#601 - Fred Murphy on Hoosiers

This week we’re excited to present a conversation with cinematographer Fred Murphy as he discusses Hoosiers. Hoosiers screened as part of our recently concluded retrospective celebrating the career of the late, great Gene Hackman. This conversation was moderated by FLC Senior Programmer Tyler WIlson. Few sports films land with the clarity, grit, and emotional lift of Hoosiers. Gene Hackman brings flinty, lived-in authority to Norman Dale, a disgraced coach seeking a second act in 1950s Indiana, where basketball is practically a religion. Directed with unflashy conviction by David Anspaugh and shot in real Hoosier gyms, this underdog story favors restraint over bombast, with Jerry Goldsmith’s elegiac score and a quietly shattering turn by Dennis Hopper as a washed-up assistant adding unexpected weight. At its core is one of Hackman’s most cherished performances—contained, weathered, and quietly magnetic—in a film that’s less about victory than the long, uncertain work of earning it.