Blue Chips

Director: William Friedkin (1994)

Cast: Nick Nolte, Shaquille O'Neal, Penny Hardaway

If you are a serious movie buff, you should take Blue Chips seriously. This film was directed by William Friedkin, who ALSO directed The Exorcist years earlier. Friedkin masterfully takes on the college basketball world with this must see film.

This was a film that on paper should  be a no brainer for sports fans. Directed by William Friedkin, a script written by Ron Shelton and and a cast led by Nick Nolte, Mary McDonnell and NBA legend Bob Cousy and up and coming Basketball stars Shaquille O'Neal, Penny Hardaway, Anthony C.Hall and Marques Johnnson as well well-known college coaches like Bobby Knight Rick Pitino, George Raveling, Jerry Tarkanian and even a quick cameo by Larry Bird.

Fun Fact:  Nick Nolte shadowed coach Bobby Knight during Indiana's 1992 season to prepare for this role. He was in attendance for Indiana's '92 senior night.

This is a very good film put together by a very good writer and a very good director, but audiences would rather prefer more akin to a more upbeat film like the high school basketball movie "Hoosiers" that came along  more 15 years later.