This movie is very underrated, it hasn't gotten nearly the credit it deserves. I thought it was very well done, although it wasn't perfect, it was still very good. It is the first movie to talk about a problem that is very prominent in todays colleges and their methods of recruiting. The film is very well written and Nick Nolte does a great, great job playing the conflicted coach.
36 Reviews
Deserves more attention!
RaoulGonzo6 April 2017
Nick Nolte plays a college University basketball coach forced to break the rules in order to stay competitive. He deals with guilt and struggles internally with something he has always been against.
What a surprise Blue Chips was, expecting a below par sports movie (based on reviews) but found a thought provoking and entertaining 110 minutes. To begin with it hits the normal sports movie beats but just when you think the drama is going one way, suddenly it doesn't and that only adds realism to the action.
William Friedkin does an excellent job in creating a tense and real life atmosphere, almost documentary style at least during the game-play scenes that makes you feel fully immersed. It's clear Friedkin and co have thoroughly researched this area and you get a sense of that while watching. The use of real life Basketball players and coaches adds to the authenticity.
During the drama the film deals with the shady dealings that no doubt goes on in American sports at college level (It's a massive deal, where careers and futures are made). A story of greed, cheating and pressure to win. Nolte is great in the role and gets to show off his soft side while also providing his well known manic style. Blue Chips really is an under-rated film although not perfect it deserves to be more well known.
What a surprise Blue Chips was, expecting a below par sports movie (based on reviews) but found a thought provoking and entertaining 110 minutes. To begin with it hits the normal sports movie beats but just when you think the drama is going one way, suddenly it doesn't and that only adds realism to the action.
William Friedkin does an excellent job in creating a tense and real life atmosphere, almost documentary style at least during the game-play scenes that makes you feel fully immersed. It's clear Friedkin and co have thoroughly researched this area and you get a sense of that while watching. The use of real life Basketball players and coaches adds to the authenticity.
During the drama the film deals with the shady dealings that no doubt goes on in American sports at college level (It's a massive deal, where careers and futures are made). A story of greed, cheating and pressure to win. Nolte is great in the role and gets to show off his soft side while also providing his well known manic style. Blue Chips really is an under-rated film although not perfect it deserves to be more well known.
Underrated, under-appreciated, dark sports tale
bayou_hannibal8 August 2012
Blue Chips was a movie that was at least a decade ahead of its time, and its story is more relevant today than when the movie came out. It presents a question that other sports movies, including amateur sports movies, haven't explored. Namely, why should you bother to follow the rules when cheating is already widespread? Is it wrong to cheat if that's what it takes to compete? Is widespread cheating in amateur athletics the inevitable result of fans' obsession with winning? This movie would seem to suggest that the answers to those last two questions are "no" and "yes". Almost every other sports movie of the past 50 years has had some kind of uplifting ending, but this one ends mostly on a downer.
Nick Nolte plays a college basketball coach, coaching at a major California basketball school (which might as well be UCLA), clearly modeled after Bobby Knight. He's a hot-tempered, aging and increasingly frustrated, old-school guy whose record has slipped in recent years. A shady booster enters the picture, trying to convince him that if he wants to be on top again, he has to start playing "the game" with recruits. He has to start making deals. Coach Nolte is initially hostile to the guy, but after it looks like he's going to get shut out of getting three huge recruits, he reluctantly changes his mind. Nolte gives an excellent performance in this movie. Everything that he does in the movie, whether it's angry tantrums against refs or the occasional dose of humor, he does well. He is convincing as a guy who just wants to mold student-athletes and coach the game that he loves. The speech that he gives at the end is priceless.
The more I read about recruiting, especially basketball recruiting, the more I feel like I need to take a shower. This movie perfectly captures the sleaze of the sport during its recruiting scenes. There's the scum bag "deal maker" mother, who tries to peddle her influence to the highest bidder. There is the superstar white kid, who recognizes his value and demands a huge pile of cash. One kid eventually gets a new car. The movie ultimately presents a pretty revolting picture of college athletics, and if you have followed the scandals at places like Auburn, you know that it is pretty accurate.
This movie could have been a failure, but it has that one important trait that all great sports movies have. It was made with a genuine love and respect for the sport. There is a lot of basketball porn in this movie, perhaps even too much. There are scenes that show Nolte coaching Xs and Os. The coaches yell out a bunch of terminology during practices and games, as opposed to 95% of sports movies, where coaches never sound like actual coaches. Blue Chips tries to be one of the more realistic sports movies ever made, and it largely succeeds. It perhaps goes a little too far though with the basketball porn, showing tons and tons of slam dunks and three pointers. If you watch this movie, you would get the impression that 90% of the scoring in basketball is due to these two plays. It also has a somewhat annoying appearance by Dick Vitale, which serves no purpose except to remind you that you are watching a basketball movie. The movie also shoehorns a few too many current basketball stars into it. That might have made it sell better at the time, but do you really care now whether Penny Hardaway and Bobby Hurley appear in it? (And Hurley plays for Indiana in this movie – LULZ).
The worst part about this movie, ultimately, is the casting of the basketball stars in it. Namely, Shaquille O'Neal, who can't act his way out of a paper bag. To make matters worse, they give his character the most interesting background story, that of a Gulf War veteran with a "Black power, we shall overcome" type attitude. He's awful. He's really awful. It's as if he had a part written for Ice Cube or Denzel Washington, but then the studio decided that they needed a big name star in the case. He doesn't have many lines, but the ones that he has are not good.
Blue Chips is one of those sports movies that you should see at least once. It's unlikely that you will remember it amongst the best that you have seen, but if you follow college athletics, you should at least find it interesting. Blue Chips shows us the hypocrisy of college athletics, and the seemingly futile endeavor of trying to keep money out of the hands of athletes. It is though provoking, albeit a bit preachy. Given the current debates about whether we should be paying players, this movie is now more relevant than it ever has been.
Nick Nolte plays a college basketball coach, coaching at a major California basketball school (which might as well be UCLA), clearly modeled after Bobby Knight. He's a hot-tempered, aging and increasingly frustrated, old-school guy whose record has slipped in recent years. A shady booster enters the picture, trying to convince him that if he wants to be on top again, he has to start playing "the game" with recruits. He has to start making deals. Coach Nolte is initially hostile to the guy, but after it looks like he's going to get shut out of getting three huge recruits, he reluctantly changes his mind. Nolte gives an excellent performance in this movie. Everything that he does in the movie, whether it's angry tantrums against refs or the occasional dose of humor, he does well. He is convincing as a guy who just wants to mold student-athletes and coach the game that he loves. The speech that he gives at the end is priceless.
