Letter to the Editor: Thanks to Capitol II for bringing back ‘Hoosiers’

Just wanted to take this opportunity to thank Dawn Bleeker for honoring the recently deceased actor Gene Hackman by booking his popular 1986 film “Hoosiers” at the Capitol II. Hackman was without a doubt one of our best working leading men of the 1970s and ‘80s, and his versatility was evident in the variety of parts he played for some of Hollywood’s best directors. His role here as an older basketball coach with a checkered past shoots right from the hip and is light years away from his Oscar-winning roles in 1971′s “The French Connection” for director William Friedkin, and a noticeable change of direction as a sheriff in Clint Eastwood’s 1992 Western “Unforgiven.” But “Hoosiers” is more than Hackman’s talent; he is supported by a stirling cast including Barbara Hershey (“Beaches”) in one of her best roles, Dennis Hopper (“Rebel Without a Cause,” “Easy Rider”) as the alcoholic father of one of Hackman’s high-school team members (he won and deserved an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor), and Sheb Wooley as the principal of the small school in Hickory, Indiana, where the action takes place. David Anspaugh’s direction (his first film) is professional and solid, and the script by Angelo Pizzo is poignant and realistic, featuring great character development. Jerry Goldsmith’s moving score also earned an Oscar nomination, and Fred Murphy’s fast and clean cinematography is focused and dramatic. Lastly, it should be noted that the eight young men comprising the Hickory basketball team were all amateurs at the time “Hoosiers” was made, and were chosen primarily for their real-life skill as players. Many of them never made another film..

Newton’s film fans should be commended for supporting an “old” film, especially considering “Hoosiers” is arguably one of the top-ten American films of all time with a sports theme. Dawn Bleeker deserves a round of applause for resurrecting a great movie that has resonated with viewers for several decades now. Keep up the fine work, Miss Dawn!

Barry Hurto

Newton