The Best of Times

1986 "A comedy about life, hope, and getting even."
6| 1h44m| PG-13| en| More Info
Released: 31 January 1986 Released
Producted By: Universal Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

A small-town loser determines to have one more shot at the big time by winning a football game.

... View More
Stream Online

Stream with Prime Video

Director

Producted By

Universal Pictures

AD
AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

Stream on any device, 30-day free trial Watch Now

Trailers & Images

Reviews

Lucybespro It is a performances centric movie
Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
Fatma Suarez The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful
Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
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.
TKDLion8 This is one of my dad's all time favorite comedies. As a child when I watched it for the first time I didn't think it was anything special. I found the 80's clothes and things to be a bit off-putting. But as I watched it a second and third time I got a few more of the jokes each time and now I think that it is absolutely hilarious. I crack up every time I watch it even though I watch it every year.I can relate to Robin Williams character because I (like most people) have made mistakes that haunted me for years. I can also relate to Kurt Russell's character because I have also had the experience of not wanting to risk tarnishing my reputation for being good at something.
Mccadoo This is one of my all time favorite movies and every once in awhile, when the world has punched me around a little too much, I get it out and watch it and things seem better.It's a funny, sentimental look at life and the mistakes we wish we could undo. It has unforgettable characters and some of the best quotes in any movie, ever.In my opinion this has always been one of Kurt Russell's and Robin William's best movies, and their best characters.If you're looking for a fun, well done movie to make you feel good then check it out, I think you'll end up watching it over and over again. And if you're like me, you'll wonder why everyone else doesn't know about it.
cshep For all of the Has-Beens or Never Was's or for the curious, this film is for you....Ever played a sport, or wondered what it felt like after the lights went down and the crowd left..this film explores that and more.Robin Williams(Jack Dundee) is a small town assistant banker in Taft CA., whose life has been plagued, by a miscue in a BIG rival high school football game 13 years ago, when he dropped the pass that would have won over Bakersfield, their Arch-Rival, that takes great pleasure in pounding the Taft Rockets, season after season . Kurt Russell(Reno Hightower) was the Quarterback in that famous game, and is the local legend, that now is a van repair specialist, whose life is fading into lethargy, like the town of Taft itself.Williams gets an idea to remake history, by replaying the GAME ! He meets with skeptical resistance, so he goes on a one man terror spree, and literally paints the town , orange, yellow and black , to raise the ire of the residents to recreate THE game . After succeeding, the players from that 1972 team reunite, and try to get in shape to practice, which is hysterical . The game is on , Bakesfield is loaded with all of the high tech gadgets, game strategies, and sophisticated training routines . Taft is drawing plays in the mud, with sticks, stones, and bottle caps, what a riot ! Does Taft overcome the odds, does Robin Willians purge the demons from his bowels, does Kurt Russell rise from lethargy, watch "The Best of Times" for one of the BEST viewing experiences ever!One of Robin Williams best UNDERSTATED performances, the chemistry between Robin and Russell is magic . And who is Kid Lester ???Holly Palance and Pamela Reed give memorable performances as the wives of Williams and Russell. Succeeds on Many Levels. A 10 !