Overview
A small-town high school basketball team faces the ultimate challenge in their quest for glory.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- inspirational
- warm
- nostalgic
- sports movie night
- family movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's loving craftsmanship, Gene Hackman's complex central performance, and its persuasive small-town sports detail despite its familiar underdog formula.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Norman Dale faces school-board scrutiny, parental demands, gossip, and the expectations of basketball-centered Hickory.
Norman Dale's spotty past and scandal shape his guarded approach to coaching and his effort to rebuild trust.
Dale emphasizes teamwork, passing, conditioning, and adherence to a system over local pressure for star-centered play.
The film treats high school basketball as a defining institution in 1950s Indiana small-town life.
Films like Hoosiers, and why
The Miracle Worker
small-town sports drama centered on an unlikely high school team and a demanding coach
Remember the Titans
warm, inspirational sports underdog story with strong community dynamics
Coach Carter
character-driven basketball drama combining mentorship, team conflict, and redemption
Breaking Away
earnest high school sports drama shaped by local pressure and personal perseverance
Movie Details
- Director
- David Anspaugh
- Release Date
- 1986-11-14
- Runtime
- 114 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (616)
Cast
- Gene Hackman
- Barbara Hershey
- Dennis Hopper
- Sheb Wooley
- Maris Valainis
- David Neidorf
- Brad Long
- Steve Hollar
- Brad Boyle
- Kent Poole
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Hoosiers about?
- A disgraced coach and a troubled former player rally a skeptical Indiana town around an undersized high school basketball team.
- What is Hoosiers like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Hoosiers as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Hoosiers violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Hoosiers.
- What did critics think of Hoosiers?
- Critics broadly praised the film's loving craftsmanship, Gene Hackman's complex central performance, and its persuasive small-town sports detail despite its familiar underdog formula.
- Which films are like Hoosiers?
- Films with a similar feel include The Miracle Worker, Remember the Titans, Coach Carter, and Breaking Away.
- How long is Hoosiers?
- Hoosiers runs 114 minutes.
- Where can I watch Hoosiers?
- In United States, Hoosiers is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex.
