There have been a number of movies
based on true life tales that involve football. All of them are inspirational
in their own way. It seems as movie goers we must love these tales because each
one has done well at the box office, some becoming movie favorites that last
forever in the hearts of those who view them. Just added to that list is WHEN
THE GAME STANDS TALL. Does it deserve to be on that list? Indeed it does.
The movie is based around the De La
Selle High School Spartans, a team that held an incredible winning streak of
151 games undefeated. No other football team, pro or high school, has held a
streak to match. And yet the soul of the team is what makes it special. Coach
Bob Ladouceur (Jim Caviezel) does want to have a winning team but for him the
most important thing is the team itself, the men that these young boys will one
day become. It striving for that goal the winning team follows suit.
The film begins with the team on
their winning streak and a new season about to start soon. It offers us a
glimpse into how the team comes together to form a bonding unit rather than
single stars. At the same time we get a glimpse of how a rising star can fall
short of the goals the coach sets out to achieve. It’s not about that single
player but about the team as a whole.
And then two crushing blows come to
the team. The first is a heart attack suffered by the coach. Secret cigarette
smoking has led him to this and it nearly costs him his life. It’s a set back
for the team as he works to recover from his illness while his backup coach
puts them through the paces that summer as they prepare for next season.
Things go from bad to worse when one
of their best players, a young man who has a bright future ahead of him is
gunned down. The shooting is the result of his bragging attitude on a
basketball court, a gunman who wants to show him he’s not all that he thinks he
is. The death of this player affects his best friend most, a player who feels
that people are dying all around him and he doesn’t deserve a chance at a
better life. The pair had played together since grade school and been in line
to start the next year at Oregon University. But the death also takes its toll
on the rest of the team as well.
The coach recovers and takes control
of the team once again prior to the new season. But something has happened to
them in the meantime. The events of the past few months have become a burden on
the team. Coupled with the extra burden of carrying on the tradition of no
losses it becomes too much and the team is beaten in their first game.
Distraught and disillusioned with the game, they now face a dilemma. Can they
regain the glory they once had or are they doomed to failure? More importantly
has it all boiled down to making records, to being victorious or is it about
brotherhood, bonding together and becoming the men that the coach intended them
to be from the start?
Fans of football will love this
movie. There is more on field action here than in most movies I’ve seen in this
genre. At the same time there are the stories of those involved with the team.
The coach who has put his family on the back burner for years while getting
close with his teams. The son who only wants to have his father in his life as
his coach. The young man who feels the weight of having no one left in his life
but his little brother and now has the opportunity to move forward. The father
who lives so vicariously through his son’s achievements that he places more
value on the prizes than he does the affections of his child. These characters
and their stories make this movie more than just a football film.
Caviezel does a fine job in the
lead, showing a maturity that has come with age and is on display in all his
moves. Laura Dern as his loving and supportive wife who longs for more time
with him is equal to his performance. Michael Chiklis as his right hand man and
fellow coach comes through in a pinch when needed. Clancy Brown as the glory
seeking father living through his son’s achievements is the heel of the film
and does it gloriously. And each of the young men playing the team members act
as a team as much as the characters they portray. They don’t stand out alone
but work together to bring the story to life.
The movie is an inspiration as
opposed to a look at how football is played. As I said, it’s about the team and
the boys who make up that team on their way to manhood. Knowing that someone
like coach Ladouceur was out there helping to form these boys this way gives
you hope for the future. What more could you ask for?
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