THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON

US, 1982, 104 minutes, Colour.
Robert Mitchum, Stacy Keach, Bruce Dern, Jason Miller, Paul Sorvino, Martin Sheen.
Directed by Jason Miller.

That Championship Season was based on a play by Jason Miller. Miller has now directed this film as well as adapting his play for the screen. He also plays one of the central roles. One of the difficulties with the film is that it still seems fairly stagy in its presentation. However, with the emphasis on dialogue, the dialogue revealing strong characters and interactions as well as the opening up of the truth about their personalities, it remains an interesting film.

The situation is that four friends who played in a basketball team gather for a reunion with their coach. The coach is played by Robert Mitchum. The four men are Bruce Dern, Stacy Keach, Martin Sheen and Paul Sorvino. As they discuss, unpleasant aspects of their live emerge, their shortcomings since the great championship season of decades earlier. However, as with films and plays like Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, after getting at each other, there is the possibility for some kind of mutual understanding and reconciliation.

The film was in competition at the Berlin film festival in 1983 with Bruce Dern winning the best actor award.

Jason Miller was both playwright and actor, probably best known for his performance as one of the exorcists in the original Exorcist film.

The film was readapted and remade for television in 1999. It was directed by Paul Sorvino who played the coach after playing one of the characters at the reunion in the 1983 version.

1. Interest in the themes, performance? Entertainment value? Cinema version of a play? The blend of acting quality, themes, allegory on American society?

2. The importance of the play? Its theatrical impact and reputation? The work of Jason Miller: his writing the screenplay, directing the film, opening up his play? The closed effect of the main bulk of the play, its being confined in the one house, the reliance on talk and interaction? The atmosphere of realism created by the film's style contrasting with the contrivance of the dialogue? The credibility of the themes, of the characters, of their interactions, of their swift emotional changes? The emotional response to the film; intellectual response?

3. Production values: colour photography, the use of Scranton, Pennsylvania, the ensemble cast and their work together, musical score?

4. The focus on sport and memories? The importance of success, champions? How true were the events of 1957, how much enhanced by memory and longing? The importance of the absentee member of the team - absent for 24 years? The explanations for his absence and his reaction against the methods to achieve the championship? The coach and his control, the principles he mouthed, his quotations, tactics, the importance of winning, the ever-present trophy? The use of the ethos of competitive sport?

5. Sport and the American way of life, competitiveness, winning at all costs? The championship season being a symbol for later careers? Fulfilment, failure? The critique of that championship season and the use of the season in favour of change of perspective and move towards further success in middle age?

6. American politics? The flamboyant style? The razzamatazz of rallies, the crowds (and place for the elderly), the speeches and the rhetoric, the emotional response, the focus on love and relationship with people rather than issues? Political support and campaigning? The symbol and humour of the elephant - for the people, old and dying? The irony of the council meeting and discussion about the elephant? The squabbles, the burial - and the irony of Phil's strategy, its being filmed for television, the collapse and the missing of the hole? The irony of the Republican elephant symbol and the way that it was used - a dying animal?

7. The presentation of campaigns: the truth versus show, issues versus personality, charisma and personalities? The Mayor and his dreams for success and hopes for Scranton? The contrast with the realities of the situation? The focus on the advertisements - and the Mayor studying how his eyes should look, etc.? The contrast with his younger competitor? Image, people's need for change, business influence, turnover of money, campaign funds, management and strategies, slogans, television interviews etc.? The play originally produced in President Nixon's era?

8. Attitudes and appearances: smiles, lies? The prejudicial racial remarks of the Mayor? Power, prestige, winning at all costs?

9. The dramatic convention of the reunion, the happy fellowship, the interaction, the gradual dropping of masks, truth being told, hurts, crises, the purging of the characters - pessimistically, optimistically? The use of the conventions of the reunion: the way the truth was told, the reactions of the characters learning the truth, the experience of pain? 24 years, the operation of the coach, the atmosphere of the campaign, Tom's arrival, the party? The purging and the possibilities for the future?

10. The opening out of the play for the arrival of Tom: Phil and his car at the railway station, his warm greeting, the passing of the closed down and depressed buildings, the meeting with Jamie, the communicating the spirit of the reunion?