The more I read about recruiting, especially basketball recruiting, the more I feel like I need to take a shower. This movie perfectly captures the sleaze of the sport during its recruiting scenes. There's the scum bag "deal maker" mother, who tries to peddle her influence to the highest bidder. There is the superstar white kid, who recognizes his value and demands a huge pile of cash. One kid eventually gets a new car. The movie ultimately presents a pretty revolting picture of college athletics, and if you have followed the scandals at places like Auburn, you know that it is pretty accurate.
This movie could have been a failure, but it has that one important trait that all great sports movies have. It was made with a genuine love and respect for the sport. There is a lot of basketball porn in this movie, perhaps even too much. There are scenes that show Nolte coaching Xs and Os. The coaches yell out a bunch of terminology during practices and games, as opposed to 95% of sports movies, where coaches never sound like actual coaches. Blue Chips tries to be one of the more realistic sports movies ever made, and it largely succeeds. It perhaps goes a little too far though with the basketball porn, showing tons and tons of slam dunks and three pointers. If you watch this movie, you would get the impression that 90% of the scoring in basketball is due to these two plays. It also has a somewhat annoying appearance by Dick Vitale, which serves no purpose except to remind you that you are watching a basketball movie. The movie also shoehorns a few too many current basketball stars into it. That might have made it sell better at the time, but do you really care now whether Penny Hardaway and Bobby Hurley appear in it? (And Hurley plays for Indiana in this movie – LULZ).
The worst part about this movie, ultimately, is the casting of the basketball stars in it. Namely, Shaquille O'Neal, who can't act his way out of a paper bag. To make matters worse, they give his character the most interesting background story, that of a Gulf War veteran with a "Black power, we shall overcome" type attitude. He's awful. He's really awful. It's as if he had a part written for Ice Cube or Denzel Washington, but then the studio decided that they needed a big name star in the case. He doesn't have many lines, but the ones that he has are not good.
Blue Chips is one of those sports movies that you should see at least once. It's unlikely that you will remember it amongst the best that you have seen, but if you follow college athletics, you should at least find it interesting. Blue Chips shows us the hypocrisy of college athletics, and the seemingly futile endeavor of trying to keep money out of the hands of athletes. It is though provoking, albeit a bit preachy. Given the current debates about whether we should be paying players, this movie is now more relevant than it ever has been.
Under-Rated Sports Film That Tells Important Story
tfrizzell15 September 2000
"Blue Chips" is a vastly under-rated sports film which deals with the shady dealings of colleges and their players. Nick Nolte plays a college basketball coach who is so desperate to return to his glory days that he breaks the rules by giving his newest recruits (Shaquille O'Neal, Anfernee Hardaway, and Matt Nover) basically anything they and their families want. School alumnus J.T. Walsh is the catalyst to these shady dealings and now the college has a winning team again, but at what price? "Blue Chips" is another one of William Friedkin's films that is much deeper than it first appears on the surface. With the exception of "The French Connection" and "The Exorcist", this is his finest film as a director. His documentary-style makes you feel as if you are in on all the action. Numerous parts are played by real basketball players and coaches, adding a great bit of realism to the story. "The French Connection" benefited from this style by having real cops in key roles and "The Exorcist" did the same having priests play themselves. Shaquille O'Neal, Anfernee Hardaway, and Matt Nover do surprisingly well with the material. They are all three-dimensional characters and shine throughout the film. However with that said, it is Nick Nolte who is the primary factor that makes the film well worth while. Far from perfect, but still a very good movie. 4 out of 5 stars.
See Shaq before he had his own zip code
Vladefan2129 September 2003
This isn't a bad movie at all. Considering the scandals that have come to light about college athletes receiving cars, houses, money, etc. this film has even more relevance today than it did when it first came out.
To see a Shaquille O'Neal full of potential and natural talent (yet not yet spoiled by his own success) is a thrill - even for a Kings fan. His acting isn't the point; it's the few scenes that show him actually playing basketball that are worth watching for.
To see a Shaquille O'Neal full of potential and natural talent (yet not yet spoiled by his own success) is a thrill - even for a Kings fan. His acting isn't the point; it's the few scenes that show him actually playing basketball that are worth watching for.
H-O-R-S-
jeffstonewords14 August 2021
Nick Nolte carries the movie and Mary McDonnell is great in a supporting role. It's not just a film for those who follow hoops or hate the inexplicable incompetence of the NCAA, it's also a story about the human condition.
An Excellent Basketball Movie
Lizardma14 March 2000
Yes, I would admit that this movie is not THE greatest basketball movie of all time. I suppose Hoosiers would get that title. The only real pet-peave I had is that the basketball players such as Penny, Shaq, and Matt are not exactly Shakespearean actors. Of course, their athletic ability is perfect for their parts and the movie covers their acting deficiencies enough with plenty of playing scenes including numerous dunks by Shaq. I'm a huge college b-ball fan and the cameos including Pitino, Knight, Tark, and Dicky V give the movie a better sense of realism. Knight was certainly great at playing himself, which involves yelling-cursing at the players and refs. Nick Nolte makes this movie, however. He comes off thoroughly convincing as a veteran college coach who is facing the twilight of his career and considers illegal recruiting tactics to get a winning team again. The series of the movie with his recruiting visits is the best part. He did a great job at kissing up to the players and parents. Now is this movie realistic? I don't know for sure, but it was still entertaining and fun to watch nonetheless.
What Could Have Been
alexkolokotronis29 January 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This movie seems to have a funny and interesting idea from the outlook. Yet this movies never quite takes off in the right direction or any direction. Through the first half of the movie it builds up as a comedy. In the second half it tries to alter itself into an engaging drama. Personally I had no problem with Shaq and Penny Hardaway in the movie. Nick Nolte with his character fit perfectly. Still the writing was totally unimpressive and horrible except for the one scene with Nick Nolte at the end with his press conference. Everything else in this movie seems to be cliché and would not amuse anyone except for small kids.
The supporting cast other than the three basketball players and Nolte's ex-wife fit perfectly or should I say match the poor and cliché writing of this movie. For example J.T. Walsh was cast as Happy. Happy was in charge or at least had connections that helped Nolte get his top notch recruits with illegal strategies such as buying houses, giving money and buying other luxurious items for the recruits' families. J.T. Walsh seemed very easy to spot as a corrupt and horrible man even though his character is supposed to have a low profile and be behind the scenes. This presents a huge problem for a key character who does seem to be quite believable. He is supposed to be the man doing things under the table instead he is totally visible to the public.
