"In my book, we’re gonna be winners."
That famous line was delivered at the end of a speech by Gene Hackman's character Norman Dale in "Hoosiers." His Hickory Huskers went on to become winners on and off the court, with Dale leading his small-town Indiana high school basketball team to an unlikely state championship, and the movie becoming one of the greatest sports films of all time.
The 1986 movie is back in the spotlight Thursday following the news of Hackman's death at the age of 95.
Hackman starred as Dale, a man who was given a second chance at coaching after his first one ended after striking one of his players years earlier. He heads to Indiana as an outsider, his players initially hesitant to adapt to his hard-nosed ways. They ultimately embrace their new coach, going on to defeat big-city South Bend Central in the 1952 state championship game on Jimmy Chitwood's buzzer-beater.
Is Hoosiers the best sports movie of all time?
"Hoosiers" -- which was loosely based on the real-life story of Milan winning Indiana’s 1954 state title -- was ranked the top sports movie in a 2020 poll of 70 Associated Press sports writers and editors.
The film received 46 votes to edge out "Rocky" and "Bull Durham" -- which tied for second with 45 votes each.
The top 25 sports movies based on AP voting were...
Rolling Stone ranked "Hoosiers" as the No. 13 best sports movie in their 2020 ranking, in which "Hoop Dreams" claimed the top spot.
The Athletic placed "Hoosiers" at No. 15 on its list of the top 100 sports movies, with “Rocky” taking first.
On Rotten Tomatoes, "Hoosiers" is ranked as the No. 53 best sports movie with a certified fresh score of 91%.
"Hoosiers" did not win any Academy Awards -- unlike AP's runner-up "Rocky," which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1977.
It was nominated for two awards: Dennis Hopper for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, and Jerry Goldsmith for Best Music/Original Score. Hopper was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role.
How many Oscars did Gene Hackman have?
Hackman, over his decades-long acting career, was nominated for five Oscars, winning two. He took home the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 1972 for “The French Connection.” He won Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 1993 for "Unforgiven."
He also earned four Golden Globes, two British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) and one Screen Actors Guild Award before retiring from acting in 2004.
The only hardware that "Hoosiers" took home may have been the Indiana state championship trophy, but the movie and Hackman remain winners in my book.
