Marcus Marakovich (Woody Harrelson) is an assistant coach for the Iowa Stallions, with aspirations of coaching in the NBA. He blames politics for his current position, even though it’s probably his own temper that is to blame. At his team’s latest game, Marcus lets his anger go wild when Coach Phil Perretti (Ernie Hudson) doesn’t implement his suggestions, and causes a scene. This, along with driving home drunk afterwards, gets him fired and into a lot of trouble. However, the judge offers him the option of taking 90 days of community service, coaching a team of ten adults with intellectual disabilities at The Friends Association in Capitol East.
Marcus doesn’t have any experience with disabled people, so he’s not too thrilled about this option, but it’s better than going to prison. The team isn’t the most skilled at basketball—player Showtime (Bradley Edens) is obsessed with trying to make a backwards shot from half court; Marion (Casey Metcalfe) is like Rain Main, always spurting off useless trivia; Craig (Matthew Von Der Ahe) always wants to brag about his girlfriend(s); Johnny (Kevin Iannucci) refuses to take a shower; Benny (James Day Keith) often can’t get time off from work to play/practice, Cosentino (Madison Tevlin) is a sassy firecracker who always says whatever is on her mind, no matter how inappropriate; and the Friends’ best player, Darius, just replies “Nope” every time Marcus asks him to join them. Marcus has never been one to get to know his team members personally—they were just X’s and O’s on a board to him. He plans to just count down the days until he’s free of this community service. However, Marcus soon discovers that Johnny’s sister is Alex (Kaitlin Olson), a woman with whom he recently had an awkward one night stand. During the week Alex is a traveling one-women Shakespeare show for schoolchildren, and on the weekend she uses her van to drive the Friends to their games, so they’re going to be seeing a lot more of one another. Also helping out the team is eager young assistant coach Sonny (Matt Cook), who always looked at Marcus like a mentor when working with him at the Iowa Stallions, even if Marcus was just trying to use him to get in a good word with his uncle, a well-respected pro basketball GM..
Champions is fun and heartwarming movie, based on the Spanish film Campeones—it feels like a modern take on The Bad News Bears. What the Friends lack in basketball skills, they more than make up with heart and determination. For Marcus, the game is all about winning, but these players just want to have fun, enjoy themselves and show others that their disabilities don’t limit them. As Marcus finally starts to open up and learn more about these players and their personal lives, their happy-go-lucky mentality starts to rub off on him, and Marcus starts enjoying life more, and worrying less about his next steps towards the NBA. Meanwhile, Alex has also closed herself off, devoting all of her free time to helping and defending her brother. She is a bit too over-protective and ultimately holding both her and Johnny back from moving on to the next stages of their lives. Kaitlin Olson and Woody Harrelson have great comedic and romantic chemistry, and there is this delightful love/hate relationship that evolves between their characters that is really fun to watch, especially when they are making digs at one another. Matt Cook also brings a lot of humor to the film, as the eager young guy who looks up to Marcus as a mentor, and just wants to be his friend. And no matter how many times he’s rejected, he still remains positive and upbeat.
All of the Friends team members were cast with IDD actors, but despite most of them being first-time actors, the performances are quite good and natural. These fresh actors also bring a lot of humor to the movie in a way that blurs the line between the actors and the characters, but not in a way that is making fun of or exploiting people with disabilities for laughs. In fact, it’s often Marcus who looks like the fool because he doesn’t fit into their world. The actors also feel like a real group of friends who have known each other for a long time—the chemistry between all of these characters is excellent. The film also does a nice job of exploring the backstories of each of these characters, and shows how they lead pretty normal lives, not limited in any way, and do and enjoy all the same things that people without disabilities do. While each has his or her own odd eccentricities, so does everyone else in this world.
The influence of director Bobby Farrelly can definitely be felt, and this is my only negative gripe with the film. This is such a wonderful depiction of people with intellectual disabilities that I wish it was a little more family-friendly. While the film doesn’t have the gross out humor of a typical Farrelly Bros. movie, it does have quite a few sex jokes. When I first saw the movie in the theater, a couple had brought their 7-year-old, and I found it slightly uncomfortable on their behalf. While nothing is graphic or really offensive, some of the jokes are probably going to elicit questions if watched by younger viewers—I kind of wish they had toned this down a bit to get a PG rating rather than a PG-13 so that the film was more accessible to a family audience as it has a wonderful message that younger viewers could also appreciate.
Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great. The video is pristine, with a clean, clear picture that provides an excellent level of detail throughout, and a beautiful color palette in both interior and exterior shots. The audio track provides clear dialogue throughout, and makes nice use of the stereo and surround channels to provide a more immersive viewing experience. This is especially noticeable during the basketball training in the rec center where you can hear the echo of the ball reverberate through the room after it hits the backboard, and the crowds cheering during the basketball games.