As I said before the writing in this movie does not engage the audience because it doesn't take on its own identity. It is hard to call this a comedy with too few jokes and attempts to amuse the audience and it is hard to call this a drama with the movie trying to be portrayed as a comedy.
This movie could have been easily fixed if there was more work done on the writing and the casting. Blue Chips attempts to show the corruption in college sports but it fails to show the many aspects of it. Such as the corporate sponsors and the pressure an athletic director is under of loosing their job. It does not show the competing colleges vying for the top recruits and most of all it does not show you how such pure and genuine feeling such as playing a sport can be so easily corrupted by the pressure and the need for winning from coaches and colleges to fans and corporate sponsors. This sounds like a lot but could have been very easily included in the movie without having to overextend this into a 2 1/2 hour movie.
The supporting cast other than the three basketball players and Nolte's ex-wife fit perfectly or should I say match the poor and cliché writing of this movie. For example J.T. Walsh was cast as Happy. Happy was in charge or at least had connections that helped Nolte get his top notch recruits with illegal strategies such as buying houses, giving money and buying other luxurious items for the recruits' families. J.T. Walsh seemed very easy to spot as a corrupt and horrible man even though his character is supposed to have a low profile and be behind the scenes. This presents a huge problem for a key character who does seem to be quite believable. He is supposed to be the man doing things under the table instead he is totally visible to the public.
As I said before the writing in this movie does not engage the audience because it doesn't take on its own identity. It is hard to call this a comedy with too few jokes and attempts to amuse the audience and it is hard to call this a drama with the movie trying to be portrayed as a comedy.
This movie could have been easily fixed if there was more work done on the writing and the casting. Blue Chips attempts to show the corruption in college sports but it fails to show the many aspects of it. Such as the corporate sponsors and the pressure an athletic director is under of loosing their job. It does not show the competing colleges vying for the top recruits and most of all it does not show you how such pure and genuine feeling such as playing a sport can be so easily corrupted by the pressure and the need for winning from coaches and colleges to fans and corporate sponsors. This sounds like a lot but could have been very easily included in the movie without having to overextend this into a 2 1/2 hour movie.
Most Underrated Sports Movie Ever!
chrisinaltoona5 March 2009
I'm not a big sports movie guy, so I went into this not really expecting much other than killing 90 some minutes. I loved it! To see the struggle of a school and coach as they attempt to create a legit winning team in an environment of corruption was interesting. Then when they join that corruption it becomes exciting, you just know it's gonna blowup some time. Nick Nolte carries this film throughout it's entirety, and amazingly the real life players do a great job of acting and the rest of the cast is perfect. I love how they took real players and coaches and brought them into this film, it fits perfectly. The last 35 minutes of this film is brilliant. I've seen many people here talk of how bad this film is, I wonder if they just don't care about sports that much like myself, or have some underlying bias about admitting the corruption exists and always has in much of college sports. I don't care for sports! But I loved this film. The ratings this film gets on here really ticks me off, what is it, a 5.5 star average? I've learned one thing on here and other review sites, if you let others judge for you, you'll miss a lot of good movies.
scattered story overloaded with cameo
SnoopyStyle18 March 2016
Pete Bell (Nick Nolte) is the hard-pressed college basketball coach of Western University running a seemingly clean program. Reporter Ed (Ed O'Neill) has been hounding him about an alleged point shaving incident four years ago. He has his first losing season after winning a few championships. He pushes his team to recruit harder. Butch McRae (Penny Hardaway)'s mother Lavada (Alfre Woodard) wants to be compensated. Farm boy Ricky Roe is more interested in girls. Neon Boudeaux (Shaq) traveled a winding road under the recruiters' radar and scored horribly with his SAT. Pete uses his ex-wife Jenny (Mary McDonnell) as his tutor. His idealism is constantly being worn away by school booster Happy (J.T. Walsh).
Nick Nolte holds this together as much as possible. There are many cameos. It's overloaded and some of it is unnecessary. There's no point in having Larry Bird. The movie has so much already. It could trim some of the extras. It has to tighten the first act because it is still waiting to introduce the new players. It's not until midpoint when Shaq finally shows up. Shaq doesn't deserve his Razzie. He's got natural charisma. It's also hard to make this team an underdog with Shaq around. The college ball corruption discussion can be overwrought but I'm fine with that.
Nick Nolte holds this together as much as possible. There are many cameos. It's overloaded and some of it is unnecessary. There's no point in having Larry Bird. The movie has so much already. It could trim some of the extras. It has to tighten the first act because it is still waiting to introduce the new players. It's not until midpoint when Shaq finally shows up. Shaq doesn't deserve his Razzie. He's got natural charisma. It's also hard to make this team an underdog with Shaq around. The college ball corruption discussion can be overwrought but I'm fine with that.
Nope!
Headbiscuit21 June 2003
Blue Chips - starting such wasted talent as Nick Nolte! Not to mention such all star actors as Shaquille O'Neal. From the get-go, it is not the smartest of movies, but it did have its fair share of entertaining value as the movie progressed. I thought Shaq would be a dismal actor, but he came to play, or at least more than Nolte did. I felt Nolte and his character were wildly out of control, not balanced with the movie, and simply not quality. I clearly understand that his character is a wild individual, but the odd mood swings, and multi-persona touch that he added to the character was weird and distracting.
Props to Shaq for dunking nearly continously during the film - once again showing that his shooting range is typically 2-3 inches. A shame too, because the movie highlight this stereotype and runs with it. Penny was alright, but in this day in age, where is his almost a forgotten player, it was more of a nostalgia to watch him in the movie.
Overall, the movie sucked. The moral plot was weak, and there was little else to the content of the film. By far the worst part was the ended which gives rather weak explanations of what happens post-ending.
5/10 stars for some decent basketball footage, and a different type of basketball movie. But it lacks five stars for poor plot, acting, and a sloppy ending which tries to tie together a bunch of moral stuff without much success.
Props to Shaq for dunking nearly continously during the film - once again showing that his shooting range is typically 2-3 inches. A shame too, because the movie highlight this stereotype and runs with it. Penny was alright, but in this day in age, where is his almost a forgotten player, it was more of a nostalgia to watch him in the movie.
Overall, the movie sucked. The moral plot was weak, and there was little else to the content of the film. By far the worst part was the ended which gives rather weak explanations of what happens post-ending.
