The Program (1993)

Several players from different backgrounds try to cope with the pressures of playing football at a major university. Each deals with the pressure differently, some turn to drinking, others to drugs, and some to studying.

Director:

David S. Ward

Writers:

David S. Ward, Aaron Latham

Stars:

James Caan, Halle Berry, Omar Epps

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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
Leon Pridgen	...	Ray Griffen (as J. Leon Pridgen II)
Michael Flippo	...	Coach Humes (as Mike Flippo)
Jeff Portell	...	Reporter #1
Ernest Dixon	...	Coach Clayton

Storyline

A college football coach is told by his bosses that unless they do better this season it could be his last. To bolster the team he recruits a talented tail back. A female student is assigned to help him assimilate with college life and that includes doing his studies because he spent his whole life just playing football. And he finds himself attracted to her and she already has a boyfriend who is also on the team but he might be more concern about losing his position than losing her to him. And the coach has to deal with his other players' situations like the team's quarterback who deals with his father being distant by drinking and it eventually gets him in trouble. And one of the team's defensive players is obviously using steroids but passes the drug tests.

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Plot Keywords:

usa | united states | college football | durham north carolina | sports team | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Romance | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Did You Know?

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 of the scene. However, the scene can be found on YouTube.

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Goofs

During the Michigan game, several Michigan players are seen wearing jersey numbers that were retired by U of M decades before, including 1940 Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon's #98 and All-American end Ron Kramer's #87.

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Quotes

Alvin Mack: Hey Bud is it true, Joe's out four fuckin' games?
Bud-Lite Kaminski: Yea.
Alvin Mack: Shit, defense is gonna have to pitch shut-outs now...
[to Lattimer]
Alvin Mack: And you're gone for three? What the hell did you take that shit for?
Steve Lattimer: Nobody seemed to mind when I was laying people out!
Alvin Mack: Sh*t, I bust chops too, you don't see me all fu**ed up!
Steve Lattimer: Not everybody has your ability Alvin, you do what you do to play!
Alvin Mack: Well you ain't playin much now are ya?

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Alternate Versions

Some scenes show college students lying in a street in the middle of car traffic as a way to prove their courage. A few weeks after the film's release, the studio recalled all copies and deleted this sequence from the picture in response to public outrage, because a few teenagers had been injured or killed imitating this deadly game.

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Up in the Air/Everybody's Fine/Brothers (2009)

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Soundtracks

Independent
Written by Phil Rind
Performed by Sacred Reich
Courtesy of Hollywood Records

User Reviews

I liked it.

During the course of high school and college, we always come across numerous stereotypes. The 'jock' stereotype is possibly the most recognized. This movie transcended that and only focused on the brotherhood and comradery that arises from playing an organised sport. Not only did I enjoy this movie to a great extent I thought it to be both hilarious and dramatic. I believed the quality of acting in this film to have been superb, as well as the football scenes.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

24 September 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Program

Filming Locations:

Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,821,931, 26 September 1993

Gross USA:

$23,032,565

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$23,032,565

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, The Samuel Goldwyn Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1