The Best of Times — A Football Masterpiece
- rhett80
- Feb 11
- 4 min read
Some sports movies are about championships.
Some are about underdogs.
And then there’s 1986’s The Best of Times — a film about a dropped pass, a town that refuses to emotionally recover, and a rematch so important it might legally qualify as civic therapy.
I believe this movie belongs in the all-time sports film conversation — not politely… but loudly… like coming out of in the second half on a rain soaked quagmire of a field in white Converse.
The Drop Heard ‘Round Kern County
Robin Williams’ Jack Dundee isn’t haunted by a loss.
He’s haunted by the loss.
A dropped touchdown pass that cost Taft, California, eternal bragging rights — the kind of sports trauma that gets passed down through generations like a family heirloom.
Most adults would process this with reflection or growth.
Jack Dundee instead says:
“We’re replaying the game.”
Years later.
With the same players.
Because closure is optional — but football is forever.
I'm not saying Jack Dundee is the magnus opus of the career of Robin Williams but what I am saying is that Williams plays the character perfectly and nobody else could have done a better job.
By the way, Dundee definitely outkicked his coverage. He married Holly Palance and into money after dropping the ball.
Reno Hightower: Quarterback Legend, Van Repair Specialist, Converse Icon
Enter Reno Hightower, portrayed by Kurt Russell with the calm confidence of a man who knows he is Kern County football royalty. Possibly, the only football royalty Taft has ever known.
By day? A van repair specialist.By legend? The greatest quarterback Kern County has ever produced.
No spreadsheets needed. No analytics required. The eye test says everything. The scene where Dundee gets Hightower to pose is all the proof anyone who knows anything about football that Reno can run a two-minute offense with ice water in his veins.
And when Reno takes the field…
he does it in white Converse.
Not cleats engineered by aerospace scientists. Not modern performance gear.
Those shoes don’t grip turf — they grip history. Every step says:
“I fix vans… and I fix unfinished football business.”
Reno isn’t chasing glory. He’s returning to remind the universe that small-town legends never retire — they just clock out for a few years.
Dr. Death: The Most Paroled Villain in Sports Cinema
Every great sports movie needs stakes.
The Best of Times raises them by including Dr. Death — a nickname so intimidating it deserves its own echo effect.
And yes…
he’s on parole.
Which might be the most 1980s sports movie subplot imaginable.
Dr. Death doesn’t just show up to play football — he arrives like a reminder that this rematch has consequences. Somewhere between redemption arc and legal supervision, his presence adds just enough chaos to make you think that he may be willing to kill someone for the right reason and tonight that reason is football.
Robin Williams: Patron Saint of Sports Obsession
Jack Dundee is every fan who has ever:
Replayed a moment in their head for decades
Insisted the refs were wrong
Said, “Just give me one more shot”
Williams balances comedy with emotional sincerity so well that beneath the laughs is a truth every sports fan understands:
Some moments don’t fade.
They wait.
Peak 80s Bonus: Kirk Cameron Appears
Sharp-eyed viewers will catch an early appearance by Kirk Cameron, which adds another layer of glorious time-capsule energy.
It’s like finding an old ticket stub in a jacket pocket — unexpected, nostalgic, and proof this movie is soaked in pure 1980s charm.
Even better is the thought that Kirk Cameron will take his father's, Reno Hightower, rightful place in Taft football lore.
Why This Movie Is an All-Time Sports Classic
Great sports films aren’t just about winning — they’re about mythmaking.
And The Best of Times understands that sports live forever in storytelling:
The legend of the hometown quarterback
The villain everyone remembers
The game that refuses to stay in the past
The belief that redemption is always one snap away
Other movies celebrate trophies.
This one celebrates unfinished business — which is honestly the emotional backbone of sports fandom. I'll admit I teared up at the end.
It’s funny. It’s heartfelt. It’s absurd in all the right ways. And it captures the spirit of small-town sports lore better than films that try way harder.
I can't find a single moment where the movie drags or a line I don't find funny or meaningful. Even the Caribou Lodge scene I think is funny and well executed. "Second, second." Jack's idea of playing the game again, "sprinkled with horseshit."
This film checks all the boxes and some I didn't know I needed to be checked.
✔ Converse-powered quarterback greatness✔ A van repair specialist returning to glory✔ A villain literally named Dr. Death on parole✔ Robin Williams heart and humor✔ Small-town sports mythology perfection
The Best of Times isn’t just a football movie.
It’s about redemption, pride, friendship, and the universal belief that one more play could fix everything.
And when Reno Hightower steps onto that field — white Converse blazing — you don’t question it.
You stand up.
You cheer.
And you accept that Kern County’s greatest quarterback has returned to settle unfinished business.
Cinema doesn’t get more important than that.
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