5/10 stars for some decent basketball footage, and a different type of basketball movie. But it lacks five stars for poor plot, acting, and a sloppy ending which tries to tie together a bunch of moral stuff without much success.
It's well worth seeing just to see the ball players...but it's STILL Nolte's picture.
planktonrules18 November 2019
I am not a basketball fan. Instead, I am an oddball..a bad movie buff. While I do NOT watch a steady diet of lousy pictures, every so often I watch some god-awful movies. I have seen all 50 bad films from Harry Medved's great book "The Fifty Worst Films of All Time" as well as 96 of the current Bottom 100 on IMDB. And, while "Blue Chips" is not on any of these bad films list it has something which does interest me....Shaquille O'Neal. While he seems like a nice guy in real life, Shaquille has a long, sorry track record of incredibly bad films....such as "Kazaam", "Steel" , "Jack and Jill", "Scary Movie IV" and "Freddy Got FIngered". In fact, while I don't blame him completely, as he's first and foremost a basketball star, few, if any, can match his sad record in films.
In this basketball flick, in addition to O'Neal, you've got some other huge stars...Penny Hardaway, Marques Johnson and an older basketball great, Bob Cousy (who STILL is a great shot even at his age). In small roles are Jerry Tarkanian, Larry Bird, Bobby Knight and a few others. This is reason enough to see this movie....as well as to watch Nick Nolte play an interesting role as a college basketball coach...and it's one of Nolte's best performances.
So why, in particular, is Coach Bell (Nolte) so angry and upset this particular season? Well, for the first time ever he's in danger of coaching a team with a losing record. Sick of seeing the best recruits going to other college programs, Bell is intent on bringing in some new and very talented blood into the program. Much of the film consists of him traveling the country, interviewing prospects and doing everything he can to hook them for his team. The problem is that there is a LOT of pressure for him to cheat and bend the rules....as it seems like everybody is doing it to get the best recruits.
The film is an excellent case study of the ugly side of college sports. And, as the film seems to say, 'everybody's doing it'....which seems likely. I appreciated this plot very much...and Nick Nolte really blew me away with his acting. He was clearly at his best here. Also, it was nice to see Shaquille O'Neal...his acting seemed natural and likable. Overall, a surprisingly good film that exceeded my expectations....and I am not sure why it only has an overall score of 6.2 at this time.
'
In this basketball flick, in addition to O'Neal, you've got some other huge stars...Penny Hardaway, Marques Johnson and an older basketball great, Bob Cousy (who STILL is a great shot even at his age). In small roles are Jerry Tarkanian, Larry Bird, Bobby Knight and a few others. This is reason enough to see this movie....as well as to watch Nick Nolte play an interesting role as a college basketball coach...and it's one of Nolte's best performances.
So why, in particular, is Coach Bell (Nolte) so angry and upset this particular season? Well, for the first time ever he's in danger of coaching a team with a losing record. Sick of seeing the best recruits going to other college programs, Bell is intent on bringing in some new and very talented blood into the program. Much of the film consists of him traveling the country, interviewing prospects and doing everything he can to hook them for his team. The problem is that there is a LOT of pressure for him to cheat and bend the rules....as it seems like everybody is doing it to get the best recruits.
The film is an excellent case study of the ugly side of college sports. And, as the film seems to say, 'everybody's doing it'....which seems likely. I appreciated this plot very much...and Nick Nolte really blew me away with his acting. He was clearly at his best here. Also, it was nice to see Shaquille O'Neal...his acting seemed natural and likable. Overall, a surprisingly good film that exceeded my expectations....and I am not sure why it only has an overall score of 6.2 at this time.
'
Good basketball movie
Agent108 June 2002
While the story was rather interesting, it seemed like it was too sensationalized for it own good. Unfortunately, in a movie about basketball players, one cannot find 7-foot actors, which meant Shaq O'Neal was one of the few people who could fill the role. This entire film tries to hard, accentuating points too harshly, and showing how corrupt the entire system in a manner that doesn't appear believable. I will say this, Nick Nolte really embodies the uber-Bobby Knight character, and what happened to Matt Nover? He was clearly the only good actor amongst all of the basketball players in the film.
Stereotypes abound
benjamin_380xd12 February 2006
If you know the doings of Bobby Knight, then you'll quickly notice that coach Pete Bell is modeled after the IU legend. Even down to the kicking the basketball in the stands. His "teaching" of the games, emphasis on defense, and heretofore clean program could have been lifted from "Season on the Brink" by John Feinstein. And if you enjoy seeing Tark the Shark, Jim Boeheim, Bob Cousy, and even Knight himself, you will like this film. If you are looking for continuity, character development, and basically a reason for filming this monstrosity of a jock movie,then you will be disappointed. True, it was filmed in Indiana, my native state. True, Larry Bird makes a cameo appearance but the rest of it is so clichéd that you'll wonder why the screenwriters didn't inject a bit of originality. This type of story has been done dozens of times previously and it could work again. But when the producers are overly reliant on big name sports stars and lame acting from all, you have a very predictable flick that is good for little more than killing 90 minutes of tube time.
Tells it like it is
bob the moo25 July 2002
Pete Bell is a college basketball coach. He's under pressure to win and is under pressure to get the players by any means necessary. How will he stand up to the pressure or will he give in to pressure?
Basketball movies are often the `weak team overcomes' type and are not exactly great. Some are good (Hoosiers) but most are mildly distracting at best (The air up there), few reach the heights of Hoop Dreams. However Blue Chips is good because it manages to cast a critical eye over the real world of college ball there are no small town winners, there are no `kids with hearts of gold' etc instead it is as much a business as the NBA and the stakes are high to get the best players.
Bell shows us how he must juggle doing what's right but also doing what the players want in order to get a winning team. This is refreshing rather than yet another sports movie with the same old cliches. The down side is that it doesn't go far enough in my mind and it doesn't offer solutions.
Nolte is good and is really convincing as a coach even if he's a bit OTT at times on the sidelines. His support is great in the form of McDonnell, Walsh, Woodard and the real players of Shaq and Penny do OK. The cast is also filled out with plenty of coaches, commentators and such from real life so there's plenty to see.
Overall this is one of my favourite basketball movies simply because it tells it like it is even if it does have it's weaknesses.
Basketball movies are often the `weak team overcomes' type and are not exactly great. Some are good (Hoosiers) but most are mildly distracting at best (The air up there), few reach the heights of Hoop Dreams. However Blue Chips is good because it manages to cast a critical eye over the real world of college ball there are no small town winners, there are no `kids with hearts of gold' etc instead it is as much a business as the NBA and the stakes are high to get the best players.
