Hoosiers

They needed a second chance to finish first.

Nominated for two Academy Awards, this triumphant tale of a high school basketball team's long-shot attempt to ascend to the State Championship is filled with edge-of-your-seat suspense and breathless excitement. Featuring fast-break cinematography that catches the pace of the game and intense, heart-rending performances from Gene Hackman, Barbara Hershey and Dennis Hopper, Hoosiers (a.k.a. Best Shot) redefined the sports movie with a realism and frankness that make you believe in its small-town characters - and cheer for them over and over again.

Hackman is Norman Dale, a basketball coach whose chequered past has led him to a last-chance position with a last-chance team. Made to feel unwelcome by squad members, an icy fellow teacher (Hershey) and townspeople who nearly have him fired, Dale perseveres with a gritty demeanour and an unwavering passion for the game. But winning over the team is only half the battle in a world where small-town teams can end up playing big-time rivals... and a downtrodden outsider can rouse the pride of an entire country. As a well-made slice of Americana, Hoosiers scores big.