Hoosiers

Hoosiers (1986) plays even faster and looser with history, though it doesn’t claim to be telling a true story, even if its sentimental, often-exhilarating tale of the David versus Goliath success of a small-town Indiana high-school team mirrors the “Milan Miracle,” in which the team…

…the 1980s include Reds (1981), Hoosiers (1986), and No Way Out (1987), and he was once again nominated for a best actor Oscar for his performance in Mississippi Burning (1988). He won the Academy Award for best supporting actor for his portrayal of Little Bill Daggett in Clint Eastwood’s revisionist…

…sadistic Frank Booth and in Hoosiers as the alcoholic assistant coach of a small-town basketball team; the latter performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor. Later work included turns as the villain in Speed (1994) and a poet in Elegy (2008).