Taking the Measure

One of my favorite movies is Hoosiers (1986). It tells the story of a small-town basketball team from Hickory, Indiana, that finds greatness under the leadership of their coach, Norman Dale. The end of the movie is not hard to predict, and the ’80s synthesizer music in the score is a trial for the nerves. 

…But at the 1:34 mark, the movie hits a note of brilliance. Having reached the 1951 state finals, Coach Dale’s team of small-town farm boys…