Movie review

[Mudcat]

I just watched a sports themed movie and since this is a sports (?) forum, I thought I would do a brief write-up.


The Express - The Ernie Davis Story (2008)

This is a biopic about the first black man to win the Heisman Trophy. It's okay. It's watchable.

It doesn't have much new to say about race issues. One of the big scenes designed to show the racism he faced was apparently entirely fictional. The year he won the Heisman, one of the other two nominees was black so that didn't feel like some immense breakthrough. Obviously the tide had turned. He had some black teammates. This is not akin to a Jackie Robinson situation.

Ernie Davis himself is not presented as having a lot of personality. He is quite polite and not politically active. The scenes where he does stand up for principles seriously left me wondering if they really happened or were they just tacked on for dramatic purposes - like many of the details in the movie apparently were.

But it is watchable. The story of Syracuse winning their first national championship was absorbing enough. His coach played by Dennis Quaid was an interesting character. There was a relationship with Jim Brown which was good.

At 130 minutes it is too long.

5.4 out of 10.

 

[CASPERWAIT$]

Mudder good review.

How do you come to a 5.4 in a review?

Any story about blacks succeeding is purely fiction. We all know the MAN won't let them be good in anything.

Why is it that Dennis Quaid does only sports movies now?

 

[Mudcat]

How do you come to a 5.4 in a review?

Asking how I arrive at my ratings is like asking Picasso how he decides where to deploy an eyeball. I just know when it is right.

5.0 is the dividing line between thumbs up and thumbs down. The question I ask myself is, would I ever watch it again? If the answer is a flat no, the rating must be 4.9 or less. In the case of this movie, I might. Not soon and not with great eagerness, but if I was killing time in certain situations, I could envision a scenario down the road where I might review it - and it would not be painful.

However if I never see it again that would be just fine.

5.4

 

[Archie]

forgettable movie. I don't remember much about it. I hadn't heard much about ernie before hand, so at least I learned somthing

 

[MrMonkey]

Asking how I arrive at my ratings is like asking Picasso how he decides where to deploy an eyeball. I just know when it is right.

You tell him buddy!

 

[tullamore]

Normally I am a sucker for sports films, that tell a story that is somewhat unknown. I had heard about Davis before, but was hoping for more from this film.

Interesting to see the Floyd Little recruitment, may dad who grew up in New Haven, and said Little was the best player he ever saw.

Also while on the subject of sports movies, Ben Affleck is in the process of putting together a film about the the 2 Yankee pitchers who traded wifes and families in the 1970's. I had not heard of that story till I read Bill Madden bio of Steinbrenner, which I give 9.2 out of 10.

 

[Bread]

You tell him buddy!

Great catch Other Mr.

Awesome say by Mudcat right there.

 

[tullamore]

I meant to say in my previous post the Ben Affleck is putting together a film, base on the 2 Yankees pitchers that traded wives and families in the 1970's, which I didn't know about until I read Steinbrenner's bio