The Blu-ray disc comes packed in a standard HD keepcase, along with an glossy carboard slipcover, and an insert containing a code to redeem an HD MA digital copy of the film. The disc also contains twelve deleted scenes, a director commentary, and over 12 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes with the cast and crew.
What’s Included:
Film: (2:03:44)
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Blu-ray:
- 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
- Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish 5.1 DTS Digital Surround, French 5.1 DTS Digital Surround
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
- HD Digital Copy (Movies Anywhere compatible)
Digital (code may not be valid after 6/30/2024):
Extras:
Play All, or select from:
- Deleted Scenes (18:02)
Collection of 12 deleted/extended/alternate scenes. Play All, or select from:- Do You Think Jared Likes Me? (1:16)
Marcus and Sonny have a walk-and-talk as they head from the locker room to the basketball court. - You’re Fired! (1:17)
Alternate version of Coach Phil telling Marcus that he’s fired. - So We’re All Good? (3:04)
Julio guilts Marcus into coaching more often than once a week. - You Made the Papers (1:22)
Sonny shows Marcus an article about him in the newspaper. - It’s The Same Game (1:57)
After the game, Marcus asks Coach Maya for some advice on connecting with his team. - What Does That Even Mean? (:38)
As Marcus watches a pro game on TV, he texts Sonny for an update from his uncle. - My Feet Hurt (1:59)
Marcus asks Darius if he’s ever going to join the team. Marlon interrupts to complain that his feet are hurting. - Projectile! (1:02)
In this alternate cut, after Craig throws something at the bus driver, he stops the vehicle to complain to Marcus about the players’ behavior. - Is That OK? (:27)
Cosentino shows up to practice late, explaining that she had to drop a deuce. - Growing Gills (:26)
Marcus tells Johnny he’s taking too long in the shower. - That’s a Technical (1:01)
As Marcus is asking Marlon to compute which player has the best odds to make the free-throw, Showtime wastes the shot on his backwards throw. - New World Record (3:46)
In this alternate cut, as the players hang out at an indoor water park, Marcus and Alex have a light-hearted heart-to-heart about the future.
- Do You Think Jared Likes Me? (1:16)
- Keeping it Friendly (4:49)
The cast and filmmakers discuss how the film came about, casting the actors, working with the IDD actors, acting for the first time, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director Bobby Farrelly, executive producer Woody Harrelson (“Marcus”), “Friends” acting coach/Bobby’s son A.B. Farrelly, and stars James Day Keith (“Benny”), Joshua Felder (“Darius”), Alex Hintz (“Arthur”), Cheech Marin (“Julio”), Kaitlin Olson (“Alex”), Madison Tevlin (“Cosentino”), Casey Metcalfe …
Marlon”), Bradley Edens (“Showtime”), Ashton Gunning (“Cody”), Kevin Iannucci (“Johnny”), Matthew Von Der Ahe (“Craig”) & Tom Sinclair (“Blair”). - Woody and the Team (2:40)
The cast and crew talk about working with the talented Woody Harrelson.
Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director Bobby Farrelly, and stars Woody Harrelson, Kaitlin Olson, Casey Metcalfe & Madison Tevlin. - Casting the Friends (4:37)
Audition footage, reaction videos, and outtakes of the IDD actors. Includes footage of Madison Tevlin, Kevin Iannucci, Casey Metcalfe, James Day Keith, Ashton Gunning, Joshua Felder, Alex Hintz, Matthew Von Der Ahe, Lauren “Tom” Sinclair & Bradley Edens. - Feature Commentary with Director Bobby Farrelly (2:03:44)
The commentary starts off pretty slow, with Farrelly taking long pauses between his comments. It gets a bit better as it goes along, but still not one of the liveliest commentaries I’ve listened to, and a bit sparse at times. That said, the director talks about casting the film, the shooting locations, how the project came about, the importance of representation, the score, and more. He shares some behind-the-scenes stories about the production, and shows that he really got to know the cast and crew, sharing stories about working with each of them.
Final Thoughts:
Champions is a fun and entertaining film that combines heart and humor with an underdog sports movie, featuring a cast of fresh IDD actors alongside more seasoned comedic actors, with many laugh-out-loud moments. The movie celebrates the IDD community and never feels exploitative or ill natured. The film is highly rewatchable—I originally saw it in the theater and laughed all over again as I re-watched on this Blu-ray. Universal’s Blu-ray looks and sounds great and includes a nice selection of bonus material. It’s and easy recommendation for those looking for an engaging comedy/drama, though I wouldn’t quite call it family-friendly—some of the jokes may be a bit inappropriate for younger viewers. For those on the fence, the film is also now available to stream on Peacock.
Champions – Collector’s Edition Blu-ray + Digital
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Champions – Collector’s Edition [DVD]
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Champions
$3.99 (as of November 15, 2024 19:09 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
