Fresh and Exciting

Did you people see the same film I saw?

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Trips Bunch. The Power I. The Cover 2. If you know what these terms mean, and understand their uses in football strategy, then you'll really enjoy watching David S. Ward's the Program. Ward also wrote and directed Major League, a great movie; however, with The Program, it is obvious how much his sports writing style has evolved.The movie traces one season of college football for a once dominant, but now struggling Division 1 powerhouse, the fictional ESU Timeberwolves. James Caan is hilarious and well-cast as the Head Coach on the hot seat, and it's really great watching him deal with serious issues both on and off the field. Craig Shaeffer does a solid job at both his role and the QB position. His character is like a young, much more tortured Steve Young: he can throw the long ball, he can buy time with his feet, and he can do it all while battling inner demons. Omar Epps (the Wood) is simply perfectly cast as Darnell Jefferson, the prototype freshman Tailback fighting for his spot on the 1st team (plus the beautiful Halle Berry plays his love interest).The movie is filled with hilariously awesome lines and performances, and is a classic among people who actually play football. While the editing work could be scrutinized among movie Nazis (the editing job when Kane and his girl are riding his motorcycle is questionable at times), the good far outweighs the bad. Namely, the in-helmet camera work really puts you on the field with them. Overall, David S. Ward does an excellent job of jumping from perspective to perspective, and it quickly builds into this chaotic, early 90s mosaic of Division 1 college football. And surprisingly, the issues explored in the film really resonate with the issues going on in today's sports (i.e. Steroids, Motorcycle death wishes).Listen, if you haven't seen this movie, and you love football, and are of mild intelligence, then you are either really young or really lucky that you missed it because I wish i could watch it again for the first time. However, if you have no appreciation for the game of football, you're better off going elsewhere. Football idealists, be warned as well. This movie is the anti-Rudy. It's the story of one school's fight for a bowl bid, and fighting for that bid at all costs.PS- My vote is very biased. I love to quote this movie with friends. I love to watch football on both Saturday and Sunday. I play fantasy football. I play Madden. I played Division 3 football in college. You have been warned.

I was just reading one of the user comments here that hailed this as "one of the best football movies of the 90's next to varsity blues" come one people, both of these movies are terrible and in no way depict what real football is like, but only rather what a stereotype by an ignorant person would think. I can see where people would find both of those movies to have some entertainment value, but as far as documenting of depicting the true nature of the sport for people, that is ridiculous. They only football movie that i can think of as being properly done in the 90's has been Rudy. Football, and sports in general is a lot more complex than guys running around getting drunk, beating woman, laying on train track and jumping harleys as depicted in the program. Terrible, terrible movie.

OK, so this movie isn't a big Academy Award winner. OK, so it doesn't rank up there with Brian's Song or is as flashy and symbolic as Any Given Sunday.Maybe it doesn't have the attitude of The Last Boy Scout or North Dallas Forty; it lacks the comic appeal of Necessary Roughness. But you know what it does have that all of those above-mentioned films lack, a connection to any person that has ever stepped out on that field and experienced the pressures and bliss that comes with the nitty gritty game of football. I remember seeing this movie in the sixth grade and having never been into football that much, I didn't expect a lot. Yet,I walked away in awe at the sheer excitement experienced from this movie. This was an instant classic and even years later in my high school football days, the players were still talking about it. It is one of the best and most realistic football movies made. It puts you in the mindset of a big play maker like Jefferson or a back-breaking linebacker like Alvin Mack. It also has its human side displaying the pressures of trying to live up to expectations and coping anyway you know how. In Joe's case it's through a bottle. Lattimer sees enhancement drugs as the only way out...the film just takes you down to their level. Better yet, it's a college experience that you haven't experienced yet, or are trying to remember (it goes so fast!). After viewing this movie so many times every year when the college ball season starts, or even back in the day before two-a-days began; I can't help but to get excited and giddy from viewing it. My tape has worn out and I now own the DVD, I just wish they would add the deleted scenes. The Program will always be on my top ten list and that's why I give it a great rating.

Well the only reason I saw this film is because Halle Berry was in it. The DVD is presented in widescreen format and offers no special features (unless you count English captions and a "keep case" special... let alone features!). "The Program" had a street-chicken scene removed because some child imitated the scene and got himself killed. So it was in the actual theatrical presentation for a little while, but was cut while still in theaters. The Program on DVD is little more than itself on VHS.Rated R for language and brief nudity (bare male backside), this film drama is not so deep and imaginative results lead to resolutions. The ESU backdrop is actually Duke University in South Carolina so their stadium is where the football action happens. The football is core to the film, but there are five players with short stories to tell on and off the field: The plight of the college athlete... Siskel and Ebert liked it though. Halle Berry, Andrew Byrniarski, and Duane Davis are the best things about this movie. Berry's figure is wasted in this movie, but she still delivers her part well as token love interest (such a nice, decent girl). Byrniarski and Davis have the most entertaining problems and dialogue respectively. Craig Sheffer as Joe Kane is the male lead not James Caan. Caan doesn't do much but play coach.My final thoughts are that Halle Berry should have been a smart and sassy gold digger who slapped someone (anyone will do), Byrniarski should have gone for the full monty, shower and locker scenes should have been visually R-rated too with better casting, Craig Sheffer isn't cute enough to be a quarterback, and the movie should have ended. Just how did the season end? I'd like to know. Other than that, "The Program" is an okay film, but I wouldn't recommend it.