To be clear, this was a Columbia Pictures theatrical-release film, not something slapped together for a network on a Tuesday night. Nevertheless, with Gabe Kaplan as the star and with an upbeat "believe in yourself"-type of soundtrack, it FEELS like a TV movie - and that is OK. I saw if on the small screen in the '80s, probably on a weekend afternoon, sometime during my early teen years. And with the advent of video-sharing internet sites I have watched it a couple of times over the last few years.
Why claim it "could not be made today"? Because the characters express, in no uncertain terms, disapproval and disgust of homosexuality. If they had done so BUT completely changed at the end of the story, that obviously would not only be OK but laudatory. That is not what this movie is. It IS a straightforward "take a chance/beat the odds/happy montage" movie from the long-ago 1970s.
Why claim it "could not be made today"? Because the characters express, in no uncertain terms, disapproval and disgust of homosexuality. If they had done so BUT completely changed at the end of the story, that obviously would not only be OK but laudatory. That is not what this movie is. It IS a straightforward "take a chance/beat the odds/happy montage" movie from the long-ago 1970s.