Many fine veteran actors come together in That Championship Season, a brittle but emotional saga of how significant moments in life can have considerable impact later. During the high school championship basketball game at Scranton, PA, George (Bruce Dern), Phil (Paul Sorvino), James (Stacy Keach) and Tommy (Martin Sheen) were the players who scored enough points to win the state trophy. Twenty-five years later, they are having a celebration to reminisce and form a new game plan for George's reelection for Mayor.

Once again the men reunite at the Coach's (Robert Mitchum) house. Now a salty old dog who may be on his last leg, this once vital coach still has the upper hand with his team members. But as the champagne flows, so does any semblance of team spirit. Every ounce of booze swallowed becomes more fuel for the fire of discontent.

James, George's brother, complains about giving up on his own dreams to provide constant support for George as his campaign manager. Phil, the financial support for the entire town, admits that he has not always done the right thing -- in fact, he's made a horrible blunder against one of his pals behind his back. Tommy, James and George's baby brother, returns to town for this triumphant night, only to reveal he's done nothing with his life except become an alcoholic.

Through the long hours of the night, the men's lives unravel right before their eyes. By the wee hours of the morning the Coach's words about excellence, superiority, and his belief that these men are his trophies, fall as flat in the room as the foam on the beer.

That Championship Season, based on a Pulitzer-prize winning play, showcases Jason Miller's brilliant screenplay about friendship, but it's the incredible performances that make these characters real. Sorvino moves his emotional arc from badass to softie with the force of a hurricane. Sheen shows the depths he can reach, a quality that's made him such a fine reliable actor. Dern offers the best part of himself in joining this great ensemble. Keach does what he does best, starting out simple and plain and then wowing viewers with his superb understanding of human emotions. And watching the great Robert Mitchum, who so effortlessly excels in  every scene like the pro that he was, is a treasure.

That Championship Season isn't so much about basketball, but it certainly points out that life is a game, and whether you win or lose, it's how you play that game.
 
(Released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and rated "R.")