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That Championship Season (1982)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
4/17
4/17:
Remember Jason Miller?
The Oscar-nominated actor who played Father Damien in The Exorcist? It turns out he won
the Pulitzer Prize in 1973 for his drama play called That Championship Season that had 988 performances on Broadway.
Finally, in 1982, it was green-lit to be turned into a motion picture.
The best part is the acting. It's also nice to see the setting be shot on location in Scranton, Pennsylvania, giving it
an authentic look. Bruce Dern, Paul Sorvino, Stacy Keach, and Martin Sheen are equally outstanding. It's what I
call acting. But Robert Mitchum shines the most and may have turned in the best performance of his career. He's
the sole reason why That Championship Season is a special film.
The ending, especially when they listen to the play-by-play announcement of the title game in 1957, is brilliantly shot.
The characters may have been once state champions, but boy, do they have real-life problems. Their brotherhood is put to the
test by a violent night of ugly revelations.
All in all, That Championship Season is one of the most overlooked films of the 80's.