Remember the Titans
Let’s remember one of the best sports movies ever made. Denzel Washington and a stacked cast score a touchdown in this tale of unity that transcends the Gridiron.
PRE-GAME 🏈
Welcome back to Balls on Film! 👋🏻
I’d like to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American friends, family and readers. I hope that all of you had a fantastic day yesterday, whether it was spent celebrating with friends, family or just relaxing and taking some well-deserved time off.
If there’s one thing I love more than watching movies, it’s eating food and talking about food, and I’d love to hear about all of the tasty stuff you ate yesterday. Give me all of the details in the comments!
I wanted to go back to (American) Football for this week’s movie. It feels only right, since so many of you will have spent the day watching games yesterday - or at least had them on in the background during the festivities. I’ve always loved that American sports tend to tie in with various holidays - NFL at Thanksgiving, NBA at Christmas (although the NFL seems to be coming for that crown now) and MLB on the Fourth of July. Remember the Titans may not feature Thanksgiving, but it’s the sports movie that I always think of at this time of year.
With that, it’s about time for kick-off!
FIRST HALF 🏈
Remember the Titans is more than just a football movie - it’s a poignant exploration of racial tension, leadership, and the power of unity. Directed by Boaz Yakin, the film is based on the true story of the integration of T.C. Williams High School in Virginia, and its football team’s journey to overcome prejudice and division.
The film recounts the 1971 season, marking the school’s first year of racial integration - a change fraught with controversy. The shake-up sees longtime coach Bill Yoast (Will Patton) demoted in favour of fiery new head coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington). What begins as a volatile mix of tension among the black and white players gradually transforms into respect and unity, with the bond not only strengthening them on the field - but also bridging divides within the community.
This is right up there with my favourite Denzel Washington performances. It might be my favourite. Washington delivers a commanding, yet heartfelt performance. He strikes a perfect balance with the character, that sways between Full Metal Jacket-esque taskmaster and a thoughtful coach with an unwavering moral compass. As Boone faces hostility from both the players and the wider community at large, this no-nonsense approach coupled with moments of real vulnerability makes him an extremely compelling character. Opposite Coach Boone, there’s also Will Patton as Coach Yoast, who brings a much quieter but equally impactful presence, portraying a man grappling with his own biases while striving to do what’s right. It would have been easy to have Yoast as the villain here, trying at every turn to undermine Boone’s tenure as head coach, but Remember the Titans is a much better film than that. There’s so many layers to peel back as we watch these two characters interact, and slowly come together as a team.
There’s also the players themselves, who probably don’t quite get the attention that they deserve when talking about this movie. Denzel is obviously the star here, but it’s the players who provide a lot of the film’s heart and some of the sweeter, funny moments throughout the film. The relationship between Gerry (Ryan Hurst) and Julius (Wood Harris) is at the center of it all. The initial tension between the two is the real first big domino to fall As their friendship deepens, it serves as an example to, and inspiration for the rest of the team. It paves the way for the integration of the group as a whole, which then causes a ripple effect across the community. Then there’s other characters like Petey Jones (Donald Faison) and Louie Lastik (Ethan Suplee) who add plenty of humour to the team dynamic. Much like Coach Yoast could have been portrayed as an easy villain, in a lot of other movies the Louie character is the cheap comic relief - but he’s very much the open-minded bridge between the players and a beacon of positivity here. You can also watch a very young Ryan Gosling belting out ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’, as the cracks in team’s divide begin to show. The whole team is perfectly cast, and it’s as much about them as the two coaches.
Sheryl, Coach Yoast’s young daughter, is another standout. Usually outshining the adults with her football knowledge and passion, she also adds plenty of humour to the film and challenges her father to do what’s right for the team.
The game sequences and training camp scenes are exciting and well-shot. Football is obviously a hard-hitting game, and while the game scenes here might not have the same gritty impact as other popular football movies such as Friday Night Lights, they still serve the purpose of further unifying the team and pushing forward the themes of leadership and unity that the film is really all about. With every game the team plays, and the better they perform, it serves as a step forward in breaking down the barriers both in the locker room and in the community. I love watching Boone and Yoast slowly adapt to each other, all while the team are doing the same. It certainly adds plenty of weight to the usual ‘bad sports team gets better and tries to win the big final game’ narrative that we see quite a lot.
I love this movie, but it certainly isn’t without its flaws. The journey from a horribly racist and divided town to a community and team united can at times feel a bit overly simplified and straightforward, and it certainly does veer into overly-schmaltzy territory quite a bit. Personally, I can overlook the schmaltz and abundance of sentimentality as it just really works here - but I think that more of a focus on the abuse and prejudice that the black players faced would have been an impactful addition to the story.
