The American movie “Champions” is not directly based on a true story, but it is a remake of a Spanish film of the same name “Campeones”, released in 2018. It is a true story of Valencia’s Burjassot basketball team Aderas, a team of intellectually disabled people who won 12 Spanish championships awards between 1999 to 2014, equal to the Oscars.
Movie Plot
The Movie Champion begins with the basketball coach in Lova, Marcus Maracowich, played by Woody Harrelson who is also a hot head and yet skilled in his work, One morning he’s hooking up with a girl Alex (Kaitlin Olson) at his home, and ends up making her leave in frustration being more focused on the basketball game playing on the TV than her. He goes to his closest friend and colleague Phil (Ernie Hudson) and gets into an argument with him in disagreement over Phil’s call, things get heated and Markus punches the head coach, Phil, and gets fired. After things crumble in the stadium Markus gets badly drunk and hits the police car while driving back home and ends up in jail. Afterward, Phil helps him get bail the next day and again Markus thinks he was right yesterday and nothing like this would’ve happened if he’d just listened to him, Phil explains to him why he was wrong and how personnel and field-related tension affects players’ lives.
During the court hearing, he gets two options from the judge either to serve 18 months in jail or 90 days of community service to a team of intellectually disabled basketball players. Having no other option he agrees to community service and realizes soon that coaching these kids will be a bit difficult and challenging, that is when his personal and professional life comes on track and the movie begins. One day, Johnny (one of his students) offers him a ride back home and he meets his ex Alex again, who is the sister of Johnny. This is how his love life starts and he begins to love Alex. With time the team improves and he realizes the team is more than just the basketball game.
The original Movie “Campeones” was inspired by the real basketball team of Valencia, where a hot head assistant coach agrees to coach the intellectually disabled basketball players and soon gets along too well with them. The story has a loving ending where the coach declines another job option in the NBA team in Seattle as an assistant coach to stay close to his team.
The movie “Campeones” was released in 2018, written and directed by Javier Fesser, and starring Javier Gutierrez, Fesser wanted Non-Actors and real disabled people for the movie to give it a real touch. With a bit of change for entertainment purposes, the movie is based on a true story. Every non-actor has made a debut in the Spanish version. The American version of the film was released in 2013 March and worked with several disabled cast including Madison Tevlin, Joshua Felder & Kevin Iannucci. The movie “Campeones” has various remakes worldwide. The movie is a sports comedy and has achieved the most precious thing, i,e. Shooting with the actual mentally disabled people while they could claim their rights while laughing. shooting would have been difficult indeed but what’s beautiful is that it will forever be a movie that touched several hearts.
Released on March 10, 2023, and written by Mark Rizzo, the movie “Champions” is a sports-based comedy-drama based on the Spanish film “Campeneos directed by Bobby Farrelly who’s famous for making his solo debut and Woody Harrelson as the lead actor, a former minor league coach.
Conclusion
Disgraced by the stadium and his former colleagues and players, Markus punches Phil, His senior Coach, and gets fired from his position. In frustration, he kicks a police car in a drunk situation. During his court hearing the judge gives him 2 options to either serve 18 months in jail or coach for 90 days as community service to the intellectually disabled players. Despite his disagreement, Markus starts loving the team and soon genuinely bonds with the basketball players. Markus meets again with Alex and starts their relationship anew.
