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Slap Shot

year 1977decade 70sdirector George Roy Hill

123 minutes

Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Paul Newman Reggie Dunlop
Strother Martin Joe McGrath
Michael Ontkean Ned Braden
Jennifer Warren Francine Dunlop
Lindsay Crouse Lily Braden
Jerry Houser Dave Killer Carlson
Andrew Duncan Jim Carr
Jeff Carlson Jeff Hanson
Steve Carlson Steve Hanson
David Hanson Jack Hanson
Yvon Barrette Denis Lemieux
Allan Nicholls Johnny Upton
Brad Sullivan Wanchuck
Stephen Mendillo Jim Ahern
Yvan Ponton Drouin
Matthew Cowles Charlie
Kathryn Walker Anita McCambridge
M. Emmet Walsh Dickie Dunn
Swoosie Kurtz Shirley Upton
Paul D'Amato Tim McCracken
Melinda Dillon Suzanne Hanrahan
Guido Tenesi Billy Charlebois
Ned Dowd Ogie Ogilthorpe
Paul Dooley Hyannisport announcer

Slap Shot | The Rewatchables

host Bill Simmonshost Sean Fennesseyhost Chris Ryanproducer Jessie Lopez
Explore episodeClose episode

Is This Movie Better With…?

Wayne Jenkins; the Hanson brothers proposed for future movies.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:11:34Read transcript
  • The Hanson Brothers are proposed as a new better-with option for any movie, including a Saving Private Ryan joke.
  • Wayne Jenkins mocks Hanrahan as a good goalie with a sexually fluid wife and threatens a long prison sentence.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Quebec dub, real hockey incidents, filming locations and Nancy Dowd’s career.

In the discussion (12)
Approx. transcript time · 00:25:22Read transcript
  • Nancy Dowd spent time with her brother's Johnstown Jets team and recorded locker-room conversations for the dialogue.
  • The real team's Hanson brothers led the team in penalty minutes; Dave Killer Carlson draws on Dave Killer Hanson.
  • The cited budget is $6 million and the gross $28 million.
  • The colloquial Quebec French dub helped make the film a major favorite among French-speaking Canadians.
  • Rinks included Cambria County War Memorial, Starr Rink at Colgate, Utica Memorial Auditorium and Onondaga County War Memorial as Hyannisport.
  • Reggie was based on Long Island Ducks player-coach John Brophy, whose name was reused for the drunken opposing center.
  • The Jets' later history included a flood interruption, a short return and closure; the Carlson brothers were born close together and led the team in penalty minutes.
  • Jim Carr's toupee was modeled on Johnstown sportscaster Bill Wilson's wig.
  • The Carlson brothers said extras threw real punches during the crowd-fight shoot. Summer filming required pretending it was cold in heavy clothing.
  • Oglethorpe drew on Goldie Goldthorpe, credited with 25 fighting majors before Christmas in one season.
  • Real crowd fights and a pregame fight triggered by opponents wearing novelty glasses supplied incidents for the film.
  • Nancy Dowd's subsequent work included Coming Home and uncredited work on Straight Time, North Dallas Forty and Ordinary People, plus SNL; her brother played Oglethorpe.

Roger Ebert's review

Rating not yet verified
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:33:24Read transcript
  • No written Ebert review was located. Reports say both television critics initially disliked it and later reconsidered; Siskel's reversal is described more confidently. No star score is stated.

Most Rewatchable Scene

The Hansons being unleashed.

In the discussion (13)
Approx. transcript time · 00:37:06Read transcript
  • Jim Carr's opening interview with the goalie, including the microphone adjustment and the explanation of penalty-box shame.
  • The opening crowd insults, national anthem and drunk player immediately establish the team's world.
  • Reggie meets the Hansons, finds their toy cars and complains to Joe, who tells the Eddie Shore story.
  • The players watch television together in the hotel while the goalie demands a trade and Hanrahan's wife calls.
  • Reggie's escalating taunts provoke Hanrahan; the goalkeeper's appearance and Newman's reactions make the sequence especially funny.
  • Reggie turns Dave into Killer, then unleashes the Hansons. This is called the most rewatchable stretch and one of the great sports-film sequences.
  • The Hansons' attack includes the puck hitting the organist, his later protective helmet and a brother diving toward an opponent behind the net.
  • The pregame brawl and the crowd fight after the keys hit a Hanson are additional choices.
  • McCracken and Carlson's stick fight, Ned punching Reggie, and Reggie's confrontation with Jim Carr are nominated.
  • Ned's hostile interview answers about his father and trouble at home.
  • The Syracuse player introductions delight the hosts, especially their bizarre criminal histories and Jim Carr's delivery.
  • Further nominations include the final bench-clearing brawl, Reggie and Suzanne's intimate conversation, Lily's scenes and Reggie's confrontation with owner Anita.
  • The unanimous choice is the Hansons being unleashed.

