The Real Story Behind Hoosiers

Orion Pictures, Poster

I used to think that movies based on true stories were pretty much how they happened. I eventually learned that the real story probably can’t sustain 120 minutes of drama. An unfortunate fact of filmmaking, based on a true story now means I probably won’t go see it. So let’s look at Hoosiers to fix what the 1986 movie got wrong.

The Angelo Pizzo screenplay is a perfect storm of overcoming the odds in the disciplines of sports, romance and life. Norman Dale’s tough guy coaching style has long pushed the limits, and the Indiana town of Hickory represents Gene Hackman’s last leg. At the same time, middle age doesn’t hold out much hope of adding companionship to the coach’s empty life. Enter Barbara Hershey to cure his lonely heart, and the one person who sticks with Dale’s authoritarian lockdown of the basketball team.

Of course, the immovable object is soon met head on by the full force of the film’s dramatics license. Hickory's best player (Jimmy Chitwood) walks out on Dale’s overbearance, and a referendum pushes Hackman’s future to the edge. But Chitwood steps back, and his reversal sways the vote back.

Still, the tiny school yielding only an eight man roster, how can Hickory compete. Well, a simple matter of four passes before any shot attempt takes down all the giants, and Hollywood scores another winner.

Not so fast, according to Jeff Merron's article in ESPN, and we’ll start with the coach of the real school, Milan High. Marvin Wood did not assume command upon the previous coach’s death. Herman Grinstead was fired when he purchased new uniforms without the superintendent's permission, and in stepped the 26 year old Wood, who was married with two kids.

On the court and in line with the movie, there was dissent in regards to Wood’s new playbook, and it took time to win over the players. But there was no referendum scene with the star player (Bobby Plump) coming in to save his coach’s hide.

A look down the bench also saw more than two bench warmers and an Ollie. Of the 78 boys in the school, 53 tried out and Milan had a full complement of 10 players.

Still, Hickory faced a pretty tall order and knocking off Oscar Robertson’s Crispus Attucks High School in the semifinals deepens this David’s story. Interestingly, the Big O gets no mention in David Anspaugh’s film, but that’s not the only omission

Milan made it to the semifinals of the state tournament the year before so the team’s 1954 showing wasn’t such a surprise. The elevation of Hoosiers two biggest underdogs was also overblown.

In fact, Dennis Hopper's Oscar nominated performance as Shooter is full of hot air. Wood did not have an assistant coach, and the character never existed.

Our other challenge at the end of the bench did actually bear witness but kept his seat throughout. The team’s manager, Ollie's two made free throws to secure the semifinal victory was a clear bounce off the rim.

However, the closing seconds on the floor did follow in line with the movie. Plumb sinks the buzzer beater to complete the impossible dream, but the run up to the climax wasn’t quite so compelling.

Trailing 28-26 in the fourth quarter, Coach Wood minimized Dean Smith’s famed four corners to the max. For a full four minutes and 13 seconds Plumb stood his ground and held the ball.

His eventual shot did not connect. But Milan was able to pull even at 30, and got the ball back again with 1:18 remaining. Deja Vu, they stood down for another 60 seconds.

The ensuing timeout didn’t quite play out as the movie did either. The Hoosiers star was supposed to be the decoy on the picket fence, and we all knew that wouldn’t do. So the dismayed look on the team’s faces forces Hackman to rethink the X’s and O’s. “I’ll make it,” the hero assures on film.

In real life, though, the play was to Plumb all the way, and again, he delivers. Nonetheless, I’m sorry to bring the actual story home and ruin your good time.

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