchstone Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Laurenfilm (Spain)

Other Companies

• Buena Vista Opticals  titles and opticals (as Buena Vista Optical)
• Fincannon & Associates  casting: South Carolina (as Fincannon & Assoc.)
• Gala Catering  catering
• International Recording  sound re-recording (as International Recording Corp.)
• SoundStorm  sound editing
• Sportsrobe  costumes
• Third Street Signs Boynton Beach  props

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 movie was filmed at the University of South Carolina and features their Williams-Brice Stadium, as well as locations around Columbia.

Goofs:

Continuity: In ESU's final game against Georgia Tech, the Wolves get the ball back in the final minutes, the game clock is shown with both teams having one final time out remaining, but the announcer at the same time says ESU is out of timeouts.

Quotes:

Steve Lattimer: I don't know, its the battle, the going to war with the other guys, hanging together, having our own dorm, staying in hotels the night before the games, setting ourselves apart, being different than everybody else, having a chance to be somebody, to do something that people look up to you for, your strength, your courage, not everybody can play football... were the lucky ones

Movie Connections:

Features "SportsCenter" (1979)

Soundtrack:

Break My Back

Underrated, Accurate Football Movie Starring the Godfather's James Caan

Trips Bunch. The Power I. The Cover 2. If you know what these terms mean, and understand their uses in football strategy, then you'll really enjoy watching David S. Ward's the Program. Ward also wrote and directed Major League, a great movie; however, with The Program, it is obvious how much his sports writing style has evolved.

The movie traces one season of college football for a once dominate, but now struggling Division 1 powerhouse, the fictional ESU Timeberwolves. James Caan is hilarious and well-cast as the Head Coach on the hot seat, and it's really great watching him deal with serious issues both on and off the field. Craig Shaeffer does a serviceable job at both his role and the QB position. His character is somewhat like a young Jim McMahon: he can throw the long ball as well as tuck and run. Omar Epps (the Wood) is simply perfectly cast as Darnell Jefferson, the prototype freshman Tailback fighting for his spot on the 1st team (plus the beautiful Halle Berry plays his love interest).

The movie is filled with hilariously awesome lines and performances, and is a classic among people who actually play football. While the editing work could be scrutinized among movie Nazis (the editing job when Kane and his girl are riding his motorcycle is questionable at times), the good far outweighs the bad. Namely, the in-helmet camera work really puts you on the field with them. If you've ever watched a show like Entourage, for example, the Program is similar in that you really feel like you're seeing all angles of this business (yes, it's most certainly a business). And surprisingly, the issues explored in the film really resonate with the issues going on in today's sports (i.e. Steroids, Motorcycle death wishes).

Listen, if you haven't seen this movie, and you love football, and are of mild intelligence, then you are either really young or really lucky that you missed it because I wish i could watch it again for the first time. However, if you have no appreciation for the game of football, you're better off going elsewhere. Football idealists, be warned as well. This movie is the anti-Rudy. It's the story of one school's fight for a bowl bid, and fighting for that bid at all costs.

PS- My vote is very biased. I love to quote this movie with friends. I love to watch football on both Saturday and Sunday. I play fantasy football. I play Madden. I played Division 3 football in college. You have been warned. The only reason I didn't rate it higher than I did is because some of the scenes between Joe Kane and his woman can get a little bit slow. But she's cute if that helps you out at all (her early 90's style is classic).