I don't think they missed a single cliché from this genre of high school sport as a coming of age drama. They checked all the boxes. I won't list them all here because of space limitations on IMDb. √ -Coach with issues of his own √ -Parent/guardian with issues √ -Love interest √ -Foe to overcome √ -Someone dies
Think of Vision Quest but not nearly as charming or original and then make most of the Americans into racist maniacs. In this case the Shute character is a white supremacist—just a bit much for a high school wrestling movie. They also went a bit overboard with the dramatic music at times. Guys, this isn't Saving Private Ryan; it's a wrestling tournament, we're not fighting the Nazis.
It's a little like Hoosiers (and other movies) with the drunk / retarded / criminal / (and in this case) Iranian guy getting the nod to work as assistant coach and then having to ruin the show.
"Eewww." "She was all like, what are you? Jealous much." I hate to be too nit-picky but kids didn't say these things in 1980.
The always-great Jon Voight plays the principal. They even get his name wrong unless they were being hugely ironic: Principal Skinner, Seymour Skinner. OK, they don't give his first name but I think that The Simpsons has the rights to the name Principal Skinner. The principal was also way too severe on the kid for fighting and it just seemed to lack credibility.
The hippie bully kid was about 25 when this was filmed—a bit long in the tooth to be playing a high school kid.
As if there weren't already enough cornball drama moments in this thing the uncle gets pasted. They should have played that Benny Hill music. Did we really need to see it? Was it a homicide? It looked like a hate crime.
Think of Vision Quest but not nearly as charming or original and then make most of the Americans into racist maniacs. In this case the Shute character is a white supremacist—just a bit much for a high school wrestling movie. They also went a bit overboard with the dramatic music at times. Guys, this isn't Saving Private Ryan; it's a wrestling tournament, we're not fighting the Nazis.
It's a little like Hoosiers (and other movies) with the drunk / retarded / criminal / (and in this case) Iranian guy getting the nod to work as assistant coach and then having to ruin the show.
"Eewww." "She was all like, what are you? Jealous much." I hate to be too nit-picky but kids didn't say these things in 1980.
The always-great Jon Voight plays the principal. They even get his name wrong unless they were being hugely ironic: Principal Skinner, Seymour Skinner. OK, they don't give his first name but I think that The Simpsons has the rights to the name Principal Skinner. The principal was also way too severe on the kid for fighting and it just seemed to lack credibility.
The hippie bully kid was about 25 when this was filmed—a bit long in the tooth to be playing a high school kid.
As if there weren't already enough cornball drama moments in this thing the uncle gets pasted. They should have played that Benny Hill music. Did we really need to see it? Was it a homicide? It looked like a hate crime.