A very inspiring interpretation of what's possible as a team

Rating: 7/10 (6 July 2007)

Remember the Titans is an excellent sports-drama, written by the American Gregory Allen Howard. It's directed by the seemingly unknown Boaz Yakin who puts his skills to action very well in this film. It is film that's based upon a true story it premiered in the U.S late 2000.
A small suburb in Virginia seems perfect from the outside, but the society is based on racial inequalities of large proportions. But under a federal mandate a school in for Afro-Americans in Virginia gets integrated to T.C. Williams High School. Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) is a successful football coach who gets assigned to lead the merged high school football team. Tensions arise when this fact is introduced to the Titans, consisting of both black and white students. Due to the segregation within the group, their performance as a team is obviously unsatisfactory.
Consequently Herman takes them on a bonding trip, to overcome the racial differences. Herman is not like any other coach, he distinguishes himself as a winner, and he will not tolerate any mistakes. The team's affections for each other become more profound than Herman ever expected. And as the season progresses the team's success ultimately causes the entire community to accept the changes.
The overall performance of Denzel is rock solid all the way through, and same goes for the rest of actors. The soundtrack is also a delight since it's filled with great oldies recognized by anyone. Among these songs we find "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Marvin Gaye and "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum just to mention a few. The main symphony theme also blends perfectly during those special, touching, moments.
Personally I got very interested in trying out American football while watching this film. It's also a very inspiring interpretation of what's possible when you work as a team. They Titans believed in their caused and proved for the rest of the society what's possible together. If black and white can cooperate perfectly in the football stadium, why wouldn't it be the same on the outside? I particularly admire this film for it moral values. It surpasses the ethical differences and shows that everyone is capable of respecting each other. I think this is an important message to remember, considering mankind's violent nature, and history, with wars and discrimination.