Remember The Titans (2000)

3.5 out of 4

Starring: Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Ryan Hurst, Wood Harris, Craig Kirkwood, Hayden Panettiere, Ethan Suplee, Donald Faison, Kip Pardue

Director: Boaz Yakin

Time: 113 mins

It seems the last year or so has seen a proliferation (OK, mildly exaggerating there!) of two types of films: the flashy Jerry Bruckheimer production (Gone In Sixty Seconds, Coyote Ugly); and the American football movie (Any Given Sunday, The Replacements). As Hollywood intelligence is so well-known for doing, they've married these two genres (all right, maybe it's going overboard to call them genres) and produced Remember The Titans, a film (based on a true story) about the exploits of a high school football team in a racially divided Virginian town during the early 70s. The team's stirring season broke down the barriers and made everyone, of all colours, come together in support. The film itself is slick, funny, and quite entertaining. Lest you think it is an atypical Bruckheimer effort, all the requisite Bruckheimer trademarks are still there: lots of testosterone, humour and whizz-bang, flashily edited action. The participation of Denzel Washington, near the peak of his form, plus some good support, makes Remember The Titans one of the high points of the past few months.

The story is set in1971, when two racially segregated schools in Virginia are merged to form T.C. Williams High. Bill Yoast (Will Patton), the head coach of the formerly all-white school's football team, finds he is being replaced by Herman Boone (Denzel Washington), a man who has been chosen because of his colour. Initially, both coaches, and the players, including All-American Gerry Bertier (Ryan Hurst), Lewis Lastik (Ethan Suplee), Julius Campbell (Wood Harris), and Petey Jones (Donald Faison), don't quite see eye to eye. But at a pre-season training camp, Boone does almost the unthinkable: he molds them into a team. Back in the real world, Boone, Yoast, and the players face new hurdles, not only from opposing teams, but from their peers. The Titans find success on the field, but will they be able to inspire their town to put aside their racial differences and fears?

Football/karate/boxing/hockey/name-your-sport films are always on studios' rosters, brought out of hibernation every couple of years to prop up accounting bottom lines. After all, the combination of underdog individuals or teams and potentially exciting action scenes provide for ready-made, crowd-pleasing material (think Rocky and The Karate Kid). Throw in some humour, and you have the recipe for a sure-fire winner. Remember The Titans has all these ingredients, but even more, it is based on a true story. This adds a touch more realism to the film, and means it doesn't have to resort to the false drama or over-the-top humour that can plague derivative fare like the recent The Replacements.

While Remember The Titans will probably be labelled a drama, there is enough humour throughout the film to afford it semi-comedy status. This is especially true during the opening portion of the film, when all the main characters are at training camp. The interaction between the supporting cast is unforced, and makes the film better for it. In particular, the friendship between main players Gerry Bertier and Julius Campbell is developed to such a degree of warmth and sincerity that the emotional impact of some of the film's later scenes is more keenly felt. There is some minor tension during several of the confrontational scenes between blacks and whites, but overall this aspect remains in the background. The football action is only adequate - quite often, a couple of plays will be shown, and then the film cuts to a time after the game is over and the result is relayed to the audience. Also, because a lot of the game scenes are filmed in close-up, one loses the perspective that is obtained from a wider, more distant shot. Still, the action is not the prime focus of the film, and there are enough mega-hits and collisions between the players to satisfy fans of this type of action.

There is a truism that a strong actor can elevate a film, and Remember The Titans has Denzel Washington. While the film would have been fine without him, his portrayal of the determined coach who wants to be a winner is riveting. Indeed, some of his motivational ploys and speeches are so inspirational that it is easy to see why the footballers bond so well. Though he'll probably be forgotten come Oscar nomination day, it's one of his best performances. Also good, though in a quieter role, is underrated character actor Will Patton (who was also in Bruckheimer's Gone In Sixty Seconds). Though initially resentful at being replaced, his respect and admiration for what Boone does with the team grows by the day. The rest of the football team, especially Ryan Hurst and Wood Harris, turn in believable performances, rather than the stereotyped caricatures that were in The Replacements. Mention must also be made of Hayden Panettiere, who plays Patton's young, football-obsessed daughter, Sheryl.

In what has been a fairly lean period for quality releases lately, Remember The Titans stands out from the rest of the pack. It's not hard to see why this film returned over $100m at the North American box office several months ago. There is gentle drama, sports action, and lots of winning humour. Though designed to be a feel-good crowd-pleaser from the start, that it succeeds is a tribute to director Boaz Yakin, the actors and - yes, credit where credit's due - even Jerry Bruckheimer himself.

(c) Joe Wong (3 February 2001)