By MICHAEL BOYLAN
mboylan@TheCitizenNews.com

Are you ready for more football ?

The Disney film "Remember the Titans," which opens in theaters this Friday, is based on the true story of the first Virginia football team to be racially integrated.

The team, the T.C. Williams High Titans, fought internal and external prejudices and discrimination on their way to an undefeated season.

Though set in Alexandria, Va., "Remember the Titans" was filmed entirely in Georgia toward the end of 1999. Viewers will be able to recognize areas in Marietta, Stone Mountain, Covington and Atlanta and possibly even some of their friends and neighbors who played extras in the film.

The film, directed by Boaz Yakin ("Fresh") stars Denzel Washington as Coach Herman Boone, the man chosen to lead the newly integrated team, and Will Patton as Coach Yoast, the coach he replaces. Yoast must deal with being an assistant to Boone after having several successful years with the all-white team.

As the season goes on, the two men learn that they have more than football in common and the forging of their friendship parallels the coming together of the team and the town. Both Washington and Patton are excellent in the film, portraying the right amount of intensity and integrity to their roles during such a volatile time in America's past.

Things start off rocky for the Titans. The white members of the team do not want to have to compete with the black boys for positions, while the black members have never been treated well by the white boys and don't expect this situation to be any different. Boone takes no guff from the beginning and gets them ready for the season with a grueling training camp.

The film was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer ("Armageddon," "Top Gun") and, let's face it, the man knows action. The football scenes are impeccable. They are shot masterfully and the sound of the hits are booming. Many times during the film audience members cringed as quarterbacks were sacked and amazing plays were made. The main difference between this movie and the rest of Bruckheimer's films, though, is this movie has a message and a heart, neither of which are contrived or forced.

Another key difference is that the players are not stereotypes such as the bad boy, the fat guy, the funny guy. They are high school students in the 1970s and they act that way. Their chemistry is wonderful and one believes this team could have success. Perhaps it is because it is a true story and most of the team is still alive.

In fact, the only drawback is that because it is a true story, you know how the movie is going to end. While the movie remains suspenseful, it is only to see how the team accomplishes its goal.

One of the best things about the film is Hayden Panettiere, the little girl who plays Coach Yoast's daughter, Cheryl. She is a football-loving maniac who is dedicated to her father and the team. Panettiere brings comic relief to what can sometimes be a heavy story, as well as bringing a child's perspective to the racial integration of the early 1970s.

It is amazing to see how far we, as a society, have come together racially since the 1970s, but the film works because we also see how much further we have to go.

"Remember The Titans" is a great film that certainly has its sights on an Academy Award. It may not get there but it has a lot of fun trying. The film is Rated PG, is appropriate for the entire family and is 113 minutes long. Enjoy.

Back to the Top of the PageBack to the Weekend Home Page