A powerful & effective film on race relations

Rating: 8/10 (5 January 2009)

While a film like this may not be what everyone is looking for, since some who want a sports movie ONLY want a sports movie, 'Remember the Titans' is a fantastic film that works on multiple levels to deliver not only a great film on football, but one that speaks well on the racial tensions of the time period. It may not take the racial problems as seriously as it should, but as it's a Disney film, it's hard to be entirely put off by that.
The story goes as follows: When two schools (one primarily white, the other primarily black) are integrated, the football team is put under the control of black coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington). This causes strife between the players and community. As the racial tension rises, Boone must work harder to unite his divided team.
The script has a nice blend of drama and humour. From the gut-wrenching moments of racial battling to the hilarious "Who's Your Daddy?" scene, 'Remember the Titans' works well as more than just a simple sports flick. Adapting the script to the screen. director Boaz Yakin (this film being, essentially, his masterpiece (without much competition)) captures the 1970s Virginia setting quite well and does a good job of portraying the action of the game of the football. The acting, as expected, is mostly fantastic. Denzel puts forth his usual awesome performance and, excluding one or two of the players, the rest of the cast does well along with him.
All together, 'Remember the Titans' manages to be one of the most well rounded & well made sports movies I've ever seen.
Final Verdict: 8.5/10.
-AP3-