The Program (1993)

That was an excellent one.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

There is no movie that stereotypes and portrays college football players in a usual rhetoric way than "The Program". As a former college football player, I was offended by the way they showed the dumb jock mentality and put it onto film. The football coaching scenes were also terrible and totally unrealistic. Assistant coaches standing around talking about a potential Heisman Trophy winner and not teaching fundamentals? Terrible, terrible film.

That's the best way to describe 1993's "The Program" in as few words as possible. It's a realistic drama/sports film focusing on a handful of players and their stories as individuals and members of the ESU Timberwolves.I was well into the second half of the film when it dawned on me that I was into the characters' stories and had forgotten I was watching a movie, which is always a good sign. The characters include the quarterback (Craig Sheffer) who has to deal with the incredible pressure of his position and the fact that his Dad's an aloof drunkard who's given up on life; the linebacker who takes steroids to compete and starts to become a rage-oholic; the black dude from the ghetto who memorizes big words to appear smart; and more. For most of them, their lives and futures hinge on the game and so getting seriously injured can wipe out their very reason for existence. James Caan is notable as the coach.As for women, there's Halle Berry in her prime and Kristy Swanson, but their roles are too limited and there are essentially no other women to be found, except cheerleaders & students in the background.People who have played university football have pointed out that "The Program" is realistic in its depiction. It's a really good sports film for sure, but 1999's "Varsity Blues," which focuses on Texas high school football, edges it out. In fact, "Varsity Blues" ranks with my all-time favorite movies; it's got a more compelling story & characters, a funner vibe and better women. But both of them are must-see sports flicks.The film runs 112 minutes and was shot at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, and the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.GRADE: B+

i still liked it.i just felt that ...Nights had a stronger story,and i was more emotionally involved.i also found the characters mote compelling.for me the program dragged at times,when there were scenes not involving football.fortunately these scenes weren't very long,and there weren't a lot of them.of all the actors in the movie,i was most impressed with Kristy Swanson and Halle Berry,though bad had fairly small roles.the program was entertaining enough to keep watching,i just didn't think it was spectacular.is it worth buying?hard to say.but i do think it's certainly worth catching on premium cable or as rental.these are just my thoughts.my vote for the program:7/10

This is the best football movie ever made. It doesn't have all the clichés that normal football movies have where the starting quarterback gets the beautiful cheerleader and any certain game is won at the buzzer on some totally bizarre play. It's about the truth of what goes on in the college game. Sure, this stuff doesn't happen everywhere, but it certain frickin' happens. I'm talking about the steroids, the football players being allowed a free pass when it comes to academics, the fact that some people cannot even read but are able to go to college just to play a damn game.This movie shows it all. James Caan does a perfect job of playing the coach trying to keep it all together. Although he is corrupted just as much as his players, he had his own problems to worry about with losing his job so he had a big balancing act to perform. This movie was NOT about triumph, it's about tragedy and sacrifice that young men make just to be a top player in a sport which in the long run normally doesn't amount to anything.Great watch for you people who don't know much about the "behind the scenes" stuff and if you haven't seen this movie and are interested in college football, check it out. It's not necessarily a greatly acted movie, but it's a very telling movie which more people should pay attention to. 7 out of 10 in my book for what it's worth.