A Season on the Brink (TV 2002)

"A Season on the Brink: A Year with Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers" is based on the best-selling book by John Feinstein. The movie chronicles Indiana's 1985-86 season, when Knight ... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Mandel

Writers:

John Feinstein (book), David W. Rintels (teleplay)

Stars:

Brian Dennehy, Al Thompson, Benz Antoine

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Brian Dennehy	...	Bobby Knight
Al Thompson	...	Delray Brooks
Benz Antoine	...	Joby Wright
James Lafferty	...	Steve Alford
Michael James Johnson	...	Daryl Thomas
Dan Becker	...	Dan Dakich
Patrick Williams	...	Stew Robinson
Yorick Parke	...	Andre Harris
Gary Hudson	...	Ron Felling
Mike Weekes	...	Todd Jadlow
Duane Murray	...	Kohn Smith
Thomas Hauff	...	Ed Williams
Phoenix Gonzales	...	Charlene
Manfred Maretzki	...	Joseph Wisnofsky
Chad Bruce	...	Elisberg

Storyline

"A Season on the Brink: A Year with Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers" is based on the best-selling book by John Feinstein. The movie chronicles Indiana's 1985-86 season, when Knight granted Feinstein unprecedented access to the team and its practices, meetings, and huddles.

---

Plot Keywords:

indiana university | vulgarity | coach | basketball movie | basketball | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Sport

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Official Sites:

ESPN [us]

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 March 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Más allá del juego

Filming Locations:

University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Argentum Film Produktion und Betriebes KG, ESPN, Jess Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the first movie by ESPN.

---

Goofs

A majority of the game sequences were shot at the now torn down Winnipeg Arena, standing in for Assembley Hall in Bloomington Indiana. In one scene where Bobby Knight is kneeling while talking to players on the sidelines, above his head can be seen championship banners of the defunct Winnipeg Jets hockey team.

---

Quotes

Bobby Knight: We're starting a season we're not even close to being ready for. We can't beat a single team on our schedule, not one. And, one thing for sure, somebody besides me is gonna have to start providing some leadership around here. Now personally, I don't think you could lead a whore into bed, but you're gonna have to...starting now.
Steve Alford: I'll try, Coach.
Bobby Knight: Don't try...do it.

User Reviews

A Final Four perfomance, if not better

As you can tell from my chosen screen name (a nickname I got on the job), I had a great interest in this film and it paid off. After all the pre-film publicity and trailers, I expected a scene in which disgruntled players and whiny referees chased Coach Knight with torches to the old windmill.

Instead, and having read the book I know this, the film stayed very close to the book and made a real attempt to show both Knight in his rages and tantrums and as a mentor, friend and a loving father. This film gives no quarter to either the pro-Knight or anti-Knight fans. The casting was excellent and the film's action scenes looked like these guys at least hit the local high school gym a few hours per week to get ready.

If I have any complaint with this film, it's that they seemed to try to use basketball footage to connect random episodes from the book. There would be a very moving, intense scene, then a graphic saying something like "Indiana won seven of the next eight games". This is like making a movie about World War II beginning with Hitler's election in Germany, then showing a graphic saying "Germany invaded Poland in 1939 and then conquored France", then cutting to a scene of The Battle of the Bulge.

But other than that, this was a great film, one of the few truly great sports films.