Gridiron Gang

Plot synopsis:
Sean Porter (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) works at Kilpatrick Detention Center in Los Angeles. He becomes frustrated at not being able to help the kids get away from their problems in life when they are released from the center, such as street gangs and drug dealings. He decides to create a football team so the kids can feel like they're part of something. Porter believes that football will teach the teenage inmates what it takes to be responsible, mature, and disciplined winners. He picks out a few kids in the room that he feels will benefit from this program and requires that they practice with him the following day. He states to his new team, the Kilpatrick Mustangs, "You do it my way, not your way. Your way got you here and you're here because you lost. Right now you are all losers, but if you accept this challenge and stick with the program, you are all going to be winners at the end." Two of the teens do not get along because they are from rival gangs. Willie Weathers (Jade Yorker) is from the 88’s and Kelvin Owens (David Thomas) is from the 95’s. The first game is against the best team in the league, Barrington. The game starts out somewhat positive for the Mustangs, as they recover a fumble on the first drive, but things quickly turn. They are demolished by Barrington, losing by 38 points. After starting 0–2, the Mustangs start winning games as they learn to work together. Kelvin and Willie finally shake hands when they win a game by one touchdown after Kelvin makes a big block for Willie. Near the end of the season, the Mustangs are headed for the playoffs. They are getting more publicity and more fans along the way.
One of Willie’s 88 gang mates, Free, stops by the field. He realizes that Kelvin is a 95. Free and Kelvin get into a fight, and Free shoots Kelvin in the shoulder. As Free prepares to put another bullet in Kelvin's head, Willie runs toward Free and tackles him to the ground to save Kelvin. Free is shocked that Willie helped Kelvin and not him. The police show up, and Free runs off. He fires at the responding officers who fire in return, killing him. Although Kelvin survives the attack, he will not be able to play in the finals. Kilpatrick is almost forced to forfeit the playoff game due to concerns about further gang violence, but Porter's boss steps in to prevent it by arranging for volunteers from neighboring police departments to patrol the game. The County Sheriff's spokesperson states that "We will do whatever it takes to ensure that gangs do not take over the lives of our youth". In the playoff game, a rematch against Barrington, the Mustangs go into the half down 14–0. Willie gives a motivational speech, and they go out and beat Barrington on the last play of the game. It is revealed in the narration that they lost the championship game 17–14, but no one called them losers. A few months later, Sean's football method is officially made part of the program.
Nearly all the former members of the Mustangs are doing well in their new lives outside the detention center. Willie Weathers is playing football at a top boarding school, Kelvin Owens is playing football for Washington High, Kenny Bates is going to school in Redondo Beach and living with his mother, Junior Palaita got a job working for a furniture company, Leon Hayes is playing football for Dorsey High, Miguel Perez and Donald Madlock went back to their old gangs and are now in California youth authority prisons. Bug Wendal was killed in a drive-by shooting in Compton, California. Only five of the players are back in jail. The movie ends with a new group of Mustangs training for the next season. Some footage of the 1993 Gridiron Gang documentary is shown during the end credits.

Tags: murder

Review:
(Synopsis) The movie is based on a true story of a juvenile detention camp probation officer Sean Porter (Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson), who is frustrated by the 75% recidivism rate of the teenage felons that he is responsible for at Camp Kilpatrick.
The juveniles must give up their gang rivalries on the gridiron to unite as a team.(My Comment) You may think that this is just another football movie, but you would be wrong.
It's a really nice inspirational story about a man with idea to slow down the rate of recidivism among juvenile offenders.Based on the true story of Sean Porter, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson plays Porter a former college football star who thinks that if he can get some of the kids to organize as a football team in his ward of the Los Angeles Juvenile Detention Center it might keep them from going back to the gangs and returning to jail or winding up dead.The Rock, trading in on the name and image that professional wrestling gave him, maybe for the first time is playing a normal human being albeit a former sports star.
It is based on a true story about a man named Sean Porter a real live coach for juveniles played by the "THE ROCK." He wants to coach some 16 and 17 year old juvenile delinquents in a detention facility in hopes of making them change their violent and criminal ways.
