Spring Break
Biopic of college athlete transcends sport film mold
Tyler Pietz
Issue date: 10/10/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Gary Fleder's "The Express" is the quasi-biopic of Ernie Davis, the first black college football player to be awarded the prestigious Heisman Trophy.
Despite a somewhat formulaic treatment of the plot and many of the same clichés typical of films in the sports-drama sub-genre, "The Express" prevails, in large part due to convincing acting and an engaging exploration of the racial woes that afflicted mid-20th-century America.
As we are introduced to him, Ernie Davis (Rob Brown) is a young boy living in Uniontown, Pa., a small industrial city roughly 50 miles outside of Pittsburgh. After being raised by his grandfather, a coal miner, Davis' mother unexpectedly uproots him from Uniontown and brings him to Elmira, N.Y.
Coming off an impressive high school football career, Davis is courted by several colleges with top-notch football programs but ultimately decides to follow in his idol Jim Brown's footsteps and play for head coach Ben Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid) at Syracuse.
Davis faces many obstacles, attempting to assimilate into an entirely different environment and win over the trust of his teammates and coach.
He also feels an enormous amount of pressure to live up to the reputation of the player who preceded him, Jim Brown.
Despite this, he proves to be an exceptional running back, a worthy replacement for the player whose number he now wears.
Quaid does an exceptional job in the role of Scwartzwalder.
While he isn't portrayed as being overtly racist at the outset of the film, Scwartzwalder is clearly conflicted about how to treat his black players in the face of racism, and whether to quell the controversy by conforming to tradition or to buck convention and risk his players getting hurt.
In addition to excellent acting by Brown and Quaid, Omar Benson Miller is perfectly cast as J.B., Davis's teammate and friend.
The film's most powerful moments come when Davis finally chooses to face his racist counterparts head-on, and when his coach and his team ultimately decide to do the same. Despite receiving death threats and being pelted with glass bottles, Davis asks to play in the final quarter of the Cotton Bowl against Texas.
Realizing that more is at stake than a game of football, Scwartzwalder sets aside his previous reservations and encourages Davis's bravery.
Although at times it seems like "Remember the Titians" re-dux, "The Express" transcends the typical feel-good sports movie mold. While it undoubtedly benefits from Davis's storybook biography as the source material, the acting and the (relatively) conservative approach to the story go a long way in making it a cut above the rest.
"The Express" is now playing in theaters nationwide.
Despite a somewhat formulaic treatment of the plot and many of the same clichés typical of films in the sports-drama sub-genre, "The Express" prevails, in large part due to convincing acting and an engaging exploration of the racial woes that afflicted mid-20th-century America.
As we are introduced to him, Ernie Davis (Rob Brown) is a young boy living in Uniontown, Pa., a small industrial city roughly 50 miles outside of Pittsburgh. After being raised by his grandfather, a coal miner, Davis' mother unexpectedly uproots him from Uniontown and brings him to Elmira, N.Y.
Coming off an impressive high school football career, Davis is courted by several colleges with top-notch football programs but ultimately decides to follow in his idol Jim Brown's footsteps and play for head coach Ben Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid) at Syracuse.
Davis faces many obstacles, attempting to assimilate into an entirely different environment and win over the trust of his teammates and coach.
He also feels an enormous amount of pressure to live up to the reputation of the player who preceded him, Jim Brown.
Despite this, he proves to be an exceptional running back, a worthy replacement for the player whose number he now wears.
Quaid does an exceptional job in the role of Scwartzwalder.
While he isn't portrayed as being overtly racist at the outset of the film, Scwartzwalder is clearly conflicted about how to treat his black players in the face of racism, and whether to quell the controversy by conforming to tradition or to buck convention and risk his players getting hurt.
In addition to excellent acting by Brown and Quaid, Omar Benson Miller is perfectly cast as J.B., Davis's teammate and friend.
The film's most powerful moments come when Davis finally chooses to face his racist counterparts head-on, and when his coach and his team ultimately decide to do the same. Despite receiving death threats and being pelted with glass bottles, Davis asks to play in the final quarter of the Cotton Bowl against Texas.
Realizing that more is at stake than a game of football, Scwartzwalder sets aside his previous reservations and encourages Davis's bravery.
Although at times it seems like "Remember the Titians" re-dux, "The Express" transcends the typical feel-good sports movie mold. While it undoubtedly benefits from Davis's storybook biography as the source material, the acting and the (relatively) conservative approach to the story go a long way in making it a cut above the rest.
"The Express" is now playing in theaters nationwide.
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