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In 1986, Gene Hackman commanded attention, taking on the role of Hickory Huskers head coach Norman Dale in the movie “Hoosiers”. His portrayal of Dale, who had to overcome many obstacles, gave insight into a man who took advantage of his second chance and drove his team to work together while persevering in the face of adversity.
That is why it is one of the greatest sports movies of all time. And it will always serve as a legacy for Hackman, who was found dead alongside his wife in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on February 27. Hackman was 95.
In the film, Dale arrives in Hickory, Indiana, taking a job as a high school history teacher and head basketball coach after losing his job as a college coach for striking one of his players. Despite having only a small roster, he helped the small school go on a run through the Indiana high school basketball tournament, winning the ultimate title.
But, it’s so much more than just a sports movie.
The messages and meanings move far beyond basketball, and that’s what makes it so special.
Gene Hackman Thought Hoosiers Would End His Career
After the news of Hackman’s death, ‘Hoosiers’ director David Anspaugh spoke about what it was like working with the actor during an appearance on the “Rich Eisen Show” on February 27.
According to Anspaugh, Hackman thought that this film was going to be a disaster. And Hackman even told his co-star Dennis Hopper, who played Shooter, that he hoped Hopper “invested well because we’ll never work after this film.”
“It was my first feature film and you are talking about one of the great actors of our time. He probably was a bit nervous that, what the (expletive) was he thinking getting into this thing,” Anspaugh explained. “And I hadn’t proven myself in the feature world and most of the actors besides himself and Barbara (Hershey) were all local hires or out of Chicago.”
“That’s what I love about the film. It was a real gamble,” Anspaugh added. “
Is ‘Hoosiers’ Based on a True Story?
“Hoosiers” is inspired by the Milan High School basketball team, which won the 1954 Indiana state championship. However, it’s only loosely based off this story.
Like Hickory, Milan was a small high school in rural Indiana and had an undersized team. Both the team in the film and Milan’s team won the state championship by two points, and the final game from the movie was filmed in the same gymnasium where Milan won their state championship.
However, while Hickory was the underdog, Milan was considered a heavy favorite.
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