#130 - "Hoosiers" (1986) with JB Huffman & Chris McMichen
In the '80s and '90s, emotional sports dramas hit their peak with films like The Natural, Field of Dreams, and Rudy. One standout from the '80s is Hoosiers (1986), which follows Norman Dale, a disgraced middle-aged coach given a second chance at redemption in the small town of Hickory, Indiana. Set in 1951, the film explores how the tight-knit community and its strong opinions about basketball strategy shape Dale's journey. Join Tim Williams and guest co-hosts JB Huffman & Chris McMichen as they lace up their Chuck Taylors and dive into Hoosiers on this episode of the 80s Flick Flashback Podcast.
In the '80s and '90s, emotional sports dramas hit their peak with films like The Natural, Field of Dreams, and Rudy. One standout from the '80s is Hoosiers (1986), which follows Norman Dale, a disgraced middle-aged coach given a second chance at redemption in the small town of Hickory, Indiana. Set in 1951, the film explores how the tight-knit community and its strong opinions about basketball strategy shape Dale's journey. Join Tim Williams and guest co-hosts JB Huffman & Chris McMichen, as they lace up their Chuck Taylors and dive into Hoosiers on this episode of the 80s Flick Flashback Podcast.
Here are some additional behind-the-scenes trivia we were unable to cover in this episode:
- The filmmakers had trouble filling Hinkle Fieldhouse with extras for the final game and needed to move people around when shooting different angles. Extras were given 1950s hairstyles, and their clothing was checked for anachronisms.
- The actor who played Ollie once left the set to watch his high school basketball team play. At the time, he was a senior on the team and was feeling homesick, so he decided to attend the game. The crew had to contact his mother to persuade him to return to the set.
Sources:
Wikipedia, IMDB, Box Office Mojo
https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a34673344/hoosiers-anniversary-essay-story-making-of-analysis/
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/88389/10-winning-facts-about-hoosiers
Some sections were composed or edited by ChatGPT
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J.B. Huffman
Podcaster & Film Critic
J.B. Huffman is an Alabama-based independent film critic whose writing you can find in small doses on Letterboxd. He hosts a biweekly podcast called Manly Movies, where he and a guest discuss their favorite movies and the lessons they teach us about being a man. Being a husband and a father of two, personal growth in the calling that men have is one of his biggest passions, and movies can be a tremendous tool to help us through that. J.B.’s main goal in film criticism is to find the good in everything he watches because there is an audience for every film, and every filmmaker should get a certain level of respect in that regard. His favorite tagline is “not all five stars are created equal,” meaning that a film that perfectly accomplishes the goal that was set out by its director deserves the highest rating, regardless of its technical quality or awards status. He finds that viewing film through those two lenses makes for a more enjoyable experience.
