Blue Chips (1994)

A college basketball coach is forced to break the rules in order to get the players he needs to stay competitive.

Director:

William Friedkin

Writer:

Ron Shelton

Stars:

Nick Nolte, Mary McDonnell, J.T. Walsh

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nick Nolte	...	Pete Bell
Mary McDonnell	...	Jenny Bell
J.T. Walsh	...	Happy
Ed O'Neill	...	Ed
Alfre Woodard	...	Lavada McRae
Bob Cousy	...	Vic
Shaquille O'Neal	...	Neon
Penny Hardaway	...	Butch McRae (as Anfernee 'Penny' Hardaway)
Matt Nover	...	Ricky Roe
Cylk Cozart	...	Slick
Anthony C. Hall	...	Tony
Kevin Benton	...	Jack
Bill Cross	...	Freddie
Marques Johnson	...	Mel
Robert Wuhl	...	Marty

Storyline

Pete Bell, a college basketball coach is under a lot of pressure. His team isn't winning and he cannot attract new players. The stars of the future are secretly being paid by boosters. This practice is forbidden in the college game, but Pete is desperate and has pressures from all around.

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Plot Keywords:

college | basketball | athlete | college sports | college basketball | 

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Taglines:

Victory Doesn't Come Cheap

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Genres:

Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

As in the film, Shaquille O'Neal's real final college game came against an Indiana team coached by Bobby Knight, as the favored Hoosiers beat O'Neal's LSU Tigers 89-79 in the second round of the 1992 NCAA tournament. The Hoosiers went on to reach the Final Four, losing in the national semifinals to the reigning champion Duke Blue Devils, who were coached by a famous Knight protege in Mike Krzyzewski and who went on to successfully repeat as national champions.

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Goofs

During Western's season finale against the Coast, about midway through the game a Coast player goes up for a dunk and in the background a side scoreboard clearly reads 00 as the score for Western.

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Quotes

Pete Bell: Think, think, think! It's the thinking man's game!

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Connections

Referenced in Jeopardy!: Episode #26.74 (2009)

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Soundtracks

Baby, Please Don't Go
by Big Joe Williams (as Joe Williams)
Performed and produced by John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp performs courtesy of Mercury Records

User Reviews

Decent Movie, Good Sports Movie

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.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 February 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Blue Chips

Filming Locations:

Frankfort Senior High School - 1 S. Maish Road, Frankfort, Indiana, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,123,605, 21 February 1994

Gross USA:

$23,070,663

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$23,070,663

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1