Taglines: Every dream team starts somewhere.
Champions movie storyline. After an incident that leads to him losing his job, an assistant basketball coach, Marcus Marakovich, is given a choice by a judge between serving time in prison or doing community service coaching a team of players with learning disabilities. Marcus initially struggles with coaching this new team, but as he gets to know the players personally, he comes to realize that they are more than just their skills on the court.
He also develops a casual sexual relationship with Johnny’s sister, Alex, but complications arise when Johnny becomes attached to Marcus and Alex becomes defensive. Marcus tries to secure a new coaching job with the help of his former assistant coach, but realizes that he has been manipulative and asks him to help with coaching The Friends instead.
The team faces challenges both on and off the court, but with Marcus’s guidance, they begin to improve and make it to the semi-finals. However, Marcus receives news that he has been hired by an NBA team, which causes tension with The Friends. As the team prepares for the Special Olympics finals in Winnipeg, Marcus tries to set up a play that will have Darius making the final shot, but his assistant coach warns him that it’s a bad idea. Marcus reevaluates his coaching approach and sets up a different play that leads to a crucial moment in the game.
Champions is a 2023 American sports comedy-drama film directed by Bobby Farrelly in his solo directorial debut, from a screenplay written by Mark Rizzo. It is an English-language remake of the 2018 Spanish film of the same name. The film stars Woody Harrelson as a temperamental minor-league basketball coach who after an arrest must coach a team of players with intellectual disabilities as community service; Kaitlin Olson, Ernie Hudson, and Cheech Marin also star. Champions was released in the United States on March 10, 2023, by Focus Features. The film received mixed reviews from critics and has grossed $18 million.
Champions (2023)
Directed by: Bobby Farrelly
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Kaitlin Olson, Matt Cook, Ernie Hudson. Cheech Marin, Mike Smith, Scott Van Pelt, Jalen Rose
Screenplay by: Mark Rizzo
Production Design by: Jean-Andre Carriere
Cinematography by: C. Kim Miles
Film Editing by: Julie Garcés
Costume Design by: Maria Livingstone
Set Decoration by: Sara McCudden
Art Direction by: Jon Van Winkle
Music by: Michael Franti
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for strong language and crude/sexual reference.
Distributed by: Focus Features (United States), Universal Pictures (International)
Release Date: March 10, 2023 (United States)
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