Bell shows us how he must juggle doing what's right but also doing what the players want in order to get a winning team. This is refreshing rather than yet another sports movie with the same old cliches. The down side is that it doesn't go far enough in my mind and it doesn't offer solutions.
Nolte is good and is really convincing as a coach even if he's a bit OTT at times on the sidelines. His support is great in the form of McDonnell, Walsh, Woodard and the real players of Shaq and Penny do OK. The cast is also filled out with plenty of coaches, commentators and such from real life so there's plenty to see.
Overall this is one of my favourite basketball movies simply because it tells it like it is even if it does have it's weaknesses.
Shaq makes his film debut
lee_eisenberg1 February 2022
On its own, William Friedkin's "Blue Chips" has stood the test of time, focusing on a basketball coach who hopes to break his losing streak by cheating in his hiring practices. Nick Nolte's first scene - where he berates his team for their poor performance - makes you feel like you're walking on eggshells.
And then there's Shaquille O'Neal, making his film debut as one of the recruits. Shaq puts on a good performance, but his recent drift into anti-scientific mumbo jumbo (he believes the earth to be flat) makes his presence here less enjoyable.
Aside from that it's a good movie, with some impressive scenes of basketball games. Quite a different turn from the director of "The French Connection" and "The Exorcist".
And then there's Shaquille O'Neal, making his film debut as one of the recruits. Shaq puts on a good performance, but his recent drift into anti-scientific mumbo jumbo (he believes the earth to be flat) makes his presence here less enjoyable.
Aside from that it's a good movie, with some impressive scenes of basketball games. Quite a different turn from the director of "The French Connection" and "The Exorcist".
Chipping in.
morrison-dylan-fan30 July 2017
Warning: Spoilers
With the weekend coming up,I decided to check what flicks were about to leave Netflix UK. Knowing him for his tough Horror/Thriller titles,I was surprised to spot a Sports Drama by William Friedkin,which led to me grabbing a pack of chips.
The plot:
Suffering a terrible season, legendary basketball coach Pete Bell feels the pressure to get the team back on track. Remembering how successful he has been in finding new comers,Bell looks towards the amateur league. As Bell signs on new talent,he learns that some of his best players have been cashing in backhanders.
View on the film:
Fuming by the sideline, Nick Nolte gives a powerhouse performance as Bell,who bites the arm of anyone who gets on his wrong side. Joined by the very good,more mellow J.T. Walsh, Mary McDonnell and Al Bundy, (playing a character with the very original name "Ed"!)Nolte gives Bell's marching orders to the team a warm howl,as Bell's sets his sights on the team leaping to victory.
Shooting hoops as a writer,the screenplay by Ron Shelton scoops out most of the feel-good Sports movie clichés for a more earthy approach,with the issues the team face in backhanders and burnouts lingering as doubt in Bell for the whole season. Appearing to set up a cheerful final shot, Shelton instead slams the ball down for a poetic ending which gets to Bell's love of the game. Ducking and weaving in the game,director William Friedkin & cinematographer Tom Priestley Jr. gives the games a documentary closeness,via tightly held shots listening in on each team member helping to plan victory by chipping in.
The plot:
Suffering a terrible season, legendary basketball coach Pete Bell feels the pressure to get the team back on track. Remembering how successful he has been in finding new comers,Bell looks towards the amateur league. As Bell signs on new talent,he learns that some of his best players have been cashing in backhanders.
View on the film:
Fuming by the sideline, Nick Nolte gives a powerhouse performance as Bell,who bites the arm of anyone who gets on his wrong side. Joined by the very good,more mellow J.T. Walsh, Mary McDonnell and Al Bundy, (playing a character with the very original name "Ed"!)Nolte gives Bell's marching orders to the team a warm howl,as Bell's sets his sights on the team leaping to victory.
Shooting hoops as a writer,the screenplay by Ron Shelton scoops out most of the feel-good Sports movie clichés for a more earthy approach,with the issues the team face in backhanders and burnouts lingering as doubt in Bell for the whole season. Appearing to set up a cheerful final shot, Shelton instead slams the ball down for a poetic ending which gets to Bell's love of the game. Ducking and weaving in the game,director William Friedkin & cinematographer Tom Priestley Jr. gives the games a documentary closeness,via tightly held shots listening in on each team member helping to plan victory by chipping in.
A good sports drama film!!
sauravjoshi8516 July 2023
Blue Chips is a sports drama film, directed by William Friedkin. The film stars Nick Nolte, Mary McDonnell, Ed O'Neill, J. T. Walsh, Alfre Woodard and Shaquille O'Neal.
A successful coach tries unconventional method to improve his team's line up after his team starts loosing.
The film is not that bad as the reviews suggest infact the film is entertains. The film tells the story of an under pressure coach who adopts unconventional method just to make sure that his team wins and Nick Nolte has been superb in his character.
The plot of the film is good and execution is decent. The screenplay of the film is good but could've been better. Acting by Nick Nolte is tremendous and he does a great job. Climax of the film is also good.
A good sports drama film.
A successful coach tries unconventional method to improve his team's line up after his team starts loosing.
The film is not that bad as the reviews suggest infact the film is entertains. The film tells the story of an under pressure coach who adopts unconventional method just to make sure that his team wins and Nick Nolte has been superb in his character.
The plot of the film is good and execution is decent. The screenplay of the film is good but could've been better. Acting by Nick Nolte is tremendous and he does a great job. Climax of the film is also good.
A good sports drama film.
Amateurism
Cineanalyst13 July 2021
On this one, I feel like Barney Stinson from "How I Met Your Mother," where a running gag was that Barney considered the baddies in movies to be the good guys--basically the premise for the "Cobra Kai" reworking of "The Karate Kid" series. So, in "Blue Chips," we have a booster named "Happy" played menacingly by perennial-villain J. T. Walsh who encourages Nick Nolte's impersonation of an artless coach Bob Knight type to pay the college basketball team's "blue chip" recruits under the table. Nolte's coach Pete Bell even scoffs at Happy's argument that the players deserve compensation for making them rich, and he inevitably has a crisis of conscience--because heaven forbid a few of the best players be paid a pittance for the billions-of-dollars business they perform in and including making college-sports coaches, such as the fictional one here who throws tantrums in the locker room--screaming in their faces and throwing stuff--the highest paid state employees in parts of the United States. If there's a hero in "Blue Chips," it's not coach Bell; it's Happy.
