25 Years Later, This Forgotten Sports Gem With Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman Still Slaps

A feel-good sports film starring Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman sounds like it should be a major hit, yet The Replacements has flown under the radar for years. It’s a shame, since The Replacements is a genuinely great film with a unique hook. After the majority of players in an unnamed football league go on strike, legendary coach Jimmy McGinty (Hackman) is tapped to find replacement players for the Washington Sentinels team. What follows is a film that’s equal parts hilarious and heartwarming, as the replacement players — including Reeves’ Shane Falco — learn how to work together and beat players who have years of experience on them.

Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman Play Against Type in ‘The Replacements’

The Replacements packs in plenty of football action, much like any good sports film. But at its core, it’s meant to be a realistic look at what it’s like to be an “underdog”. When McGinty finds his replacement players, he knows he only has a limited amount of time with them, yet he’s determined to make them the best team he can be. Falco himself struggles to get back on the field after a previous injury cut his football career short. But throughout the film, McGinty tells Falco that he knows he can be a great player. The Replacements also takes a realistic approach to how a ragtag group of players would operate. During their first game, the Sentinels lose. There’s no last-minute win, no “eureka” moment that makes them pull together at the right moment — and to further underline the work ahead of them, the loss is due to Falco calling an audible because he doesn’t fully believe in himself.

What keeps The Replacements from tilting into too-sappy territory is the rapport between Hackman and Reeves, especially since both men are playing against type. Hackman was well known for his intense performances in films like The French Connection and Unforgiven, but he brings a different approach to McGinty. Whenever McGinty is harsh or yells at his players, it’s not to tear them down but to encourage them to believe in themselves, mirroring the approach Hackman took to his role in Hoosiers. A great moment features McGinty encouraging the Sentinels to open up about their fears, and he tells them to use it as fuel. Reeves takes a similar approach, shedding the unflappable exterior he wore in The Matrix to reveal a man struggling with insecurities. Falco gets his own standout moments throughout The Replacements, including the iconic line “Pain heals. Chicks dig stars. Glory lasts forever” speech at the end.

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‘The Replacements’ Wouldn’t Work Without Its Supporting Cast

In addition to Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman, The Replacements features a talented cast that includes Orlando Jones, Jon Favreau and Rhys Ifans. Much like Reeves and Hackman, they’re playing characters who are struggling in life. Jones’s character is an extremely fast runner who has trouble catching the ball, Favreau’s character is a former SWAT officer with a short fuse, and Ifans’s character is a gambling addict who gets in over his head. But they form a strange rapport, both on and off the field, and provide The Replacements with some of its more hilarious moments. Drama-wise, sparks fly between cheerleader Annabelle Farrell (Brooke Langton) and Falco, especially when she sees he isn’t the typical jock.

Despite its unique presence and amazing cast, The Replacements didn’t take off at the box office when it premiered, as it was overshadowed by Clint Eastwood‘s Space Cowboys and the Kevin Bacon‘s Hollow Man. Critical reception was tepid at best, with Roger Ebert infamously referring to The Replacements as “Slap happy entertainment painted in broad strokes, two coats thick.” But The Replacements is more than worth a watch, thanks to its unique mix of heart, humor, and hope. Sports fans will laugh, potentially cry, and even find their new favorite sports film.