davidjanuzbrown This is a great sports movie, and the beginning and the end both show kids playing basketball (the difference is seeing Henry (Robbie Benson) watching as opposed to actually playing at the end works). My favorite scene is with the Hitchhiker, because I am a huge Melanie Griffith fan (this is just one of 23 films I have seen of hers), so obviously seeing Melanie as the hitchhiker is a treat. The single biggest flaw is the Promo for the movie which is "There comes a time when love stops being a ball and becomes a woman." If you actually see the movie (Spoilers ahead). You see that he still loves basketball AND Janet (Annette O'Toole), and is able to have both. What the movie is about is really character growth. Henry has no idea how Big Time College's work (Athletically and especially Academically). Watch how he first meets Coach Moreland Smith G.D. Spradlin, who has no idea that he recruited him. Smith is a real piece of work, he basically uses his secretary as a prostitute for the team and when he wants Henry off the team, has another player beat him up, and tries to get him expelled from School. As bad as Smith is, the worst character is Malcolm (James G. Richardson), an arrogant teacher who is sleeping with his Graduate Student (Janet), and looking down on Henry because he plays basketball. The Henry/Janet relationship is complex, it goes from her looking down on him, to being a couple. There is about a 5 year difference between the two, but in my opinion, the reason it works, is because of not only the character growth in Henry, but Janet as well. She stops looking down on him, and learns that Henry works hard at everything, is not stupid, and he stands up for her, and treats her in a respectful way that no one else does. Obviously, we know in the end that Henry helps win the game, and is able to walk away from Smith, head held high (that is obvious right from the beginning). But for his future, watch the scene where he mocks talking to his father on the phone: He knows his dad will not approve of him being with an older woman, but it does not matter. Why? Because he made a choice (which is Janet), So wherever he goes in life (maybe even playing in the NBA one day), Janet will be with him side by side. 10/10 stars

rams_lakers Perfect? No. Rewatchable? Yes. I liked the movie when it came out and I can still watch it. Sure, Steele makes some bonehead mistakes and reacts to things awkwardly like a young inexperienced noob. I felt like this when I first joined the football team, some of those players were men! Yeah, I got head butted by a samoan during non-contact practice but I learned from that and dodged him the next time he came around but my inexperienced noob friend Gary wasn't as lucky as he got jacked off the ground by the same guy. Yeah, I blew it on a few girls when I didn't know what to do with them in my younger days. These are all why I feel this movie is real to me. Of course, the coach bloodying Steele's face is overdone but I remember my first coach calling me by the wrong name and showing a little disrespect. Steele's roommate reminds me of my friend George Devaney, who helped me while I was trying to make the team (No he didn't give me drugs). He ended up starting while I quit (but I ended up starting both ways the next year elsewhere). This movie hits close to home for me. And didn't we all just hate that snooty hippie and enjoy it as Steele finally stood up to him. Some of the lines in this movie are corny but that's how the 70s were. "Justice" by Seales and Croft adds some nice emotion to the film. BTW, in Spike Lee's opinion this is the worst sport movie ever. Spike who? I've seen much worse.

driftrss2 The movie is dated, but I still enjoy it. I guess I remember watching it the first time. The whole coming of age thing, growing up, etc.What has really impressed me is Robby Benson's development over the years. He must be a good athlete: basketball, hockey, running, all seem to come naturally to him. I don't see the telltale back shots of doubles.I enjoyed his acting and would like to see more. The last I heard he was teaching at USC. No not that one! The first one! The real one! The University of South Carolina in Columbia.I would like to see what he could do with a mature role now.

the_old_roman Robby Benson and Annette O'Toole have good enough chemistry to make their unlikely pairing a crowd pleaser nonetheless. Benson is very good as the jock who is first coddled, then spurned, stirring the man within him. The movie has a great deal of fun with the special treatment given Jocks. Benson's work-study job is to turn the sprinklers on and off, but the sprinklers work automatically. Gail Strickland and (Director) Lamont Johnson are marvelous in small but hilarious supporting bits.But the true star of the movie is G.D. Spradlin as the humorless and amoral hard-nosed basketball coach. Best exchange is when Benson says: "You're a great molder of character, coach" and Spradlin retorts, "You never asked me to mold your character." Spradlin is 100% true to his character as a John-Wooden-type of basketball coach. All in all, One on One shouldn't be taken too seriously but is quite enjoyable on its own terms.