‘I can’t do this. I can’t win like this…’
William Friedkin is responsible for some of the most daring, transgressive and unique cinema ever created. As the director of films such as The Exorcist, Sorcerer and Cruising, the Chicago filmmaker has never been afraid to push boundaries. More than that, he is renowned for his don’t-give-a-fuck attitude (as Al Pacino can attest to), which has undoubtedly bled into his work. I say all this to point out what an odd choice Friedkin is to direct a straightforward, feel-good sports movie. And yet, here we are…
I don’t know much about basketball, so apologies for the rudimentary plot description. Pete Bell (Nick Nolte) is a renowned university basketball coach who finds himself backed into a corner due to his team’s poor performance. Under pressure from “Happy” Kuykendahl (J.T. Walsh), a school booster, Bell reluctantly agrees to provide improper financial incentives to recruits. One of these recruits is played by Shaquille O’Neal in a much derided performance that I actually found quite charming.
The combination of Friedkin’s assured direction and a genuinely affecting performance from Nolte drags Blue Chips out of mediocrity and into something approaching success. I enjoyed Walsh’s slimy performance and the film’s unconventional conclusion helps it stand out in a crowded field, but there isn’t quite enough here to propel Friedkin’s labour of love into the sports movie hall of fame.
Blue Chips is a thoroughly watchable sports movie that ranks nowhere near Friedkin’s best work but is still quite lovely in places. It also has a surprisingly excellent soundtrack. Nothing but net.
