53762

It's 1951 in Hickory, Indiana- a place that takes its basketball as seriously as its religion. Into this tiney town strolls Norman Dale ( Gene Hackman) , a once-hailed , now failed college coach taking up the unenviable task of coaching Hickory High's eight-man hoop squad. Dale has been down on his luck for the last ten years, and hopes this could be a fresh start...but several people have something to say about his suspicious training methods and unorthodox bench manner. The school and the town want the new coach fired. But Coach Dale believes in two things--himself and his team. Amazingly, kids become captains...players become a team...losers become winners...has-beens become once-agains. Together they make history in HOOSIERS. 114 minutes PG