The Best of Times 1986

Jack Dundee, Kurt Russell, is a cautious banker haunted by what he calls the most shameful moment of his life: a dropped, perfectly thrown pass in the 1972 high school football clash between Taft and Bakersfield that ended in a scoreless tie. Since then, the memory has shadowed every facet of his life; he works for his father-in-law, the Colonel, Bakersfield’s staunch supporter who reminds him of it every day. Fourteen years later, Reno Hightower, the fateful game’s quarterback, now struggles financially as a van specialist in debt to Jack’s bank. Reno’s marriage frays when his wife, Gigi, leaves him once more, dreaming of a bright new life in Los Angeles where she hopes to be discovered.

To escape the weight of the past, Jack hops into a plan that starts with a ruse: visiting Reno’s garage under the pretense of fixing an odd-sounding engine, where he encounters Darla, Pamela Reed a perceptive “massage expert” who listens as he laments the old game and the cloud that hangs over him like a dark cloud. Darla suggests a bold idea—replay the game. Soon Jack seeks out the Colonel, R.G. Armstrong, and pitches a rematch on Bakersfield’s behalf; the proposal is accepted, setting a domino effect in motion. Back at home, Jack’s wife Elly, Holly Palance, tries to derail the plan with emotional blackmail, withholding intimacy, but her efforts fail and Jack moves into a motel to press ahead.

With Reno acknowledged as the greatest quarterback in South Kern County history—and the sole wearer of white shoes—Jack works to recruit him despite initial resistance. He wins Reno over by offering relief on late mortgages, and the two men push the project forward to the Caribou Lodge, where initial opposition begins to crumble. Disguised as Bakersfield’s tiger mascot, Jack leads a campaign of mischief—defacing town landmarks with tiger-orange banners and taunting messages—to rally supporters for the rematch. The plan intensifies as Jack and Reno aim to ignite town pride and bring the game back to life.

Meanwhile, the two wives arrange a dinner at Jack’s house on Monday, with a strict rule: no talk of sex or football. The evening starts awkwardly as the couples search for common ground, but the atmosphere softens until Jack slips and is caught watching the game on TV, pushing the men to confront their plan. The rematch’s first half sees Taft trailing 0–26, and Jack’s provocations threaten to tear the effort apart. Yet his sharp betrayal—exposing himself as the instigator in the tiger suit—stirs Reno into a furious rally, paradoxically stitching a fragile bond between them.

In a final burst of effort, Reno fires a long throw to Jack with only five seconds remaining, delivering the winning touchdown that restores Taft’s spirit and, crucially, mends both marriages. The late-game miracle becomes a turning point, blending redemption, reconciliation, and a hard-won sense of second chances, all set against the small-town backdrop that strings together pride, pressure, and the stubborn belief that a single moment can be rewritten.