Code Breakers (film)

{{Infobox television

| image =

| caption =

| genre = Drama

| based_on = {{based on|A Return to Glory|Bill McWilliams}}

| writer = G. Ross Parker

| director = Rod Holcomb

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| music = Anthony Marinelli

| country = United States

| language = English

| executive_producer = Orly Adelson

| producer = Frank Siracusa

| editor = Michael Brown

| cinematography = Thomas Del Ruth

| runtime = 128 minutes

| company = Orly Adelson Productions

| budget =

| network = ESPN

| released = {{Start date|2005|12|10}}

}}

Code Breakers is a 2005 American sports drama television film directed by Rod Holcomb and written by G. Ross Parker, based on the 2000 non-fiction book A Return to Glory by Bill McWilliams. The film chronicles the real-life 1951 cheating scandal at the United States Military Academy, and the impact on its football team. It stars Zachery Ty Bryan, Jeff Roop, Jake Busey, Corey Sevier, Theo Rossi, Robin Dunne, Adam Grimes, Jude Ciccolella, Dan Petronijevic, Richard Zeppieri, and Scott Glenn as Coach Earl "Red" Blaik.

The film aired on ESPN on December 10, 2005.

Synopsis

The film chronicles the 1951 cheating scandal at West Point and its impact on Army's football team, which was forced to dismiss virtually its entire squad. The film begins going into the 1950 Army–Navy Game, the Cadets football team was heavily favored, yet went on to lose to a weak Midshipmen squad, 14–2. The Academy and football team were then thrown into a scandal when 90 cadets, including 37 lettering football players, resigned in a cheating scandal which broke the Academy's Honor Code.{{cite news|first=Mel |last=Bracht |title=ESPN original movie 'Codebreakers' ESPN tracks the Code' Former OU assistant featured in movie on West Point scandal |url=http://newsok.com/article/2923121 |work=NewsOK.com |date=9 December 2005 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20160911202027/http://newsok.com/article/2923121 |archive-date=11 September 2016 |url-status=dead |access-date=11 September 2016 |df=dmy }} The film follows Brian Nolan, a cadet who is led to a ring of cheaters when he is need of academic help to pass. A serious piece of the film involves the relationship of Coach Blaik and his son Bob, one of the cadets responsible for cheating.{{cite magazine|last=DeFord |first=Frank |author-link=Frank DeFord |date=November 13, 2000 |url= https://vault.si.com/vault/2000/11/13/code-breakers-fifty-years-ago-red-blaiks-football-powerhouse-at-army-was-decimated-by-the-loss-of-players-who-violated-the-military-academys-honor-code-but-who-really-acted-dishonorably |title=Code Breakers |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=December 7, 2023}}

Cast

{{castlist|

Zachery Ty Bryan as Brian Nolan
Jeff Roop as George Holbrook
Jake Busey as Straub
Corey Sevier as Bob Blaik
Theo Rossi as Desantis
Robin Dunne as Trager
Adam Grimes as Culpepper
Jude Ciccolella as Commandant Harkins
Dan Petronijevic as Corely
Richard Zeppieri as Vince Lombardi
Scott Glenn as Earl "Red" Blaik
Shane Daly as Doug Kenna
Damon Runyan as Firstie
Jonathan Walker as Bellingham
Sarah Gadon as Julia Nolan
Jennifer Dale as Mrs. Nolan

}}

Production

Filming took place in Toronto.{{cite web|last=Lowry|first=Brian|title=Codebreakers|url=https://variety.com/2005/tv/reviews/codebreakers-1200519777/|work=Variety|date=December 8, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151107184331/http://variety.com/2005/tv/reviews/codebreakers-1200519777/|archive-date=November 7, 2015|access-date=July 14, 2022}} A principal shooting location was Victoria College. Cinematographer Thomas Del Ruth used the 1950 film The West Point Story, directed by his father Roy Del Ruth, as a template in recreating West Point in the 1950s.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/09/sports/ncaafootball/recapturing-west-point-with-help.html|title=Recapturing West Point, With Help|last=Sandomir|first=Richard|author-link=Richard Sandomir|work=The New York Times|date=December 9, 2005|access-date=December 5, 2018}}

Release

The film aired on December 10, 2005 at 9 pm ET on ESPN and ESPN HD.{{cite news|title=ESPN's Latest Original Film, "CodeBreakers," Debuts Saturday|url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2005/12/Issue-62/Sports-Media/Espns-Latest-Original-Film-Codebreakers-Debuts-Saturday.aspx|access-date=November 7, 2015|work=SportsBusiness Daily|date=December 9, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151107183131/http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2005/12/Issue-62/Sports-Media/Espns-Latest-Original-Film-Codebreakers-Debuts-Saturday.aspx|archive-date=November 7, 2015}}