The Great Shot Gordo Award for Most Cinematic Shot

The opponent sinking behind the boards; the referee framed with the Hansons during the anthem.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:43:25Read transcript
  • One nomination is the shot of the opponent sinking behind the boards after all three Hansons hit him.
  • Another preference is the referee during the anthem with the three Hansons visible behind him.

What’s Aged the Best?

Hockey footage, the cast, Reggie’s clothes, local sports culture and the Hansons.

In the discussion (13)
Approx. transcript time · 00:47:10Read transcript
  • The hockey footage's wide shots and close action look remarkably convincing; helmetless players help.
  • The arena's plain War Memorial name is preferred to corporate naming rights.
  • The scrappy team versus ownership story remains a strong sports trope, and the cast is full of recognizable emerging actors.
  • Newman's fur-trimmed leather jacket and brown leather leisure suit.
  • Awkward local sports interviews and Crouse with Newman before The Verdict.
  • Francine's distinctly 1970 s appearance, and the fashion-show threat to expose oneself followed by offscreen screams.
  • The Deep Throat and Meatball double-feature marquee.
  • Reggie's unbothered reply to McCracken's sexual insult.
  • The obnoxiously horny teammate is an enduring type, though his conduct would now violate workplace rules.
  • The talented player who refuses to fight, compared with real hockey stars and their enforcers.
  • The mass mooning at Hyannisport.
  • Melinda Dillon's nude scene is recalled as an early formative movie experience.
  • The unranked early movie-nudity roster includes Melinda Dillon, Lacey Underall in Caddyshack, the Shining bathtub woman, the Animal House women, Airplane’s faceless topless woman, Phoebe Cates, Jamie Lee Curtis, Linda Hamilton, Apollonia in Purple Rain, Joyce Heiser (ASR) in Just One of the Guys, Apollonia Corleone and Total Recall’s three-breasted woman. The Shining room number is corrected from 217 to 237.

What’s Aged the Worst?

Censored television versions, the sequels, the swastika helmet and dated cultural associations.

In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 00:52:52Read transcript
  • Potentially nine-hour bus rides if Charlestown is Pennsylvania, although the setting seems intended as New England.
  • Bad daytime television: Hawaiian showcase, soap operas and bowling.
  • Edited television versions mutilate the film, including darkening the bottom of Dillon's nude scene.
  • Seeing Melinda Dillon later as the mother in A Christmas Story creates a jarring association with Suzanne.
  • The claim that the Hanson performers rejected a Universal spinoff is treated skeptically; the later sequel is dismissed.
  • The harsh language and Jerry Houser's later role as Marcia Brady's husband are cited.
  • Putting a bounty on an opponent now recalls the Saints' Bountygate scandal.
  • Maxim's 1998 declaration of Slap Shot as the best guy movie feels dated, as do the two sequels.
  • The bus driver's swastika helmet.
  • The decline of Dickie Dunn's sentimental sportswriting is disputed: similar columns and credulous sourcing still exist.
  • Dickie Dunn's dismissive response to his daughter's complaint about being insulted.

The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film

The ending’s sudden forfeit; the striptease is disputed.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:00:50Read transcript
  • One host has no weak link and explicitly rejects Lily. Another offers the striptease and sudden forfeit.
  • The striptease is defended as uniquely inspired, but the forfeit denies a satisfying sports victory and makes little sense when McCracken could simply be ejected.

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

The film humanizes its offensive dialogue; replace the striptease with a conventional victory; a Minnesota sequel.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:07:43Read transcript
  • The film reckons with its offensive language by giving Suzanne a genuine human scene and making Reggie sexually accepting; its locker-room speech also reflects the period.
  • Replace Ned's striptease with him fighting McCracken and the team winning conventionally. The objection is that this sacrifices Ned's principles, though he already uses dirty tactics.
  • A sequel following the team to Minnesota would have been welcome.

Casting What-Ifs

Al Pacino for Reggie; Nick Nolte for Ned; Jack Carlson replaced by Dave Hanson.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:09:59Read transcript
  • Al Pacino wanted Reggie, but Hill chose Newman; the hosts joke about accommodating Pacino's height.
  • Jack Carlson's WHA playoff call-up led to Dave Hanson replacing him as a brother and Jerry Houser playing Killer Carlson.
  • According to the performer playing Johnny Upton, Nick Nolte sought Ned Braden, but former university player Ontkean won the role. The hosts prefer the outcome and Nolte in North Dallas Forty.

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Paul D’Amato as Tim McCracken.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:12:26Read transcript
  • Moe, Johnny and the goalie are ruled out as persistent characters; Jim Carr may have too much dialogue despite being hilarious.
  • Candidates include Anita, the blonde sisters, the Hyannisport heckler, Syracuse players, Oglethorpe and the referee.
  • Tim Dr. Hook McCracken wins, played by Paul D'Amato, whose frightening face and recent death are noted.

Recasting Couch

A real NHL enforcer on Syracuse, especially Dave Schultz.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:14:23Read transcript
  • Put an actual NHL enforcer on Syracuse: Dave Schultz, John Wensink or Garry Howatt. Clark Gillies and Bob Nystrom arise in the discussion.

Apex Mountain

Hockey movies.

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:21:34Read transcript
  • Newman is rejected in favor of the Butch Cassidy, Sting and Towering Inferno period.
  • Ontkean gets an initial yes, challenged by Twin Peaks' greater visibility.
  • Hockey fighting receives enthusiastic support for the era, contrasted with more dangerous modern technique.
  • George Roy Hill is rejected. Sports movies receive a qualified case for 1977, challenged by the late-1980 s prestige wave.
  • The Hanson brothers lose movie brothers to the Corleones; Crouse loses to The Verdict or House of Games; Martin loses to Cool Hand Luke.
  • Hockey movies is an unequivocal yes. Minor-league sports raises Bull Durham as a competing answer.
  • The Baja Gold 1970 Pontiac GTO and films inspiring a desire to bartend in a remote dive are additional nominations, the latter compared with Goodfellas.

Cruise or Hanks?

Hanks as Reggie; Cruise suggested for Ned.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:26:28Read transcript
  • Hanks for Reggie, akin to A League of Their Own. Cruise is proposed for Ned, though that stretches the lead-role rules.

Picking Nits

Ownership finances, hockey logistics, sudden crowds, Ned’s career and Francine’s parade route.

In the discussion (13)
Approx. transcript time · 01:27:42Read transcript
  • The Chiefs should already have more fighters before the Hansons, even if Johnny is meant to fill that role.
  • The supposedly excellent goalie gives up many goals; perhaps the defense is responsible.
  • Syracuse's five championship-game additions appear to ignore a trade deadline.
  • Anita's preference for a tax write-off over selling the team is disputed; others explain loss offsets and question the team's value.
  • McGrath's claim that NHL scouts have contracts ready seems dubious.
  • Reggie seems implausibly free to stand around taunting Hanrahan during play.
  • Lily's accent is hard to place despite the Cardinals hat; Crouse's natural speech may explain it.
  • Reggie's arrangement with Lily is unclear: provoking Ned versus the casual romantic fluidity of the small-town setting.
  • The owner's identity should be researchable, though slow communication and the players' lack of investigative effort offer explanations.
  • The Hansons' debut unexpectedly draws a full crowd despite previously empty games; a connecting scene seems missing.
  • The team apparently never practices, leaving the Hansons off the ice for over a week; a road trip is offered as a defense.
  • Ned should have found a place among the many NHL and WHA teams, unless his behavior makes him seem unstable.
  • Francine could take another route instead of driving through the parade; her indifference to hockey is defended.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Ned’s short NHL career and early divorce; the Hansons’ debut as a must-attend fictional game.

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:34:06Read transcript
  • The Eddie Pratt tragedy is imagined as either paralysis or an on-ice killing.
  • Ned's NHL future is imagined as cut short by a knee injury before college coaching; the Bradens are expected to divorce before the decade ends.
  • The Hansons' debut is considered among the sporting events one would most want to attend, alongside Hoosiers, The Natural, Teen Wolf, The Longest Yard, Field of Dreams and Rocky IV.
  • Rocky III is raised before Rocky IV is favored for attending the fight in Russia; Eddie is then jokingly suggested and disowned as a Knicks movie.

The Andy and Red – Zihuatanejo Award for What Happens the Next Day?

Reggie becomes a hockey broadcaster, with a scandalous firing imagined.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:40:19Read transcript
  • After Minnesota, Reggie is imagined as an ESPN hockey analyst in the Don Cherry or Barry Melrose mold, perhaps later joining Spittin' Chiclets.
  • A darker alternative has ESPN firing Reggie around 1991 after inappropriate conduct or comments.

The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson

All folk heroes start out as criminals; give fans what they want.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:41:51Read transcript
  • All folk heroes start out as criminals; give the fans what they want. Avoiding the enormous dog is a joke option.

More from the conversation

The film is called the enduring greatest hockey movie and a contender for greatest sports movie, with its humor and sports holding up despite dated language.
Approx. transcript time · 00:02:31Read transcript
An unfamiliar minor-league world avoids some realism objections that affect Major League or Moneyball; Bull Durham offers a similar self-contained setting.
Approx. transcript time · 00:03:38Read transcript
Leather leisure suits, constant drinking, helmetless hockey and a shared bar make Charlestown both alien and inviting.
Approx. transcript time · 00:04:30Read transcript
Goon, Youngblood, Miracle, The Mighty Ducks and Shoresy are hockey comparisons, but Newman and the deep cast distinguish Slap Shot.
Approx. transcript time · 00:05:29Read transcript
A childhood theater memory includes the film’s nudity, excitement about brawling Bruins teams and Newman’s appearance on a hockey yearbook cover.
Approx. transcript time · 00:06:54Read transcript
The film spread through television and parents, while school interests split between Star Wars and sports movies; younger children had limited access to its original release.
Approx. transcript time · 00:08:26Read transcript
The Hanson Brothers’ first game creates enduring, almost primal comic delight across repeat viewings and generations, unlike the adult relationship material a child may not understand.
Approx. transcript time · 00:09:19Read transcript
The Hansons’ comic details include fighting a Coke machine and hotel manager, foil, toy cars and mirroring the pregame speech; their post-film appearances seem concentrated on conventions and autographs.
Approx. transcript time · 00:11:34Read transcript
The profanity was part of the original marketing, placing the film alongside Glengarry Glen Ross, The Last Detail, Midnight Run and Goodfellas as great cursing movies.
Approx. transcript time · 00:12:19Read transcript
This is seen as Newman’s last physically plausible leading-man phase before older roles; his Altman collaborations are considered unsuccessful experiments.
Approx. transcript time · 00:12:51Read transcript
The cast’s visible enjoyment gives the film contagious hangout appeal, with Newman nearly breaking during Martin’s crude remarks.
Approx. transcript time · 00:13:48Read transcript
Newman is argued to be an ultimate leading man, combining charisma, versatility and irreplaceability across decades and genres.
Approx. transcript time · 00:14:23Read transcript
Hypothetical Newman roles include both Once Upon a Time in Hollywood leads, Cast Away, Sleepless in Seattle, Top Gun and Jerry Maguire; Forrest Gump is doubted.
Approx. transcript time · 00:16:04Read transcript
Newman survived early failures such as The Silver Chalice and obscure films such as The Secret War of Harry Frigg, flexibility that modern actors may lack.
Approx. transcript time · 00:17:30Read transcript
Cool Hand Luke remains a potential sixties selection despite slower pacing; Harper and The Drowning Pool exemplify freedom to experiment without franchise obligations.
Approx. transcript time · 00:18:22Read transcript
The Last Movie Stars documentary illuminates Woodward’s early success, their changing career balance and Newman’s business, directorial and civil-rights interests.
Approx. transcript time · 00:19:08Read transcript
Subtle reactions to a fight and a bar patron’s power-play complaint demonstrate Newman’s skill; the 1978 acting nominees prompt regret that he was not nominated.
Approx. transcript time · 00:19:44Read transcript
An early-relationship viewing succeeded with a future spouse; Newman’s appeal and the independent hockey-wife characters help the film reach beyond sports fans.
Approx. transcript time · 00:21:10Read transcript
Michael Ontkean is praised as Ned, with The Rookies recalled; Melinda Dillon also appeared in Close Encounters that year.
Approx. transcript time · 00:22:55Read transcript
The dying town and aging players give the comedy a loss-of-innocence theme, compared with The Deer Hunter and All the Right Moves.
Approx. transcript time · 00:23:25Read transcript
The comedy's dramatic visual treatment and real-life origins contrast with the perceived shortage of contemporary studio comedies about ordinary people; No Hard Feelings and Bull Durham provide comparisons.
Approx. transcript time · 00:24:52Read transcript
The 1974–79 sports-film run is celebrated, while a younger viewer favors 1990 s titles including Above the Rim, Blue Chips and White Men Can't Jump.
Approx. transcript time · 00:26:46Read transcript
The film's emotional sensitivity and Reggie's acceptance of sexual freedom complicate its homophobic language.
Approx. transcript time · 00:28:00Read transcript
Goldman's praise of George Roy Hill and his storytelling principles lead into a complaint that Slap Shot's final fifteen minutes drag.
Approx. transcript time · 00:28:24Read transcript
Hill's career is surveyed from Butch Cassidy and The Sting through The Great Waldo Pepper, A Little Romance, Garp and Funny Farm.
Approx. transcript time · 00:29:21Read transcript
Hill's wide compositions, real locations and affinity with Newman give the film its humanity.
Approx. transcript time · 00:29:47Read transcript
Hill bridged studio assignments and the 1970 s filmmaker era, crediting strong writing and casts with his success.
Approx. transcript time · 00:31:00Read transcript
Heavy viewing schedules and the difference between first and second viewings can account for critics missing a film's merits.
Approx. transcript time · 00:33:45Read transcript
Kael's hostile assessment nevertheless praised Newman's performance as his best to date.
Approx. transcript time · 00:35:07Read transcript
Newman's skating looks convincingly athletic, although the hosts cannot settle Reggie's position.
Approx. transcript time · 00:39:13Read transcript
Daytime television's communal importance is recalled through the players' game-show and soap-opera viewing.
Approx. transcript time · 00:40:46Read transcript
The crowd fight invites comparisons with the Bruins at Madison Square Garden and basketball's Malice at the Palace.
Approx. transcript time · 00:44:27Read transcript
Johnstown also hosted All the Right Moves, with a pivotal confrontation near the parade location; Pennsylvania's dying industrial towns and sporting passion fit these stories.
Approx. transcript time · 00:51:45Read transcript
Moe is jokingly proposed as an addition to the Win Chicketts category.
Approx. transcript time · 00:54:08Read transcript
A digression recalls the nude scenes that introduced different generations of young viewers to movie nudity, from Caddyshack and The Shining through Total Recall.
Approx. transcript time · 00:55:55Read transcript
The formative-nudity digression expands to Rosie Perez, Shannon Elizabeth, Sharon Stone and Demi Moore, with The Shining deemed a particularly alarming first experience.
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:15Read transcript
Lee Unkrich's extensive making-of-The-Shining book and its obsessive fan culture are discussed.
Approx. transcript time · 00:58:41Read transcript
Music clearance reportedly caused substitutions in television versions.
Approx. transcript time · 00:59:47Read transcript
Dillon's intimate scene is praised for ordinary human characterization, with Newman subtly gathering information he later weaponizes.
Approx. transcript time · 01:02:29Read transcript
Nolte's appearance aged dramatically between Rich Man, Poor Man and 48 Hrs.
Approx. transcript time · 01:11:21Read transcript
A claimed link between D'Amato's appearance and Wolverine's design is questioned because the comic character predates the film, though a later design remains possible.
Approx. transcript time · 01:13:35Read transcript
McCracken's precision stick violence seems implausibly tolerated even in minor-league hockey.
Approx. transcript time · 01:13:53Read transcript
The hosts discuss Southern California minor-league hockey and the Ontario Reign.
Approx. transcript time · 01:17:49Read transcript
Family hockey experiences prompt advice to begin skating very young.
Approx. transcript time · 01:19:16Read transcript
An ensemble-star disaster movie like The Towering Inferno is requested; modern analogues include Gerard Butler films, Valentine's Day and Harry Potter.
Approx. transcript time · 01:22:18Read transcript
The hosts imagine modern sports insiders selling the Hansons to the public.
Approx. transcript time · 01:32:46Read transcript
Eddie prompts joking disagreement over whether Knicks fans claim it.
Approx. transcript time · 01:37:53Read transcript
A prospective Garp episode prompts discussion of rereading Irving's novel and more Robin Williams coverage, including Good Morning Vietnam.
Approx. transcript time · 01:38:26Read transcript
The hosts discuss more Jim Carrey coverage and forgotten commercial films such as Yes Man.
Approx. transcript time · 01:39:18Read transcript
Ned and Lily's enormous female dog prompts jokes about its surprising sex and care requirements.
Approx. transcript time · 01:41:33Read transcript
Joking threats to end the feed follow complaints about Rock Bottom Month and the decision to cover popular movies consecutively.
Approx. transcript time · 01:42:07Read transcript
The movie is proposed as virtually universal viewing among hockey players, with Above the Rim and Boogie Nights considered weaker occupational equivalents.
Approx. transcript time · 01:44:00Read transcript
Boogie Nights' rewatch value, prospective Pulp Fiction coverage and a New Beverly anniversary screening are discussed.
Approx. transcript time · 01:44:55Read transcript
Recording occurred during Celtics–Pacers; Jesse Lopez receives the closing thanks while Craig is away in Africa.
Approx. transcript time · 01:45:59Read transcript