The film takes place at a juvenile detention center run by Sean Porter(Dwayne Johnson) who feels he is not making a difference with the young hoodlums who come in and out.
But this is a film based more on football, it is about the hard life that kids have on the street, and also the struggle that youth workers have to try and keep kids off the streets.What makes it more intense is that it is real, anyone would like this film, just because The Rock is in it doesn't mean anything so guys, believe me when I say, even your girlfriends will enjoy it.
Gridiron Gang is based on a true story about a juvi detention center that starts a football program to help troubled kids.
We've been through soccer, baseball, tennis, dance, track and football: GRIDIRON GANG uses football as the pivotal point, but due to the presence of a fine script by Jeff Maguire who adapted Jac Flanders documentary film, and cohesive poignant direction by Phil Joanou who knows how to move a large cast around and keep it personal, and most of all due to the overpoweringly fine performance by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson this film is so honest and uplifting that it doesn't leave a dry eye in the audience.The story is well known: Probation Officer Sean Porter (Johnson) is frustrated that the boys in his camp for young criminals when released to the streets show 75% returning and a large number dying in gang related violence.
I enjoyed watching him learn how to catch that football.I never watch the trailers at the end of the movie but seeing the real Sean Porter was great..
First of all i'd like to point out that so far this is my favorite movie, as i, and many others can relate to this movie.As an immigrant i really can relate to this movie since no one believed in me and thought i had trouble written all over my face, this isn't the question, this movie brings you chills and tears that you can't even help yourself.Even getting stopped by police here and then just because they think you've done something bad, this movie describes everything you need to know about everyday life in the streets.Watch this movie with passion and you will understand what most of us are living through everyday.this movie has to be seen by many in order to believe your eyes, most people don't realise that this is happening every minute in the world.i finish this review by saying that this movie should be seen and deserves to stay on top in box office..
There are lessons about life to be learned from this movie and my praises go out to the people who are making a difference working with gang members in our violent world.
This movie was based on a true story and I felt it was very authentic, especially when they show clips at the end from the real Gridiron Gang.I expected a PG-rated Disney-type cheesy flick, but this was anything but that.
I saw it in a screening, and fell in love with it.Not only does it really hit home with the locations and the people, the story is something we hear about, everyday; Gangs, violence, crimes...etc.It wouldn't surprise me at all to see this film nominated several times.I had the pleasure of also meeting two of the actual guys who this film was based on (from the Kilpatrick team).
Movies like Dangerous Minds, Coach Carter, Hard Ball, and even recent dance movies like Take the Lead, and Step Up, all seem to have come from the same mould.Based on a true story, and on the Emmy award winning documentary of the same name, Gridiron Gang follows the tried and tested formula for movies with juvenile delinquents.
Having starred in mostly action movies in his Hollywood career thus far, Gridiron Gang allowed The Rock some space in dramatic moments to prove his acting chops, so take this opportunity to see if you'll laugh and cry together with him.
Life's a journey of constant learning, and that's very true for the boys in the Mustang team, player and coach alike.Stay tuned when the end credits roll to glimpse the documentary on which the movie is based upon, as well as to meet the real Sean Porter and the faces of the real people behind some of the characters in the movie..
In the Kilpatrick juvenile detention center, the supervisor and former football player Sean Porter (Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson) sees the lack of discipline, self-esteem, union and perspective in the teenage interns and proposes to prepare a football team to play in one league.
It had more heart than most movies I've seen all year.The story: a youth detention camp decides to form a football team in order to help teach these kids how to bond, how to respond to authority and how to act as one unit.
Awesome movie.One of the best feel good ,football ,real life story movies ever made.It shows character and good base of actualfacts.Must see for rock fans,a different rock.Rock has matured as a actor.The rock can actually act.I went for the movie with no expectations.Awesome emotions.Shows how everyone needs a second chance.Don't miss this movie.You will be surprised.
Director Phil Joanou is admirable in making this movie based on a true story because I wasn't sure if I was going to like this one and I ended up enjoying it.
