Hoosiers (film)

Hoosiers
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDavid Anspaugh
Written byAngelo Pizzo
Produced by
  • Carter De Haven
  • Angelo Pizzo
Starring
CinematographyFred Murphy
Edited byCarroll Timothy O'Meara
Music byJerry Goldsmith
Production
companies
Distributed byOrion Pictures
Release date
  • November 14, 1986 (1986-11-14)
Running time
115 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$6 million
Box office$28.6 million

Hoosiers (released in some countries as Best Shot) is a 1986 American sports drama film written by Angelo Pizzo and directed by David Anspaugh in his feature directorial debut. It tells the story of a small-town Indiana high school basketball team and its journey to the state championship finals. It is inspired in part by the Milan High School team who won the 1954 state championship against Muncie Central High School.

Gene Hackman stars as Norman Dale, a new coach with a spotty past. The film co-stars Barbara Hershey and Dennis Hopper, whose role as the basketball-loving town drunk earned him an Academy Award nomination. Jerry Goldsmith was also nominated for an Academy Award for his score. In 2001, Hoosiers was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."