Blue Chips

Infobox Film
name = Blue Chips


caption = Poster for "Blue Chips"
director = William Friedkin
producer = Ron Shelton
writer = Ron Shelton
starring = Nick Nolte
Shaquille O'Neal
music = Jeff Beck
Nile Rodgers
cinematography = Tom Priestly Jr.
editing = Robert K. Lambert
distributor = Paramount Pictures
released = February 18, 1994
runtime = 108 min.
country = flagicon|USA
language = English
budget = $9 million
gross = $22,355,000
imdb_id = 0109305

"Blue Chips" is a 1994 drama film about basketball, starring Nick Nolte as a college coach and real-life basketball stars Shaquille O'Neal, Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway and Matt Nover as talented finds.

It features cameos from Bobby Knight, Rick Pitino, Bob Cousy, Larry Bird, Jerry Tarkanian, Dick Vitale, Jim Boeheim, and Louis Gossett, Jr..

Plot

Pete Bell (Nick Nolte), a college basketball coach for fictional Western University Dolphins, is under a lot of pressure. His team isn't winning and he can't attract any new players. The stars of the future are secretly being paid by other teams. This practice is forbidden in the college game, but Pete is desperate and has pressures from all around after a losing season. Greedy "friend of the program", Happy (J.T. Walsh), will stop at nothing to get these star players. This includes giving a Lexus to Neon Bodeaux, and a house to Butch's mother. He also gives a tractor to Ricky's father as well as "bags of cash," just to sign these players up. He will even go as far as to buy one of them a nuclear surfboard, which makes him run to the cash machine. With Ed (Ed O'Neill) hard on the case, Pete continues to cover himself with dirty lies and money.

Pete soon realizes that one of his players shaved points in a game in one of the previous seasons, and is disgusted at what he and the rest of his team has become. Western University soon plays Indiana, the #1 team in the country, coached by Bobby Knight. After winning the game, Pete cannot go on with himself, for he cheated rather than winning outright. At a press conference, he confesses to the entire scandal, and resigns as head coach. It is later revealed that the Dolphins would be suspended from the NCAA tournament for three years. Pete later went on to coach at the high school level.

This movie was filmed in Frankfort, Indiana. Pete Bell appears to have the look, values, and temper of former Indiana University coach Bob Knight - especially in a scene where he kicks a basketball into the crowd out of anger.

Cast

*Nick Nolte as Coach Pete Bell
*Mary McDonnell as Jenny Bell
*J.T. Walsh as Happy
*Ed O'Neill as Ed
*Alfre Woodard as Lavada McRae
*Bob Cousy as Vic
*Matt Nover as Ricky Roe
*Shaquille O'Neal as Neon Bodeaux
*Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway as Butch McRae

External links

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