The NCAA is a racket, and "Blue Chips" is at its best when it seems to explore that corruption, but when it goes all Pollyanna about the supposed purity of a game and weepy over breaking the rules where unpaid young adults entertain and are distracted from doing any actual studying for huge, crowded stadiums--bigger than the high-school one they used for filming here--and for TV and in between commercials to make coaches, executives and, perhaps, even gamblers millionaires, it's nauseating. Recently, the real NCAA has been forced to allow student athletes some compensation, so at least now they may be underpaid above board. Happy vindicated, I suppose.
As for the basketball, my favorite sport by the way, it certainly benefits from featuring actual basketball players, including NBA stars Shaquille O'Neal and Anfernee Hardaway, the latter of whom is said to have been traded for by O'Neal's Orlando Magic based on their relationship working on this film. But, the hoop scenes here do suffer from the appearance of seemingly just being recordings of them playing impromptu scrimmage games in high-school gymnasiums to later be edited into a semblance of stories of supposed games. The rest of the film, however, doesn't benefit at all from, in particular, O'Neal's mugging. This isn't "Inside the NBA" on TNT; someone edit out this cutesy giant schtick for the cutting-room floor. And what's the point of epilogue text for what happened to the coach and players when it's a fictional story? It just looks hackneyed and stupid, as does much of the rest of "Blue Chips."
The NCAA is a racket, and "Blue Chips" is at its best when it seems to explore that corruption, but when it goes all Pollyanna about the supposed purity of a game and weepy over breaking the rules where unpaid young adults entertain and are distracted from doing any actual studying for huge, crowded stadiums--bigger than the high-school one they used for filming here--and for TV and in between commercials to make coaches, executives and, perhaps, even gamblers millionaires, it's nauseating. Recently, the real NCAA has been forced to allow student athletes some compensation, so at least now they may be underpaid above board. Happy vindicated, I suppose.
As for the basketball, my favorite sport by the way, it certainly benefits from featuring actual basketball players, including NBA stars Shaquille O'Neal and Anfernee Hardaway, the latter of whom is said to have been traded for by O'Neal's Orlando Magic based on their relationship working on this film. But, the hoop scenes here do suffer from the appearance of seemingly just being recordings of them playing impromptu scrimmage games in high-school gymnasiums to later be edited into a semblance of stories of supposed games. The rest of the film, however, doesn't benefit at all from, in particular, O'Neal's mugging. This isn't "Inside the NBA" on TNT; someone edit out this cutesy giant schtick for the cutting-room floor. And what's the point of epilogue text for what happened to the coach and players when it's a fictional story? It just looks hackneyed and stupid, as does much of the rest of "Blue Chips."
Nick Nolte is Outstanding!
namashi_17 February 2014
Nick Nolte is Outstanding in his portrayal of a frustrated, ambitious basketball coach in 'Blue Chips'. The legendary actor, who's had a career full of amazing performances, tops himself, yet again with his portrayal here.
'Blue Chips' Synopsis: A college basketball coach is forced to break the rules in order to get the players he needs to stay competitive.
'Blue Chips' is an interesting watch. Ron Shelton's Screenplay is grasping and often-confounding. It depicts a human-story, full of human-emotions and it gives Nolte ample score to the anchor the film. William Friedkin's Direction is super .
Performance-Wise: Nolte is the life of the show. He's in complete command and holds the film from start to end. Its amongst his greatest performances, that proves us once again, what a firebrand Nolte is!
On the whole, 'Blue Chips' works and Nolte doesn't miss a single beat.
'Blue Chips' Synopsis: A college basketball coach is forced to break the rules in order to get the players he needs to stay competitive.
'Blue Chips' is an interesting watch. Ron Shelton's Screenplay is grasping and often-confounding. It depicts a human-story, full of human-emotions and it gives Nolte ample score to the anchor the film. William Friedkin's Direction is super .
Performance-Wise: Nolte is the life of the show. He's in complete command and holds the film from start to end. Its amongst his greatest performances, that proves us once again, what a firebrand Nolte is!
On the whole, 'Blue Chips' works and Nolte doesn't miss a single beat.
I Rank it Third for 1994
view_and_review19 July 2020
"Blue Chips" was one of at least four basketball movies that came out in 1994:
"Hoop Dreams"
"The Air Up There"
"Above the Rim"
"Blue Chips"
They all approached the game of basketball from different angles. "Hoop Dreams" was a documentary, "The Air Up There" was about a college coach recruiting in Africa, "Above the Rim" was about streetball tournaments, while "Blue Chips" focused on college and the pressures to win in college.
Nick Nolte played Pete, a D1 college basketball coach in the mold of a Bob Knight. He was used to winning and winning the right way. After his first losing season ever he felt pressure to get the top recruits in the country--which meant using money.
It was clear that Pete didn't want to cheat, but I imagine he was like a utility player in baseball struggling to make a roster when all the high paid players around him are taking steroids. Sure, it's the right thing to abstain from cheating, but look at everyone around me doing exceptionally well who are cheating.
I won't pretend to know how backroom deals are done within the college ranks between boosters, coaches, and players, but if they're as open, matter-of-fact, and clumsy as they were depicted in this movie then it's a wonder anyone gets away with it.
I liked "Blue Chips" for the accuracy with coaching, coach behavior, the pressure to win in college, and even the realistic style of play. I grimaced at the open requests for money by the athletes and the sinister bad guy role of the main booster, Happy (J.T. Walsh). So, as for the basketball movies of 1994, "Blue Chips" ranks third for me--below "The Air Up There" and above "Above the Rim."
"Hoop Dreams"
"The Air Up There"
"Above the Rim"
"Blue Chips"
They all approached the game of basketball from different angles. "Hoop Dreams" was a documentary, "The Air Up There" was about a college coach recruiting in Africa, "Above the Rim" was about streetball tournaments, while "Blue Chips" focused on college and the pressures to win in college.
Nick Nolte played Pete, a D1 college basketball coach in the mold of a Bob Knight. He was used to winning and winning the right way. After his first losing season ever he felt pressure to get the top recruits in the country--which meant using money.
It was clear that Pete didn't want to cheat, but I imagine he was like a utility player in baseball struggling to make a roster when all the high paid players around him are taking steroids. Sure, it's the right thing to abstain from cheating, but look at everyone around me doing exceptionally well who are cheating.
I won't pretend to know how backroom deals are done within the college ranks between boosters, coaches, and players, but if they're as open, matter-of-fact, and clumsy as they were depicted in this movie then it's a wonder anyone gets away with it.
