The Best of Times (1986)

33% of critics liked it
(12 reviews)
40% of users liked it
(6,215 ratings)

Small-town banker Robin Williams has never been able to live down the fact that he dropped an important pass during a crucial high-school football game. Likewise tainted for life is the team's star quarterback Kurt Russell, now a garage owner. Fed up with living his life under a cloud, Williams hits… More Small-town banker Robin Williams has never been able to live down the fact that he dropped an important pass during a crucial high-school football game. Likewise tainted for life is the team's star quarterback Kurt Russell, now a garage owner. Fed up with living his life under a cloud, Williams hits upon a brilliant idea: he will stage a rematch-13 years after the fact--with the members of the rival team. Trouble beckons when Williams' father-in-law announces that he's rooting for the opposition. Williams is determined to win, and in pursuit of that goal he pushes his former teammates to hitherto untapped brilliance. Directed by Roger Spottiswood, The Best of Times was written by Ron Shelton, future writer/director of such delightful sports films as Bull Durham, White Men Can't Jump and Tin Cup; it was Shelton, in fact, who directed most of Best of Times' climactic football game. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 45 min.
Directed By: Roger Spottiswoode
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 31, 1986 Wide
On DVD: Feb 2, 1999
Studio: Sultan Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Walter Goodman, New York Times
Such a rouser that it almost makes up for the incomplete passes and stopped runs that precede it.
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Nostalgic fantasy about replaying that high school game with all the jock pals.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Speaks to our fantasies of rectifying mistakes of the past but drops the ball on a satire on small town foibles and marital discord.
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
Forgotten by most yet seemingly adored by those who choose to remember it, The Best of Times stands in my book as one of the truly great sports comedies.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Featured Audience Ratings

Daniel P

Movies for a rainy Saturday afternoon. One of the corniest movies you'll ever see, a real one-trick pony: what if you could replay that one moment in life where it all went wrong? Terrible, hackneyed dialogue and mailed-in performances by Williams and Russell. Williams's… More
Movies for a rainy Saturday afternoon. One of the corniest movies you'll ever see, a real one-trick pony: what if you could replay that one moment in life where it all went wrong? Terrible, hackneyed dialogue and mailed-in performances by Williams and Russell. Williams's character is completely unbelievable, and maybe too young for the role. This movie doesn't know what it wants to be. Comedy? Parody? Meaningful slice-of-life/Americana? Sports classic? It trucks in high-mindedness and obsession, but every piece of dialogue clunks with exposition and it takes way too long to get to the game. Good idea, about breaking a dying town out of its funk, but it makes for an overwrought movie that's not much fun to watch. A curious relic from that 80's urban cowboy thing, fits well with Footloose, Road House, The Complete John Mellencamp, Jeep YJs, GWG jeans, etc.
Nicky M

A mediocre film about chasing lost glory that never really finds it's way.
Leo L

Great movie.
Anthony V

Um, not a winning, offbeat classic. A bland, neither hot nor cold kind of yawn.

Cast

            Robin Williams as Jack Dundee

            Kurt Russell as Reno Hightower

            Pamela Reed as Gigi Hightower

            Holly Palance as Elly Dundee

            Donald Moffat as The Colonel

            Margaret Whitton as Darla

            M. Emmet Walsh as Charlie

            Donovan Scott as Eddie

            R.G. Armstrong as Schutte

            Carl Ballantine as Arturo

            Dog: Buck
            
            J.P. Bumstead as Cop

            Kirk Cameron as Teddy

            Eloy Casados as Carlos

            Christopher Cory as Assistant Football Trainer

            Jake Dengel as Caribous

            Robert Dickman as Taft Business Man

            Jeff Doucette as Olin

            Kurt Fox
            
            Kathleen Freeman as Rosie

            Hugh Gillin as Caribou #2

            Anne Haney as Marcy

            Linda Hart as Blender

            Hap Lawrence as Dickie Larue

            Robyn Lively as Jaki

            Wayne Montanio as Felipe

            Tony Plana as Chico

            Adam Rose
            
            William G. Schilling as Caribou #1

            Jeff Severson as Johnny O

            Nick Shields as Bam Bam

            Hugo L. Stanger as Old Man Lester

            Dub Taylor as Mac

            Peter Van Norden as Mando

            Philippe Gerard as Disgruntled Fan

            Wayne Adderson as Bakersfield Coach

            Patrick Brennan as Ronny

            Marie Cain as Blender

            Raymond W. Clanto as Bakersfield Coach

            Cathy Cheryl Davis as Taft Woman

            Hilary Davis as Michelle

            Mike Douglas
            
            Herman Edwards
            
            Jim Giovanni as Taft Football Player

            Michelle Guastello as Taft Woman

            Vister Hayes as Dr. Death

            Brenda Huggins as Mrs. Jackson

            Christopher Mankiewicz as Safari Room Security Guard

            Peggy Moyer as Blender

            Fred A. Nelson as Bakersfield Coach

            Bill Overton as Luther Jackson

            Chuck Ramsey as Himself

            Steve Riley
            
            Kim Romano
            
            Norm Schachter as Referee

            Steve Shargo as Taft Football Player

            Susan Signorelli as Taft Woman

            Darryl B. Smith as Bakersfield Coach

            Kelly Thomas
            
            Iron Jaw Wilson as "Iron Jaws"

            Michael Rich as Blade
See full cast