The topic mentioned just a few times but pervading the film is race (and class). Coach Courtney and his assistant are white. All of the players are black. It’s inspiring to see them connecting, yet the gulf in the lifestyles of the coach and his family, who live in a nicer house in a nicer neighborhood, and the players, is vast. In one scene, all or nearly all of the players raise their hands when asked if they had someone close to them who was shot. Only indirectly does the film suggest what it’s like to live with the daily threat of violence and the family dysfunction also hinted at. It’s a good, honest, sports documentary, but not a groundbreaking one.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Undefeated (***)
“Football doesn’t build character; football reveals character.” So says Bill Courtney, the volunteer coach for the Manassas Tigers. The Tigers attend a high school with metal detectors at the entrance and live in a depressing, run-down section of North Memphis. This Oscar-winning documentary follows Courtney, in his sixth year as coach, during the course of a season he hopes will lead to the Tigers’ first-ever playoff win. They start off with a loss, so the title is clearly metaphorical, referring to to Courtney’s idea that reacting well to a setback will yield rewards. Three players—roughly, the star, the ex-con, and the smart kid—are used as exemplars of Courtney’s philosophy. The most effective and moving scenes are the ones in which the coach talks to each of them one on one. Courtney doesn’t seem to have any secret to his success on the field—we don’t actually see much in the way of game strategy—except to care about his players. Unfortunately, the players themselves are not interviewed.
The topic mentioned just a few times but pervading the film is race (and class). Coach Courtney and his assistant are white. All of the players are black. It’s inspiring to see them connecting, yet the gulf in the lifestyles of the coach and his family, who live in a nicer house in a nicer neighborhood, and the players, is vast. In one scene, all or nearly all of the players raise their hands when asked if they had someone close to them who was shot. Only indirectly does the film suggest what it’s like to live with the daily threat of violence and the family dysfunction also hinted at. It’s a good, honest, sports documentary, but not a groundbreaking one.
viewed 3/20/12 7:05 at Ritz Bourse and reviewed 3/20/12
The topic mentioned just a few times but pervading the film is race (and class). Coach Courtney and his assistant are white. All of the players are black. It’s inspiring to see them connecting, yet the gulf in the lifestyles of the coach and his family, who live in a nicer house in a nicer neighborhood, and the players, is vast. In one scene, all or nearly all of the players raise their hands when asked if they had someone close to them who was shot. Only indirectly does the film suggest what it’s like to live with the daily threat of violence and the family dysfunction also hinted at. It’s a good, honest, sports documentary, but not a groundbreaking one.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment