Based on Jeremy Larner’s expressionist novel, Jack Nicholson’s first credit as a director is this guerrilla film, a vivid portrait of campus life during an era of student protest.

Hector (William Tepper) is a star player for the college basketball team conflicted both by the affair he is having with a married woman (Karen Black) and the radical politics spouted by his roommate Gabriel (Michael Margotta), who is resisting the Vietnam draft and derides Hector for his commitment to sport above causes: “to you it’s poetry, to me it’s staying after school in your underwear.” Dern is excellent as the coach a generation removed from his charges, struggling to understand them.

Screening as part of Bruce Dern Season (December 14th – 22nd). 

Bruce Dern’s latest feature, Nebraska, directed by Alexander Payne, is opening on December 6th.