Which actor gave the best performance?

Rating: Null/10 (6 November 2014)

Many great reviews here, film is good, maybe not great, but good. But we feel MATTHEW FOX (as Coach Red Dawson) gave the best performance of all of them. Yes, through most of the characters here we feel the pain of the people, school, the town, the state. But Fox NAILS this role completely! He totally owns the 'emotional portrayal' of the loss that they all feel in each and every scene he's in - and each time he brings us to tears!
As an example of one of our favorite scenes: Coach Dawson (Fox) is in the locker room after their first win, crying his eyes out, all alone. And then the elderly team janitor walks in and congratulates the coach on his win. But in an awe-inspiring moment, the coach then, in turn, congratulates {the janitor} on the TEAM's win ('congratulations to you too, Jimmy').
That simple statement is beautiful and priceless just in itself: Everyone plays a part, everyone is important to the team - even the 'lowly' janitor. This wonderful message permeates the film, and it will move you beyond belief when you recognize it for what it truly is . . .
"You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." — Malcolm S. Forbes