Fast Break (film)

Last updated

Fast Break
Fastbreak 1979 Film Poster (Small).jpg
Film poster by Jack Davis
Directed by Jack Smight
Screenplay by Sandor Stern
Story byMarc Kaplan
Produced by Stephen Friedman
Starring
Edited by Frank J. Urioste
Music by
Production
company
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date
  • February 23, 1979 (1979-02-23)(Los Angeles) [1]
Running time
107 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3 million-$3.5 million [2]

Fast Break is a 1979 American sports comedy film directed by Jack Smight and produced by Stephen Friedman. The film stars Gabe Kaplan as David Greene, Harold Sylvester as D.C. and Bernard King as Hustler. The film was Kaplan's big-screen debut, although he had made earlier appearances on television sitcoms and movies, and was one of the first film appearances of Laurence Fishburne.

Contents

This film also featured the hit song "With You I'm Born Again" by Billy Preston and Syreeta, which was released in November 1979 and peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The duo also recorded the film's theme song, "Go for It", released as a single in April of the same year. The film's soundtrack was released by Motown Records.

Smight called it "a very funny and profitable film." [3]

Plot

David Greene is a basketball fanatic living in Brooklyn, New York, who alternates his time between playing in neighborhood pickup basketball games and managing a delicatessen. Formerly a junior high-school coach, he dreams of making his living coaching basketball. He has sent numerous letters to colleges in the hope of fulfilling that dream—much to the chagrin of his long-suffering wife Jan, who wants only to buy a home and start a family.

Just when David thinks his dream will forever elude him, he is offered a dubious job coaching the men's basketball team at Cadwallader University, a fictional Nevada college. The job only pays $60 for each win, but David is promised a lucrative contract if he can lead Cadwallader to victory over Nevada State (one of the top 10 teams in the country). David accepts the job but is unable to convince his wife to join him in his cross-country quest, and David's marriage is therefore threatened as he pursues his dream.

David begins building his team with his friend Hustler, a talented baller and pool ace whose own fortunes turn sour when his "pigeons" realize they have been sharked. David and Hustler recruit Preacher, who also has good reason to escape his situation, as there is a contract out on him for having impregnated a powerful cult leader's 15-year-old daughter. Next, David and Hustler ferret out Hustler's acquaintance D.C., whom David recognizes as a former high-school star who has traded his chance at basketball glory to run numbers. Finally, David and Hustler visit Swish, a female finesse player with a great jump shot. David convinces the androgynous Swish to pose as a male in order to play on the team.

David and his newly formed quartet head west and immediately set about finding a suitable fifth man among the shallow talent pool of Cadwallader athletes. He settles on Sam Newton, nicknamed "Bull", who makes up in lane-clearing muscle what he lacks in basketball skills. Despite the team's cultural differences, David develops Cadwallader into a contender. The team ultimately catches the eye of Bo Winnegar, head coach of the elite team David must beat in order to make his coaching job a viable proposition. David must find a way to get Winnegar to agree to a game, which, as team manager Howard puts it, will be "like getting the Ohio State Buckeyes to play football with Radcliffe." Nevertheless, after the resourceful coach learns that Bo enjoys billiards, he enlists Hustler to set up a sting operation that forces Bo to agree to the game.

As the impossible matchup becomes a reality, David's team faces even bigger challenges. A hitman has tailed Preacher to Nevada, leaving Preacher to fear for his life as he takes the court. Just prior to tipoff, David makes a deal with a police officer to allow D.C. to play in the big game before answering to the law for his illegal activities. During the game, David's wife and mother show up to share in the realization of his lifelong dream.

Cast

Production

Prior to the shooting, the fictional Cadwallader team practiced for two weeks with UCLA assistant coach Jim Harrick, who was credited in the film as a technical advisor. [2] Basketball court scenes were shot at Claremont Men's College in Claremont, California. [2]

Promotion

Columbia Pictures employed an unusual strategy to promote the film by sending out a press release that gave the impression that Cadwallader was a real university (complete with phone number and return address in Bunkerville, Nevada) that was presenting honorary degrees to, among others, Vice President Walter Mondale, singer Dolly Parton ("for her leadership in behalf of women's rights") and businessman Henry Ford II. [4] Only after journalists and state officials began inquiring about the legitimacy of the university (and prospective students phoned to inquire about applications) did Columbia admit to the hoax. [2] [4]

Reception

The film did well at the box office, grossing about $9.5 million in domestic rentals in its first six months of release against a budget of no more than 3.5 million. [2]

Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote of the film, "Though it's a nice movie, it's as instantly disposable as junk mail." [5] Roger Ebert gave the film 2 stars out of 4 and wrote, "We've seen this formula so often that 'Fast Break' is almost like a rerun." [6] Variety wrote, "'Fast Break' appears to be a telefilm that has wandered into the wrong arena. Likable in a rather harmless fashion, the Columbia Pictures release seems certain to turn up on the tube soon, after quickly exhausting the potential of major markets where its basketball theme could click." [7] Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave the film 2.5 stars out of 4 and called it "something between a movie and a television show. It's like six segments of a weekly sitcom. That doesn't make it bad — it has some funny moments — but this is hardly the sort of material that justifies a hefty first-run ticket price." [8] Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "'Fast Break' is what they used to call a nice little picture, and Hollywood now usually makes them for television instead. It's literally fast, straightforward, [and] uncommonly well acted by a fresh and attractive cast." [9] Gary Arnold of The Washington Post wrote, "'Fast Break,' a negligible but marginally entertaining sports comedy about a rags-to-riches college basketball team, is the sort of attraction that used to fill the bottom half of double bills. When it's over, you don't feel disappointed, but you're still waiting for the main feature to begin." [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Starting Over</i> (1979 film) 1979 film by Alan J. Pakula

Starting Over is a 1979 American comedy-drama film based on Dan Wakefield's 1973 novel, written and produced by James L. Brooks, and directed by Alan J. Pakula. Starring Burt Reynolds, Jill Clayburgh, and Candice Bergen, it follows a recently divorced man who is torn between his new girlfriend and his ex-wife.

<i>Hoop Dreams</i> 1994 American documentary film

Hoop Dreams is a 1994 American documentary film directed by Steve James, and produced by Frederick Marx, James, and Peter Gilbert, with Kartemquin Films. It follows the story of two African-American high school students, William Gates and Arthur Agee, in Chicago and their dream of becoming professional basketball players.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gene Siskel</span> American film critic (1946–1999)

Eugene Kal Siskel was an American film critic and journalist for the Chicago Tribune who co-hosted a movie review television series alongside colleague Roger Ebert.

<i>Quintet</i> (film) 1979 film by Robert Altman

Quintet is a 1979 American post-apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Robert Altman. It stars Paul Newman, Brigitte Fossey, Bibi Andersson, Fernando Rey, Vittorio Gassman and Nina Van Pallandt.

<i>Day for Night</i> (film) 1973 film by François Truffaut

Day for Night is a 1973 romantic comedy-drama film co-written and directed by François Truffaut. The metafictional and self-reflexive film chronicles the troubled production of a melodrama, and the various personal and professional challenges of the cast and crew. It stars Jacqueline Bisset, Valentina Cortese, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Dani, Alexandra Stewart, Jean-Pierre Léaud and Truffaut himself.

Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, collectively known as Siskel & Ebert, were American film critics known for their partnership on television lasting from 1975 to Siskel's death in 1999.

<i>Real Life</i> (1979 film) 1979 film

Real Life is a 1979 American comedy film starring Albert Brooks, who also co-authored the screenplay alongside Monica Johnson and Harry Shearer. It is a spoof of the 1973 reality television program An American Family and portrays a documentary filmmaker named Albert Brooks who attempts to live with and film a dysfunctional family for one full year.

<i>Stroszek</i> 1977 film by Werner Herzog

Stroszek is a 1977 West German tragicomedy film directed by Werner Herzog and starring Bruno S., Eva Mattes, and Clemens Scheitz. Written specifically for Bruno S., the film was shot in Plainfield, Wisconsin, and North Carolina. Most of the lead roles are played by inexperienced actors.

<i>Hardly Working</i> 1980 film by Jerry Lewis

Hardly Working is a 1980 American comedy film directed by, co-written by and starring Jerry Lewis and Susan Oliver, filmed in 1979, released in Europe in 1980 and then in the United States on April 3, 1981 through 20th Century Fox. This film marks the final theatrical release for Oliver, as the rest of her career only featured on several television movies and series, before her death in 1990.

<i>Johnny Got His Gun</i> (film) 1971 American film by Dalton Trumbo

Johnny Got His Gun is a 1971 American independent anti-war film written and directed by Dalton Trumbo. Based on his own novel of the same name, it was Trumbo's first and only directorial effort. The film stars Timothy Bottoms, Kathy Fields, Marsha Hunt, Jason Robards, Donald Sutherland, and Diane Varsi.

