Harvard Man (2001)

A basketball player strikes a deal with the mob to fix a basketball game.

Director:

James Toback

Writer:

James Toback

Stars:

Sarah Michelle Gellar, Adrian Grenier, Joey Lauren Adams

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Adrian Grenier	...	Alan Jensen
Sarah Michelle Gellar	...	Cindy Bandolini
Joey Lauren Adams	...	Chesney Cort
Eric Stoltz	...	Teddy Carter
Rebecca Gayheart	...	Kelly Morgan
Gianni Russo	...	Andrew Bandolini
Ray Allen	...	Marcus Blake
Mike Vetere	...	Russell (as Michael Aparo)
Scottie Epstein	...	Mario
John Neville	...	Dr. Reese
Polly Shannon	...	Juliet
Phillip Jarrett	...	Coach Preston
Adam Bloch	...	Kenner
Lauren Collis	...	Connie
Landy Cannon	...	Butch

Storyline

College has always been a time for experimentation, sexual, cultural and otherwise. "Harvard Man" plays out against a background of love, sex, basketball, crime and experimentation. Action and philosophy in young people's quest to discover their true identity.

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Plot Keywords:

two word title | male objectification | nudity | male rear nudity | male frontal nudity | 

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Taglines:

Passion, Seduction, Deception

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for drug use, language and some strong sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sarah Michelle Gellar was James Toback's first choice for Cindy Bandolini.

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Goofs

The outdoor scenes would indicate mid summer when basketball season is in the middle of winter.

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Quotes

Cindy Bandolini: [getting up after being pinned down by Kelly Morgan] This wrestling shits for girls, if you tried golf sometime I'd whoop your ass.
Kelly Morgan: Hmm I'm sure but in the mean time let's stick to reality.

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Alternate Versions

On The DVD there is an Alternate Opening Scene. The only major difference being that the sex scene between Cindy & Alan is more graphic (you see more naked shots of Alan, which were not in the original version)

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Heaven's Gate: Part 1 (2015)

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Soundtracks

Fade Away
Written by Simi
Performed by Simi
Courtesy of Silent Partner Management

User Reviews

The 3rd Millenium "Gambler"

It's a pity Toback doesn't do more directing as 2 of his previous films, "Fingers" and "The Gambler" were, in my opinion, definitive works on the conflict experienced by intelligent, driven characters, whose fatal flaw is gambling. In Fingers, Harvey Keitel auditioned as a concert pianist at Carnegie Hall, moments after collecting a past due debt for his bookmaker father. In "The Gambler" James Caan is a Philosophy Professor at Columbia, who loses so much betting football, that he must steal from his mother and convince one of his students to shave points during a basketball game. "Harvard Man" takes facets of these previous films, entwines them in sex and hallucinagenic drugs and the result is an exceptional film. The contrasts throughout the film are many and exist on a variety of levels, as is the film's musical score, which consists of works by Bach played concurrently with Hip Hop. The last third of the film is a combination of sex, drugs, rock n roll, gambling and gangsters, which even though somewhat flawed, puts a finishing touch on Toback's most challenging film.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 August 2001 (France)

Also Known As:

Harvard Man

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,425, 19 May 2002

Gross USA:

$56,653

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$56,653

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alliance Cinema, Bigel / Mailer Films, Lions Gate Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1