1993 was a banner year for sports films. The inspiring story of Rudy, a walk-on college football player who eventually got to play at Notre Dame, was one. Another was The Program (Touchstone Pictures, 1993), a film that inspired mayhem. Here’s why.
The Program tells the story of the fictional Division I college football team, the Eastern State University (ESU) Timberwolves. The film’s tagline–Pressure surrounds them. Competition divides them. Talent unites them—a story of what it takes to survive.–describes the circumstances depicted in what has become a cult film. James Caan starred in the film as ESU’s head coach, Sam Winters, and Craig Scheffer played the role of the Heisman quarterback, Joe Kane.
The movie was controversial immediately upon its release. QB Kane lies between the yellow lane dividers on a busy highway, and drivers swerve to miss hitting him. Teammates look on in shock but then join him to test their manhood. The stunt makes national news, and as Joe reads about it in Sports Illustrated, he boasts to a teammate, “They’re talking about how good I am under pressure!”
The problem with the scene (besides its shock value) is that young men began imitating it in real life, and their stunts led to two injuries and one death–outcomes that caused a media frenzy and parental outrage. The studio responded by pulling the scene from the film. But as almost always happens with juicy footage, the deleted material found life beyond the cutting room floor. The scene reportedly persisted in home video versions released in Hong Kong (laserdisc) and Australia (DVD).
There is more to this largely forgotten film known chiefly for notorious footage. I found it to be a generally good sports film. Consider celebrating the 30th anniversary of its release by taking a look at The Program. Indeed, you can watch the movie in its entirety here, courtesy of Bala Murali on YouTube.