11. The importance of the sequence of James at school, his hard attitudes towards the coach and having his lesson plans on his desk, the reaction of the coach? Indication of James' frustrations at the school and highlighting his ambitions?

12. Robert Mitchum's patriarchal style as the coach: the background of the operation, the men coming to meet him, his enjoyment of their visit, illustrating his fitness, walking and talking, the final run, the party and the initial enthusiasm, the good fellowship and drinks, the build-up of memories, the atmosphere of the gymnasium - and the sudden collapse as an own for what was to follow?

13. The film closing in with the return to the coach's home: the drama of interaction, the reliance on verbal communication, the use of the various rooms in the house, the swiftly changing moods? The continued drinking, the burnt meal, each of the characters being summoned by the coach and talking to him individually etc.?

14. The role of the coach: the old style patriarch, his being a bit out of date - his not knowing technical sex language? His knowing each of the characters, his ability to praise their achievement. his belief in them, his memory of them from the championship season and his continued faith over almost quarter of a century? The continued slogans, quotes? Talking about politics and life in terms of sport tactics? Always applying the tactics to the situation? The accuracy of his understanding, his control of each of the men, his manipulating them? Their using him as a father confessor - with specific reference to absolution? His helping them to cope with the crisis individually and politically? The importance of Tom confronting him and telling the truth? The importance of the absentee player and his non-communication with them? The challenge to the playing God-seeming role of the coach? The coach's final winning and getting his team together for a new championship season, politically?

15. Bruce Dern's style as the Mayor: talk, smiles, surface push, boyishness? Man of the world yet naive. racially prejudiced? Concerned about himself? His reaction to his wife's affair - and the hurt to himself? His being reassured by phone that she did it only for the campaign money -and his forgiveness? His concern about the campaign, the show with the elephant, the boyish council meetings? His studying his advertisements in the street? The build-up to the reunion? His taking for granted his friendships with James, Tom,, Phil? His reactions to the coach and his obedience to him? His grief, pain, tears? Anger and ability and inability to cope? His reaction to James' self-assertion about standing for Mayor? The effect of the truth being told to him? Reconciliations? What effect would it have on him personally? As a man, politician. dreamer? Short and long range effects?

16. Stacy Keach's style as James: support for the Mayor. his work in the school his harshness. his self-proclaimed faith in his own talent and wanting to get out of education? The intellectual - but deceiving himself? Hopes, loyalties? His frustration leading to gossip and indiscreet telling of the truth? His love for Tom yet his disgust with him? His reaction to Phil and the affair - and using it as a weapon against Phil and against the Mayor? His decision to stand as candidate? His telling people the truth, then backtracking and challenging them? Phil despising him and vice versa? The crisis, his seeming to be edged out of everything, the build-up and his becoming manager again? A perennially frustrated man?

17. Martin Sheen's performance as Tom: his being away, wandering, his growing alcoholism, weakness, cynical remarks? The welcome- home and his response to affection? His further drinking and telling the truth? Hurting people? His ability to hear the truth and comment on it - Phil and the cocaine? His confrontation with the coach, trying to tell him the truth, being turned out? The inevitable being drawn back and the reconciliation? His acknowledgement of the truth about himself - and the possibility of his wounds being healed?

18. Phil and Paul Sorvino’s screen presence, style? The big man, jovial, talk, smooth operator, the eminently successful businessman, wealthy? His coming in with the solutions and a laugh? Getting rid of the elephant - but failing? Italian background, emotionalism? The warm greeting for Tom? The sudden revelation by James about the affair - his reaction? His explanation? His story of how it happened - and the truth about the Mayor's wife and the money? His liking people and disliking them? His sensuality, emphasis on sex, language, the cocaine? A political wheeler-dealer and his confidence about winning? His flirting with the alternated candidate? New deals, transfer of money? The coach's severity with him and his being persuaded to support the Mayor? His perennial changeability?

19. The final part of the drama with the rapid changes of emotion, insight? Issues, truth? Audience emotional response to the experience? Intellectual response? The final photo and the possibilities of healing and future success?

20. Themes of middle age, adult men acting like adolescents, failures in growing up? The cherishing of the past, the covering up of the truth, the brittle revelations of the truth? The need for purging and healing - and the significance of the final photo?