SincereFinest disgusting, overrated, pointless

Ceticultsot Beautiful, moving film.

IncaWelCar In truth, any opportunity to see the film on the big screen is welcome.

Ariella Broughton It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

BobbyT24 Underrated movie with a host of famous and near-famous actors/actresses playing "everyman" roles. Football, memories, mud and Robin Williams. OMG!!! This is one of those gems I watch every few years just because it makes me happy. Who hasn't had those moments of "What might have been...?" Ron Shelton's clever, funny and emotional screenplay was brought to life with a talented cast -- yet it failed at the box office. Of course it was competing at the theaters in 1986 when "Top Gun", "Crocodile Dundee", "Stand By Me", "Ferris Bueller", "Platoon", "Peggy Sue Got Married"... and other such classics were trouncing any other good movies. It didn't stand a chance - and has since been forgotten it seems. What a shame. This is a quality movie.Quick plot: Robin Williams is a high school nerd who dropped the pass that cost the tiny town their destiny win against their biggest rival. He can't forget it -- and neither can anyone else in town. Due to the loss, Robin and the town "quietly faded into lethargy" as he so eloquently states in the opening moments of the film. Ten years later, Robin has an epiphany to replay "the big game" with ALL the old players - from both teams - in hopes of overcoming the depression and pudgy pre-middle-age everyone in the town have seemingly slipped into over these many years. What transpires are the hits (and hilarious misses) of putting those lovable losers back together as a team and maybe reviving the dying town - and their marriages and friendships in the process.This is an excellent, very funny story about a brave little town forgotten by everyone except the eccentric inhabitants who can't forget the most bitter of endings at the stone hands of a "never-was". Robin Williams is perfect as the pompous-yet-lovable nerdy banker whose inner demons are the catalyst for such a classic re-imagining of their most famous game. Kurt Russell was breaking out of his Disneyesque golden boy image at the time of this movie (remember "Escape from New York"?), so his out-of-shape ex-All-World high school quarterback who has nothing but fading memories of his glory years persona is spot-on. Williams and Russell are comedic gold in this story. Add in all kinds of quirky, character actors and actresses filling the town and teams with an enjoyable experience of football in the mud and attempting to change one's destiny when everyone else has given up on you. I'm thankful to have seen this over and over again. It's just that much fun. :-)Re-watch this movie. It will be special again. And if you've never had an opportunity to watch it before, I envy you. This is funny, nostalgic, intelligent, athletic, and has just a touch of emotional journey that will not only put a smile on your face, but possibly a tear in your eye at the end. I. Love. This. Movie. 8 out of 10.

curtisjackson I love this movie, but the music at all the alumni gatherings is just stupid.The fateful game took place in 1972. That means that the protagonists graduated in 1972. But almost all of the music played at the dances etc. is from the 1950s and very early 1960s.Having just attended my 30th high school reunion, I can assure you that the last music to be played at a reunion or dance of former high school people is their parents' music.I understand the difficulty of finding relevant 1970s music -- we all know what a desolate time it was musically. But it wasn't completely bereft, and the producers of the film should have taken more care. I found those dance scenes very jarring to my otherwise willing suspension of disbelief in the rest of the film.This was a bad director and/or producer decision.

disdressed12 i had low hopes for this movie,having recently seen another so called football/comedy movie.this one wasn't bad however.there were some moments were i chuckled,and there is one dinner scene which is absolutely hysterical.Robin Williams is one of the stars,so you can expect some manic energy.the dialogue was okay for the most part,but there was one scene(the dinner scene again)where it rises above okay and into near brilliance Kurt Russel also turns in a good performance he and Robin Willinam work wheel off each other..there is a lot of character development in this film-almost too much,to the detriment of other aspects of the film.however the film does end up redeeming itself before the end.The basic premise is:Robin Willima plays Jack Dundee a small town man living in the past,specifiably 13years earlier.you see in 1972 Jack was thrown a pass which would have tied the football game with his town's arch rivals.instead Jack bobbles the catch,losing the game.he has been a laughingstock for the past 13 years.Kurt Russel is Reno Hightower,the quarterback who threw the pass, and still Jack's friend.in order to finally make peace with his demons,Jack convinces Reno and the whole town to replay the 1972 game against Bakersfield-with the same players.i won't reveal any more but you can probably figure out the rest.that is this movies biggest weakness-its predictability.but it manages to rise above it. 6*/10

Lee Eisenberg I guess that everyone has to make a comeback at some point. And that's exactly what embarrassed Taft resident Jack Dundee (Robin Williams) intends to do in "The Best of Times". Yep, the man who went all crazy with the radio in "Good Morning, Vietnam" is playing football. In this case, he seeks to replay a game that cost his high school a prestigious title. But ex-teammate Reno Hightower (Kurt Russell) isn't just going to go along with it so easily.Granted, it's not the best movie for either man. But Williams and Russell are actually a pretty good comedy team. And some of the names in this movie are likely to give you the giggles (to say the least). Check it out.