In the end, Remember the Titans is an emotional, feel-good reminder of the power of teamwork and empathy. It’s a story that transcends sports and its messages remain as relevant today as they were back then. Denzel Washington’s amazing performance, the brilliant supporting cast have earned it a place in the sports movie hall of fame. Is it overly sentimental? Yes - but frankly, that’s why I love it. Even if you don’t care about American football or sports in general, this is one of the most uplifting, feel-good movies ever.
Remember the Titans is available to stream on Disney Plus, and available to purchase on most digital platforms.
HALFTIME 🏈
Let’s take a break for halftime.
Here’s what else I’ve been watching this week:
Suncoast
While caring for her terminally ill brother and trying to help her struggling mother, a teenager Doris (Nico Parker) strikes up an unlikely friendship with an eccentric activist (Woody Harrelson) who is protesting a landmark medical case. This was an absolutely beautiful film that had me in tears at the end. Parker and Harrelson are dynamite together, and I absolutely loved the friendship that developed between the two. Laura Linney portrays Doris’ struggling mother with such raw emotion, but does so with a welcome amount of levity that really adds a nice touch of humour to a movie that deals with such a heavy subject matter. The film deals with grief in a very delicate way and it’s a film that’s both uplifting and gut-wrenching at the same time.
Suncoast is available to stream on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK.
Quiz Lady
I mentioned this over on Notes earlier this week, but it’s really amazing how many great movies just come and go, and get totally lost in the streaming shuffle these days. I came across this whilst looking for something to watch. I had never even heard of it, but I went in blind and absolutely loved it. I may never even have found it if I hadn’t just been scrolling through menu after menu, but I’m glad I did. It’s a story of two sisters working together to cover their absent mother’s gambling debt. It’s a movie with a really big heart and some brilliant jokes. I genuinely laughed out loud several times, and there’s some really fun, subtle background humour throughout as well. Awkwafina & Sandra Oh are fantastic together.
Quiz Lady is available to stream on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK.
Hearts in the Game
I recently discovered a whole sports sub-genre of Hallmark movies, and whilst I don’t know I’d devote a whole newsletter to one, I’m going to work my way through as many of them as possible to find out. I thought I’d start with a baseball-themed one that revolves around a New York City publicist trying to rebuild the image of a Major League Baseball pitcher who choked in the World Series. Oh, and they just happen to be ex high school sweethearts, of course. It wasn’t bad by any means, but considering the storyline, the amount of actual baseball content in this is minimal at best. It’s a sweet little romantic story, but it really did need more sports. There’s a scene where a vegan influencer gets busted for eating a cheeseburger that’s used to introduce us to the main character that really did make me laugh though.
Available via the Hallmark Channel.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
Even as a Scottish person, I watch this every year at this time. I’m a huge fan of all things Peanuts and while this isn’t quite as good as A Charlie Brown Christmas, I still love it. The sky-high plates of toast never fail to make me smile.
Available to stream on Apple TV+
As usual, let me know what you’re watching or what you’re planning to go see. Let’s get back on to the field!
SECOND HALF 🏈
Let’s jump into some awards and bonus content.
BEST SCENE 🏆
It’s got to be the Gettysburg scene. Incredible stuff.
BEST LINE 🏆
Coach Boone: “I don't scratch my head unless it itches and I don't dance unless I hear some music. I will not be intimidated. That's just the way it is.”
MVP AWARD 🏆
In a movie packed with great performances, it’s got be Denzel Washington. This is still one of my favourite performances of his career.
IMDB TRIVIA HIGHLIGHT 🏆
According to Coach Herman Boone in an article published by ESPN, he really did integrate the buses before they left for football camp. Boone said "I forced them on each other, I forced them to learn each other's culture. I forced them to be a part of each other's lives."
BONUS FEATURE 💿
Here’s real-life Boone and Yoast talking about making the film.
And I love this clip of Wood Harris on the Rich Eisen Show! 😂
POST-GAME 🏈
Next week, we’re continuing our Rocky series as John Lees joins me again to dive into all things Rocky III.
It also occurred to me that we’ve not covered any racing movies yet, so I’d love to know what your favourites are, and I’ll get to our first one very soon. 🏎️
See you next week! 👋🏻
~James
Like novacaine, just give it time, works every time
Can't say this is one of my favorites. Boaz Yakin, the director, is an interesting guy. Supposedly he was making mainstream stuff for the studio to support his more adventurous fare, and taking significant years off in between.
Apparently he makes fun of this one. He was an NYU alum apparently and when he came back to show this to the graduating class, they all applauded - then he came out and basically said some variation of, "You LIKED that crap??"
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