Dwayne Johnson turns in a solid performance as Sean Porter a juvenile detention center counselor who changes the lives of many troubled teenagers for the better by getting them to join a football team.
Overall despite some flaws Gridiron Gang is a well made coming of age drama with complex characters, some realistic sports action, and equally impressive performances by the cast especially Johnson who make this movie based on a true story worth the time to watch because it deserves to be told..
It's directed by Phil Joanou and is loosely based on the true story of the Kilpatrick Mustangs during their first season playing Gridiron out of their home, Camp Kilpatrick, a juvenile detention centre for delinquents.Few things in cinema cause as much division as the inspirational sports movie.
Remember the titans was about overcoming racism, Rudy was about persistence and hard work (as was Invincible, another good movie) Gridiron gang focuses on the story of a caring social worker who organizes a football team of delinquents in the hope of filling the void that they have heretofore filled with crime.
My wife and I loved this movie.It has been a long time now since Hollywood has made anything worth seeing.I hate to see critics reviews,I wish could find a site with just common folks.Sorry but critics look at the color,clothes they wear,how they edited the movie?common.We watch a movie that makes us feel good and this movie does that.Not like henry the 8th I'm so bored type movies.For any regular people out there rent this one it's great.
I wasn't expecting a lot, and maybe that helped, but I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.When the movie ended I wasn't surprised that the movie was based on a real story, to be frank I wouldn't have been surprised if they'd used the real people in the roles because the acting throughout was superb, with none of the characters being given forced lines or plots, and seemingly genuinely involved in this films little world.
Chammilionaire and his friend Dwayne were not thrown out of their depth either, with one giving a believable performance as a coach who really cares, and the other as an indifferent friend whose really just their to help.Now don't get me wrong, this film will not be the epiphany for all the moviegoers who can't stand watching wrestlers and musicians attempts at acting, their is nothing in this movie that really stands out and will make you go 'wow'.
I have to admit I'm a sucker for movies based on a true story, but Gridiron Gang succeeded in surpassing my expectations and creating a bar of excellence for the sports drama genre.
So trying to say something new about the recent Gridiron Gang is as tough as playing that hardscrabble high school football for convicts.The Rock plays Sean Porter, a forgiving but tough counselor/coach for a team of teenage delinquents, one of whom, Willy, has murdered his step-father.
In this way, Gridiron is something like Invincible, starring Mark Wahlberg as Vince Papale, in which Papale has no easy time making the Eagles, enduring their vigorous training, or winning games.It's good to emphasize in film the importance of cooperation and heart; recent sports films have done better than most in showing that spirit..
His plan was to give focus and dignity to a completely forgotten demographic.Gridiron Gang is based on the true story of Porter's first football team.
We all love an underdog story and what's buried deeper than a group of antisocial teenagers playing football for the first time in their lives.Of course films like this have their share of corny scenesthe Rock attempted tears (unsuccessfully) in two of them.
This is one of the most inspirational movies that have played in a long time.It really shows you what is happening in the world with gangs and how some people try their best to help stop it!
What makes it even more interesting is the fact that it is based on a true story of real young men who had attended a juvenile facility where the correctional officers formed a football team and some of the juveniles were able to play.
Supervisors Sean Porter (Dwayne Johnson) and Malcolm Moore (Xzibit) decide to put together a football team to get the teens to work together.I love The Rock in this.
He states to his new team, the Kilpatrick Mustangs, "You are all losers, But if you stick with the program you could all be winners at the end." Two of the teens do not get along because they are from rival gangs.Based on a true story, "Gridiron Gang" sends out a message that one man can make a difference and the most hopeless kids in our society can change the course of their lives through hard work, commitment and bold leadership The Emmy Award winning documentary Gridiron Gang was aired on television in 1993.
This film, as the title gives away is about the American football team created by "the rock" and xzibit in an attempt to help turn a bunch of wayward juveniles back onto the right track in life.Inspired by his characters (and his real-life) NFL background, Dwayne (Rock) gives a truly convincing performance as one of the two coaches trying to help the youth's get their lives back on the right track.As the story goes on, you feel more and more for the team as they begin to learn the true values in life, the hardships, the downs, but also the rewards they begin to get out of it by sticking with the plan and putting faith in their coach.A great film, that you will happily watch more than the once.
