Is Champions Based On A True Story? Are Champions Based On A True Story?
by Ushapriyanga | Updated Mar 13, 2023
Champions Wiki
Champions is a sports comedy movie released on March 10, 2023, directed by Bobby Farrelly, who makes his solo debut as a director. The screenplay was written by Mark Rizzo, and it is a remake of the 2018 Spanish movie of the same name. Woody Harrelson plays the role of a short-tempered basketball coach who, after being arrested, must coach a team of intellectually disabled players as part of his community service. Kaitlin Olson, Ernie Hudson, and Cheech Marin also star in the film. The story revolves around the team's journey to compete in the Special Olympics. Despite mixed reviews from critics, the movie features the coach's experience with the team and how they rise above their disabilities to compete at a higher level.
Is Champions Based on a True Story?
While not based on a true story, Champions is adapted from a 2018 Spanish movie that was inspired by the real-life basketball team Aderes. Aderes, a Valencia-based team for individuals with intellectual disabilities, won 12 Spanish championships between 1999 and 2014. Bobby Farrelly, the director of the film and previously known for comedies such as Dumb and Dumber and Shallow Hal, revealed that he was impressed with the Spanish film Campeones when he finally watched it. In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com, he shared that the original movie was a bit goofier and broader than his version. Farrelly also credited screenwriter Mark Rizzo for adapting the script with a different tone.
"[He] did a great job of telling the same story but telling it in a way where the people are just slightly more Americanised," he explained. "It's an American story, but it's very real. There's nothing goofy about it at all. And I thought that was important because it's grounded – I thought Woody Harrelson and Kaitlin Olson did a nice job of capturing the reality of it."
"I never thought we would make a better movie because I just can't imagine a better movie than that, it was truly beloved in Spain," he said. "But I'd like to say we made maybe almost as good [a film]."
Is Champions Based on a Real Story?
Champions, a new movie featuring Woody Harrelson in the lead role, is set to release in UK cinemas this weekend. The plot revolves around a minor-league basketball coach who is ordered by a judge to carry out community service after getting into legal trouble. Reluctantly, he takes up the task of coaching a basketball team of young people with intellectual disabilities and finds himself bonding with them. Director Bobby Farrelly revealed that finding disabled actors who could play basketball was crucial for the film, and many of the young stars had no prior acting experience. Actress Kaitlin Olson was particularly impressed by this aspect of the movie.
"We went out to the basketball leagues and the Special Olympics and we kind of reached out and said, do you have any young adults who love to play basketball who might consider reading for this part? And so all of our actors, they all love basketball, and they did have a little bit of experience"
"Working with a bunch of people who maybe hadn't done this before could be uncomfortable, [but Farrelly] always had a basketball in his hand, they were shooting around, and we just got a bunch of stuff that way. So everyone sort of had the freedom to be themselves which I think made it a very loose, comfortable environment."
Champions Review
Champions, directed by Bobby Farrelly, is an American sports comedy film that tells the story of a minor-league basketball coach, Marcus, who is ordered to coach a team of players with intellectual disabilities as part of his community service. The film is a remake of the 2018 Spanish film “Campeones.” While the movie follows the typical plot of an inspirational sports film, it fails to recognize the humanity of the team of disabled basketball players, using them solely as a means for Marcus's redemption. The character of Marcus is clichéd and unlikeable, and even Woody Harrelson's charm can't redeem him. Similarly, Alex, his love interest, is poorly written and gives weak dialogue. Though there are glimpses of the players' personal lives, the filmmakers never delve into their complex characters, treating them solely as objects of education for Marcus and the audience. In contrast, the film devotes a significant amount of screen time to Marcus and Alex's relationship, progressing from a one-night stand to dinner dates to Marcus visiting Alex's family.
“I’m sorry, I’m new to this,” Marcus says to Alex after making a major gaffe asking how her brother Johnny (Kevin Iannucci) got his intellectual disability. To which she has to explain he was born with Down Syndrome, you don’t catch it. That’s the main presumption of the film: that everyone watching it is new to knowing anything about intellectual disabilities, and therefore it’s continually explaining their existence rather than allowing them to exist.
Is Champions based on a true story -FAQs
"Champions" is a sports comedy film about a disgraced minor-league basketball coach, played by Woody Harrelson, who is sentenced to community service coaching a team of young people with intellectual disabilities. Through coaching the team, he learns to see their potential and bonds with them.
"Champions" was released in the United States on March 10, 2023.
"Champions" was directed by Bobby Farrelly, in his solo directorial debut.
"Champions" received mixed reviews from critics.