I liked "Blue Chips" for the accuracy with coaching, coach behavior, the pressure to win in college, and even the realistic style of play. I grimaced at the open requests for money by the athletes and the sinister bad guy role of the main booster, Happy (J.T. Walsh). So, as for the basketball movies of 1994, "Blue Chips" ranks third for me--below "The Air Up There" and above "Above the Rim."
Very Realistic movie
justingivens-3731930 November 2015
This movie could have potentially been based on a true story. The plot of the movie was unlike any other basketball or sports movie. Also the casting of actual NBA players like Penny Hardaway and Shaq was brilliant by the director. They both played great parts in this movie as highly recruited blue chip basketball players and fit perfectly within the plot. This movie was also unique in the regards that it featured other universities like Bobby Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers. Although this movie was a great movie overall , i feel it could have had a better ending. The ending of the movie was pretty weak and was the only downfall of this movie. However I still believe that this is one of the best basketball movies of all time and there will never be a movie like this again.
Half-assed film but with good and positive ideas
Rodrigo_Amaro25 November 2011
The vicissitudes of winning or losing a game and doing the best you can to be successful at it whether playing clean or pulling some dirty tricks are what makes of "Blue Chips" an nice film whose main character played by Nick Nolte has to fight against the odds of losing another championship for another consecutive year. Here's a full-mouthed Basketball coach with lots of anger, high intelligence, knows how to conduct a team but he doesn't have much of a good team, and to built the team of his dream, he's gonna have to select new players but not in the traditional and right way by giving extra things to his players in order to get them on his team and also in college. He can't follow the rules by the book, the ones he created to himself in order to be successful at what he does but will he manage to play the game regardless of ethics?
So, "Blue Chips" nicely builds its discourse of the importance of winning things in a fair way and shows how much someone can lose by breaking the rules. However, for a sport themed film this isn't so great as it could be, where's the director's energy to conduct the games scenes? It's not much involving when we have to watch the games but the dramatic and funny scenes compensates the trouble. Lacks energy, some thrills and at times even the dramatic sequences are monotonous and uninteresting.
Nolte confuses extreme passion for a game with some overacting but he gives a decent performance here (but can you imagine Bob De Niro in this role? It would be excellent!). And along with him we have good supportive acting by Mary McDonnell, J.T. Walsh, Ed O'Neill and basketball legends Bob Cousy, Shaquille O'Neal among others.
Right at the beginning Nolte gives this speech to the players about the impossibility of winning a game by being half-assed. You can do whatever half assed except winning. Wiser words were never spoken before and this film proves this when you have a great director like William Friedkin behind all this when it's quite visible he's not much suitable for this (and what's strange is Ron Shelton wrote this film and he's a specialist in making sport themed flicks, so why he didn't directed it in the first place?). So, in the end you can do things half-assed but just don't expect to win much sympathy, awards and recognition with it. Good film but it could've been better considering the talents involved. 6/10
So, "Blue Chips" nicely builds its discourse of the importance of winning things in a fair way and shows how much someone can lose by breaking the rules. However, for a sport themed film this isn't so great as it could be, where's the director's energy to conduct the games scenes? It's not much involving when we have to watch the games but the dramatic and funny scenes compensates the trouble. Lacks energy, some thrills and at times even the dramatic sequences are monotonous and uninteresting.
Nolte confuses extreme passion for a game with some overacting but he gives a decent performance here (but can you imagine Bob De Niro in this role? It would be excellent!). And along with him we have good supportive acting by Mary McDonnell, J.T. Walsh, Ed O'Neill and basketball legends Bob Cousy, Shaquille O'Neal among others.
Right at the beginning Nolte gives this speech to the players about the impossibility of winning a game by being half-assed. You can do whatever half assed except winning. Wiser words were never spoken before and this film proves this when you have a great director like William Friedkin behind all this when it's quite visible he's not much suitable for this (and what's strange is Ron Shelton wrote this film and he's a specialist in making sport themed flicks, so why he didn't directed it in the first place?). So, in the end you can do things half-assed but just don't expect to win much sympathy, awards and recognition with it. Good film but it could've been better considering the talents involved. 6/10
Decent Movie, Good Sports Movie
johnh08710 August 2003
Blue Chips, for a sports movie, was very well done and well put together. Pete Bell, played by Nolte, is a Bob Knight style coach at Western University, a fictitous university in LA (think UCLA). After a few sub-par seasons, he has his first losing season as head coach and to keep up with the other big programs (think Kentucky and Michigan), he needs to recruit some top players, or blue chips, to come to Western. Strictly against under the table recruiting, Bell is forced to make a tough decision. Recruit good but not great players and perhaps lose his job due to losing as head coach, or go after the top 10 recruits to keep his job and start winning again. The movie plays out well and supporting actors, JT Walsh and Shaq, give solid performances. As for the basketball action itself, this movie probably has the best game sequences I have ever seen in a movie, with real college players filling as extras. There is also a load of cameos, including Rick Pitino, Dick Vitale and Larry Bird to name a few. Blue Chips is a solid movie and a very good sports movie.
Would-Be Expose of Fishy Draft Practices is Minor and Detached Friedkin
jzappa6 May 2011
Friedkin outlines Nick Nolte's Coach Bell as a guy who's on the spot. Shoulders arched and head low, Bell moves through unadorned halls, overcrowded locker rooms. "There's not one of you that's learned how to win!" He thunders out, slamming the door only to come back to heave a water tank across the room and trudge out again. On the court, fans shouting, cheerleaders abound, band playing, Bell's face is anxious, his fuse lit again. Cries and chaos churn around Bell like he's within a bulldozer. His university team plays vigorously, but drop the ball, miss hoops. He hangs a towel overhead to shield his eyes. At loggerheads with a ref, Bell kicks the ball up into the stands and is disqualified. After winning national championships, Nolte's Bell is at risk of having his first losing season. And joblessness.
He could procure blue chip prospects, giving them cash, cars, etc. But in two respects he's unable to take advantage. Primarily, "if I break the rules I get kicked out of coaching." Next, "I might not get caught." It's Bell's ethical predicament. Blue Chips is not about the fight for victory but the fight to defeat. That's the appeal. Bell's passion for winning forces him to be disloyal to himself. Contempt comes in the figure of J.T. Walsh's gladly corrupt, obnoxious alum. When Bell refuses his first proposal of money to draft blue chip players, he tells Bell they make millions for the university for nothing in return and a multi-year contract for him, that they're owed these inducements. Bell storms off but the press-stud is in as he can see no other way. It's the vehicle for Bell's self-destruction.
