Tom Cruise's first leading role. He does very well considering the fact he's only 21. Chris Penn also delivers well. Others are so-so. Craig T. "The Coach" Nelson really couldn't avoid getting type-casted as the coach type after this. He plays the role so convincingly with his stern and authoritative appearance.
Apart from the setting in the grey steel worker town in the middle of nowhere, this movie has no strong story or issue. Its a standard 80's fare. Stefen is worried about his future in a sport that is dominated by big and often black men, while he himself is short and white. His brother loses his job and his teammate and best friend (Penn) makes a girl pregnant and has to give up his promising career. Meanwhile, young Stef goes face to face with the coach after an upsetting loss and is thrown out of the team. Upset and hurt, he does something stupid to retaliate and things get even worse between him and the coach. Not only that, but he worsens the relationship with his all so supportive girlfriend.
Save for the corny title song, the stupid locker room scene at the beginning and Cruise's grinning, this is a quite enjoyable film for those who like such teenage situation dramas. "Action dramas" as I'd call them. And things work out well in the end, as they always do. This is perhaps the first movie where Cruise showed potential as actor. His other movie of the same year was a total bomb, made only for money. This looks like something, but sometimes is hard to take seriously because of its teenage bubblegum nature. Still it could have been a lot worse.
Apart from the setting in the grey steel worker town in the middle of nowhere, this movie has no strong story or issue. Its a standard 80's fare. Stefen is worried about his future in a sport that is dominated by big and often black men, while he himself is short and white. His brother loses his job and his teammate and best friend (Penn) makes a girl pregnant and has to give up his promising career. Meanwhile, young Stef goes face to face with the coach after an upsetting loss and is thrown out of the team. Upset and hurt, he does something stupid to retaliate and things get even worse between him and the coach. Not only that, but he worsens the relationship with his all so supportive girlfriend.
Save for the corny title song, the stupid locker room scene at the beginning and Cruise's grinning, this is a quite enjoyable film for those who like such teenage situation dramas. "Action dramas" as I'd call them. And things work out well in the end, as they always do. This is perhaps the first movie where Cruise showed potential as actor. His other movie of the same year was a total bomb, made only for money. This looks like something, but sometimes is hard to take seriously because of its teenage bubblegum nature. Still it could have been a lot worse.