<i>The Hustler</i> 1961 gambling film by Robert Rossen

The Hustler is a 1961 sports drama film, directed by Robert Rossen. It tells the story of small-time pool hustler "Fast Eddie" Felson, who challenges legendary pool player "Minnesota Fats".

<i>The Iceman Cometh</i> (1973 film) 1973 film by John Frankenheimer

The Iceman Cometh is a 1973 American drama film directed by John Frankenheimer. The screenplay, written by Thomas Quinn Curtiss, is based on Eugene O'Neill's 1946 play of the same name. The film was produced by Ely Landau for the American Film Theatre, which from 1973 to 1975 presented thirteen film adaptations of noted plays.

One on One is a 1977 American sports drama film starring Robby Benson and Annette O'Toole. It was written by Benson and his father Jerry Segal. It was directed by Lamont Johnson and features a soundtrack performed by Seals and Crofts.

<i>Staircase</i> (film) 1969 British film by Stanley Donen

Staircase is a 1969 British comedy-drama film directed by Stanley Donen and starring Richard Burton and Rex Harrison. The screenplay was by Charles Dyer, adapted from his 1966 play of the same name.

<i>Childs Play</i> (1972 film) 1972 film by Sidney Lumet

Child's Play is a 1972 American drama-mystery film directed by Sidney Lumet. It stars James Mason, Robert Preston and Beau Bridges. The screenplay by Leon Prochnik is based on the 1970 play of the same title by Robert Marasco.

<i>Drive, He Said</i> 1971 film by Jack Nicholson

Drive, He Said is a 1971 American independent film directed by Jack Nicholson, in his directorial debut, and starring William Tepper, Karen Black, Bruce Dern, Robert Towne and Henry Jaglom. Based on the 1964 novel of the same name by Jeremy Larner, the film follows a disenchanted college basketball player who is having an affair with a professor's wife, as well as dealing with his counterculture roommate's preoccupation with avoiding the draft in the Vietnam War. The film features supporting performances by David Ogden Stiers, Cindy Williams, and Michael Warren. The screenplay was adapted by Larner and Nicholson, and included uncredited contributions from Terrence Malick.

<i>The Sluggers Wife</i> 1985 film by Hal Ashby

The Slugger's Wife is a 1985 romantic comedy film about a baseball star who falls for a singer. Written by Neil Simon, directed by Hal Ashby and produced by Ray Stark, the film stars Michael O'Keefe, Rebecca De Mornay, and Randy Quaid. It was distributed by Columbia Pictures and released on March 29, 1985.

<i>Funny About Love</i> 1990 American romantic comedy film

Funny About Love is a 1990 American romantic comedy film directed by Leonard Nimoy and starring Gene Wilder in his first romantic lead along with Christine Lahti and Mary Stuart Masterson. With a screenplay by Norman Steinberg and David Frankel, the film is based on the article "Convention of the Love Goddesses" in Esquire Magazine by Bob Greene. The film was a critical and commercial failure.

<i>Boulevard Nights</i> 1979 film directed by Michael Pressman

Boulevard Nights is a 1979 American neo noir hood film and crime film directed by Michael Pressman.

<i>The Good Guys and the Bad Guys</i> 1969 film by Burt Kennedy

The Good Guys and the Bad Guys is a 1969 American comedy Western film directed by Burt Kennedy. It stars Robert Mitchum and George Kennedy.

References

  1. ↑ "Fast Break - Details". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . American Film Institute . Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Fast Break - History". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . American Film Institute . Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  3. ↑ Myers, JP (March 8, 2018). "This is the story of Director Jack Smight's life in entertainment written by himself". Medium. Archived from the original on November 26, 2019. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  4. 1 2 Harmetz, Aljean (January 18, 1979). "Fictional College Gives Publicity Men a Lesson". The New York Times . C18.
  5. ↑ Canby, Vincent (March 11, 1979). "Sally Field's 'Norma Rae' Is A Triumph". The New York Times . D24.
  6. ↑ Ebert, Roger (February 26, 1979). "Fast Break". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Film Reviews: Fast Break". Variety . February 21, 1979. 20.
  8. ↑ Siskel, Gene (March 1, 1979). "'Break': Part 'Slap Shot,' part 'Rocky,' but not all 'Bad News'". Chicago Tribune . Section 5, p. 7.
  9. ↑ Champlin, Charles (February 23, 1979). "Action in the Fast Break Lane". Los Angeles Times . Part IV, p. 1.
  10. ↑ Arnold, Gary (March 8, 1979). "'Fast Break': Sports Comedy That Misses the Hoop". The Washington Post . C13.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.