ONE ON ONE
US, 1977, 97 minutes, Colour.
Robbie Benson, Annette O'Toole, G.D. Spradlin, Gail Strickland.
Directed by Lamont Johnson.
One On One is a pleasing sports basketball film in the optimistic vein of Rocky (with a dash of Slapshot expose). Does this indicate that we have passed the era of the individual being trapped against bucking a despotic establishment? Robbie Benson - a growing star (Billy Joe, Jeremy, etc.) despite his Jerry Lewis voice - has co-written the screenplay and enters into the role of the naive short player who discovers himself study, love and who voices the exhilaration of sporting achievement and a commonsensed approach which rightly challenges the gross commercialization, sporting scholarships and manipulation.
1. The significance of the title, the reference to basketball, technical jargon, the fight and challenge of the one on one tactic? Realism, a symbol for Henry Steele's encounter with basketball, the coach, life?
2. How successful a sports film: the exhilaration and joy of sport, athletics, competitiveness? The manipulation behind sport, commercialism? The pros and cons of competitive and commercial sport in America? How satisfying for basketball fans in the atmosphere of gains, training, ethos? How valuable for non-basketball fans: interest in the characters and the games, the human side, the critique?
3. The film as a piece of Americana? Modern young Americans, middle Americans, education and universities, sport, commercialism, heroes? The importance of the initial Colorado locations, Texas, California? The background of California and the West compared with middle America? The detailed portrayal of homes, the roads, sport, colleges, the Los Angeles scene? The modern look of the film? The good and bad in modern America?
4. The importance of the songs and the lyrics and the places used throughout the film for pointing character, themes? Music, colour? The effect for the world sport and the world of the young man involved in sport?
5. Response to the prologue, Henry as a boy and his basketball skill, his father and his attitude, the American dream of success? The transition to Henry growing up, his school career, his sportsmanship at school, his skill and indication of potential, the coach and the local authorities watching him, the applause and the calling of his name? The beginning of a success story? How realistically treated, sympathetically, ironically?
6. Robbie Benson's portrayal of Henry Steele and the significance of his co writing the screenplay? His interpretation of the character that he helped to write? His particular style, physique, shortness, voice, naivete? An ordinary boy at school, a good young man, his good family? His naivete and yet his shrewdness about the contract? His decision to abide by the contract and sign it? The importance of his leaving home, driving across America? His naivete in his encounter with the hitchhiker, his kindness, his being robbed, the girl screaming "rape" and his reaction? His optimism in entering the university, his expectations, his friendly approach to the coach and his learning the businesslike side of things? The secretary and her reaction to him, the nymphomaniac aspects of her character? His initial encounter with the tutor and her spurning of him? Ringing up and making the appointment etc.? His meeting of his fellow trainees, the training sequences, the ridiculing of the sport jocks? The build-up of his hopes, the schemes as regards money, easy jobs, selling tickets to rich benefactors? How well did he cope with the introduction to this world?
7. The importance of these sports sequences, and the detailed training, the cinema styles and techniques for helping the audience realise the strenuous nature of the training? In the light of the critique of militarism offered by the tutor and her psychology boy-friend? The games? The good and bad of this kind of sports training? The hopes?
8. The comparison of study with sport? His having little idea of study, his being ridiculed, the questions about Moby Dick and his actually reading the book, talking, learning? The effect on him and the difference between him and the other jocks?
9. The important presence of the coach: his stern presence at the initial game, his quick dealing with the contract, his aloofness back in Los Angeles, the pressures that he exerted on the trainees, his philosophy of pride and orders, his intense watching, his power over the men? A good delineation of the character of this coach, of this type of coach? The inevitability of a clash between himself and Henry?
10. Audience interest in and response to the particularly American side of commercial sport: the nature of the scholarships, entry into the university, opportunities? The men and the four-year contract? Jocks and their reputation? The elaborate sports department and the rigging of academic exams etc.? The tickets and the jobs? The pressure eventually on Henry to announce his scholarship? The motivations for Henry to defy the coach. the repercussions in losing his job, selling of the tickets, the effect on his study.. the need for continuous work?
11. The coach and the psychology that he used on Henry. his ridiculing him forcing him to runs. bullied? Arranging the one on one and the physical hurt? The irony of Henry's use of the one on one challenge to the coach in the corridor? The importance of Henry's persisting his success in study his defiance of the coach in the final game and succeeding? What had he achieved?
12. The tutor and the tutoring the encounter with her psychologist boy friend and the ridicule? The gradual helping him and change of attitude? Her defending him. the bond between them. the lyrical picnic sequence? The tuition. the jobs? His moving in with her? The light touch and the humour of the phone call to his parents? Her moving from not understanding to sharing with him and the joy of his success? How genuine a bond? The background of family pressures, expectations, the mock phone call and all that it revealed about him?
13. The university background: the room-mate and his attitudes, the fact that he was so green. the parties and drug and sex. driving the secretary home and her pitch for him, meeting with the police? The fact that he stayed naive and unsophisticated in this background?
14. what were the basic tenets of his philosophy of life? What did they prove? His winning? The importance of the final visuals as he and the girl friend played simply with the children? A valuable film for younger audiences? Parents?