Director William Friedkin's drawn to desperate characters with very few choices. His portrayal of college basketball bribery may be pessimistic, and Bell may be having an emergency of principles, but it's not especially gripping. His ex-wife Mary McDonnell asks him if he cheated. He denies it. Later, when she learns the facts, she sobbingly says she can't trust him anymore. A point-shaving rumor has hung over Bell for awhile. Walsh says it's true, go look at the tape. Bell does. His response is somewhat stupid, saying with surprise that he coached a rigged game. Bell wasn't a schemer but a dupe! He's acting like he perpetrated an offense against humankind. After his recently bought team's climactic game, Bell says words he never thought he'd say. It's paradoxical, but what does it matter? Friedkin tries to infuse some visual strength into the narrative when one of Bell's procured athletes tells the Coach he's homesick but if he goes, will his mother lose her new house that the "friends of the program" gave her? Bell pretends unawareness of any "arrangement." Friedkin begins the scene at Dutch angles, calling direct awareness to itself, the purpose vague. Is it showing Bell's world growing uncontrollable? We already got that when he sat alone in the gym staring longingly at the championship banners, imagined the cheering of past triumphs, sees no option but to cheat. Or when his wife asked him if he deceived and he denies. Bell approaches the gym before the final game, and we see him from another Dutch angle. They seem incompatible and bland here.
There are of course elements of Ron Shelton's script that Friedkin helms shrewdly. Bell's introductory locker talk and the first game, for instance. Later, Bell follows coaches who are also probing blue chip possibilities. One of them is Ricky from French Lick. They watch a main street parade highlighting the town pet, Larry Bird, and Ricky riding together in a convertible. The coaches beckon but then look shocked as Friedkin shows Bell, grinningly gesturing back at them from the driver's seat.
Another high point is the introduction of Shaq's character Neon in a Louisiana backwoods storehouse playing ruthless street basketball, a Goliath smashing the ball through the hoop over and over, his fierce expression defying the other players to face up to him. Bell's jaw gapes. One other highlight: Bell calls Walsh, Friedkin cuts from the miserable Bell to Walsh at the vast pool in back of his lavish home, drink in hand, his generous tummy laboring the strip of his red trunks, barking to "sell this spoiled brat on how happy he really is!" Friedkin returns to Bell, his throat parched as he turns to the homesick youngster. Nolte's words almost snag in his esophagus, "You better be at practice on Monday." Weak and trampled, Bell knows he's property now. It's painful. The gimmicky Dutches almost spoil it totally.
Ultimately, Friedkin's basketball footage brings about frenzied, dynamic action, from the players hurling across the court to coaches speedily drawing plays in clammy clusters. They're impressions, rapid and fuming. Staying at court level, Friedkin seizes the hostility of the sport in volatile surges. Though effective as moments, Friedkin hits the backboard, even bounces off the rim, but rarely goes through the net.
He could procure blue chip prospects, giving them cash, cars, etc. But in two respects he's unable to take advantage. Primarily, "if I break the rules I get kicked out of coaching." Next, "I might not get caught." It's Bell's ethical predicament. Blue Chips is not about the fight for victory but the fight to defeat. That's the appeal. Bell's passion for winning forces him to be disloyal to himself. Contempt comes in the figure of J.T. Walsh's gladly corrupt, obnoxious alum. When Bell refuses his first proposal of money to draft blue chip players, he tells Bell they make millions for the university for nothing in return and a multi-year contract for him, that they're owed these inducements. Bell storms off but the press-stud is in as he can see no other way. It's the vehicle for Bell's self-destruction.
Director William Friedkin's drawn to desperate characters with very few choices. His portrayal of college basketball bribery may be pessimistic, and Bell may be having an emergency of principles, but it's not especially gripping. His ex-wife Mary McDonnell asks him if he cheated. He denies it. Later, when she learns the facts, she sobbingly says she can't trust him anymore. A point-shaving rumor has hung over Bell for awhile. Walsh says it's true, go look at the tape. Bell does. His response is somewhat stupid, saying with surprise that he coached a rigged game. Bell wasn't a schemer but a dupe! He's acting like he perpetrated an offense against humankind. After his recently bought team's climactic game, Bell says words he never thought he'd say. It's paradoxical, but what does it matter? Friedkin tries to infuse some visual strength into the narrative when one of Bell's procured athletes tells the Coach he's homesick but if he goes, will his mother lose her new house that the "friends of the program" gave her? Bell pretends unawareness of any "arrangement." Friedkin begins the scene at Dutch angles, calling direct awareness to itself, the purpose vague. Is it showing Bell's world growing uncontrollable? We already got that when he sat alone in the gym staring longingly at the championship banners, imagined the cheering of past triumphs, sees no option but to cheat. Or when his wife asked him if he deceived and he denies. Bell approaches the gym before the final game, and we see him from another Dutch angle. They seem incompatible and bland here.
There are of course elements of Ron Shelton's script that Friedkin helms shrewdly. Bell's introductory locker talk and the first game, for instance. Later, Bell follows coaches who are also probing blue chip possibilities. One of them is Ricky from French Lick. They watch a main street parade highlighting the town pet, Larry Bird, and Ricky riding together in a convertible. The coaches beckon but then look shocked as Friedkin shows Bell, grinningly gesturing back at them from the driver's seat.
Another high point is the introduction of Shaq's character Neon in a Louisiana backwoods storehouse playing ruthless street basketball, a Goliath smashing the ball through the hoop over and over, his fierce expression defying the other players to face up to him. Bell's jaw gapes. One other highlight: Bell calls Walsh, Friedkin cuts from the miserable Bell to Walsh at the vast pool in back of his lavish home, drink in hand, his generous tummy laboring the strip of his red trunks, barking to "sell this spoiled brat on how happy he really is!" Friedkin returns to Bell, his throat parched as he turns to the homesick youngster. Nolte's words almost snag in his esophagus, "You better be at practice on Monday." Weak and trampled, Bell knows he's property now. It's painful. The gimmicky Dutches almost spoil it totally.
Ultimately, Friedkin's basketball footage brings about frenzied, dynamic action, from the players hurling across the court to coaches speedily drawing plays in clammy clusters. They're impressions, rapid and fuming. Staying at court level, Friedkin seizes the hostility of the sport in volatile surges. Though effective as moments, Friedkin hits the backboard, even bounces off the rim, but rarely goes through the net.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