To give them a sense of achievement, something to want to live for and he does this the best way he knows how, American Football and by tough love.I could never really say that this film is a realistic portrayal because I have never lived in this type of environment but I can say that Gridiron Gang is well worth watching, I would recommend it to anyone..
I can think of lots of Oscar-winning films that fulfill the first without even touching on the other two but this movie certainly fulfills all three and, for that, Phil Joanou is to be congratulated.As to my summary, I have to admit that I'm glad I watched Gridiron Gang on my own at home because there were several times when I had to wipe my eyes!
Juvenile detention camp probation officer Sean Porter (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), along with another officer, Malcolm Moore (Xzibit), turn a group of hardcore teenage felons into a high school football team in four weeks.
Based upon the true story of Sean Porter and his football team, which was composed entirely of juvenile delinquents, many of whom were once members of rivaling gangs that are now being forced to work together and put their pasts behind them.
Jade Yorker was perhaps the most memorable as Willie Weathers, probably because of his character's major involvement throughout the story and that he suffers and changes the most over the course of the film.There is one thing I do not personally care for in "Gridiron Gang".
Gridiron Gang is about a bunch of felons at a juvenile detention center and how their camp officer Sean Porter (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), and his friend Malcolm Moore (Xzibit) turn the teenage criminals into football players in a matter of weeks.
It's an uphill struggle for Porter at first, but through hard work and commitment he makes these kids learn that valuing oneself and being a team player can go an awful long way...From its brutal opening sequences to its rather touching (albeit predictable ending) Gridiron gang is a message film - admittedly one that is metaphorically emblazoned on its chest a little too much.
However, Johnson is also good outside of the obvious and manages to give some heart and weight to the picture - the scenes with this mother are very touching.Not only is the film successful as a basic 'feel-good' story, but the film also benefits from strong characterisation; you find yourself indifferent to a lot of these juvenile detainees at the start of the film, but due to strong character development I found myself caring about them - the likes of Junior and Weathers have a lot to fight for, but it just takes them both a while to realise it and as a result of this their characters are particularly compelling.Gridiron gang remains a great film and one that opens our minds to the turf wars that are still wholly real in this day and age.
This movie, which is based on a true story, is for the family over 12 years old.Gridiron Gang is taken place at a juvenile detention facility.
Lastly is Roger, Roger doesn't have a huge role in the movie but he is a main character because Shawn wanted to start the team because he didn't want teen boys to get out of the facility and end up like Roger, or just coming back to the detention center right after getting out.There were many actors in this film that I had never seen before.
He was Sean Porter (Dwayne Johnson), he wanted to start a football program for the juvenile kids.
This football team has to go through hell to figure out who they are and why they are going nowhere in life.The main characters that did a good job acting and had a big part in this movie is Sean Porter (Dwayne Johnson), Willie Weathers (Jade Yorker), Kelvin Owens (David V.
Thomas and Jade Yorker played a big role in showing that it doesn't matter what gang you come from, on the Gridiron there together as one, as a team.All around I enjoyed every part of the movie especially when it went back into time to show how Willie Weathers got in trouble to begin with.
The juveniles started with no respect just hate and ended up acting as a team through standing up for each other.The most important characters in my eyes are, Dwayne Johnson as Sean Porter, Jade Yorker as Willie Weathers, Setu Taase as Junior Palaita, Michael J.
Some things I liked about the movie were that it was based off of a true story, people could learn from it and it could be inspiring and life changing to some people.
I just watched The Gridiron Gang and in my opinion it was a very good movie I liked how it could go from being in a serious position to making the seriousness funny and I thought it did a good job in showing how much the football program changed the teens lives.
For once there was a lot more football shown than we are usually given in a movie like this.The bad: At times the emotional content of the film was overused and combined with the music and acting....on more than one occasion I thought 'The Rock' and Xzibit would say I love you guys...to the team.