''Split Decisions'' is a 1988 American

crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and comb ...

sports film A sports film is a film genre in which any particular sport plays a prominent role in the film's plot or acts as its central theme. It is a production in which a sport, sporting event, athlete (and their sport), or follower of sport (and the s ...

directed by David Drury and starring

Craig Sheffer Craig Eric Sheffer (born April 23, 1960) is an American film and television actor. He is known for his leading roles as Norman Maclean in the film ''A River Runs Through It (film), A River Runs Through It, ''Aaron Boone in the film ''Nightbreed' ...

Jeff Fahey Jeffrey David Fahey (, born November 29, 1952) is an American film and television actor. He has portrayed Captain Frank Lapidus on the ABC series ''Lost'' and the title role of Deputy Marshal Winston MacBride on ''The Marshal''. Early life an ...

and

Gene Hackman Eugene Allen Hackman (born January 30, 1930) is an American retired actor and former novelist. In a career that has spanned more than six decades, Hackman has won two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, one Screen Actors Guild Award, two BAFTAs ...

Plot

On the east side of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, boxing trainer Danny McGuinn is trying to prepare one of his sons, Eddie, to earn a chance to fight in the Olympic Games, while his other son, Ray, has fallen in with shady men from organized crime. After Ray is killed, Eddie discovers that an opposing boxer, Pedroza, was involved in his brother’s death and challenges him to a bout in the hopes of securing revenge. Eddie defeats Pedroza after a hard-fought match, and the film ends with the remaining McGuinns celebrating victoriously.

Cast

as Eddie McGuinn *

as Ray McGuinn *

as Danny McGuinn * John McLiam as Pop McGuinn *

Jennifer Beals Jennifer Beals (born December 19, 1963) is an American actress and former teen model. She made her film debut in '' My Bodyguard'' (1980), before receiving critical acclaim for her role in ''Flashdance'' (1983), for which she won NAACP Image A ...

as Barbara Uribe *

Eddie Velez Edwin Velez (born June 4, 1958) is an American film, stage and television actor. He is best known for playing Frankie Santana in the final season of the American action and adventure television series ''The A-Team''. Early life and education ...

as Julian 'The Snake' Pedroza * Carmine Caridi as Lou Rubia *

James Tolkan James Stewart Tolkan (born June 20, 1931) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Mr. Strickland in ''Back to the Future'' (1985) and ''Back to the Future Part II'' (1989), and as Marshall Strickland in ''Back to the Future Part ...

as Benny Pistone * David Labiosa as Rudy *

Harry Van Dyke Harry Van Dyke, also known as Harry'O The Vandizzle (born September 29, 1972) is an American actor and record producer, most known for his role as Douby in the movie ''Split Decisions ''Split Decisions'' is a 1988 American crime drama sports ...

as Douby * Anthony Trujillo as Angel * Victor Campos as Santiago *

Tom Bower Thomas Michael Bower (born 28 September 1946) is a British writer and former BBC journalist and television producer. He is known for his investigative journalism and for his unauthorised biographies, often of business tycoons and newspaper pr ...

as Detective Walsh *

Julius Harris Julius W. Harris (August 17, 1923 – October 17, 2004) was an American actor who appeared in more than 70 movies and numerous television series in a career that spanned four decades. Harris is best known for his roles in 1970s films such as '' ...

as Tony Leone *

De'voreaux White De'voreaux White (born Devorea W. Sefas; August 6, 1965) is an American actor. He is best known for his role in ''Die Hard'' as the young limousine driver, Argyle. Career Film and television De'voreaux White was born in Los Angeles County, Cal ...

as Coop * Herb Muller as Mr. D. * Cathleen A. Master as Pedroza's Girlfriend * Rachel Renick as Red-Haired Woman * Mark Dirkse as Thug #1 *

George Robotham George Robotham (January 10, 1921 – February 1, 2007) was an American stuntman and actor. Robotham was born in 1921 and played American football at UCLA, where he was awarded a degree in business administration. He started his acting career ...

as Thug #2 * Pete Antico as Sparring Partner #1 * Mark Hicks as Sparring Partner #2 * Michael Adams as Sparring Partner #3 * Joe Godsen as Sparring Partner #4 * George P. Wilbur as Referee At Patty Flood

Reception

In a review, ''TV Guide'' described Split Decisions as a "tedious low-budget boxing film". While praising Hackman's performance, the review pans the movie's "predictable script and phony, "

Rocky ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burges ...

"-style ending". Writing for the ''Los Angeles Times'', Michael Wilmington spoke more positively about the movie, declaring it a "rousing boxing melodrama that pretty much earns a split decision itself".

References

External links

* * * 1988 films 1988 crime drama films 1980s sports drama films American boxing films Films set in New York City Films scored by Basil Poledouris Films directed by David Drury 1980s English-language films 1980s American films {{sport-film-stub

Plot

Cast

Reception

See also

References

External links