Remember the Titans
Movie Review by:Larissa Taff, American University

In 1971 high school football was everything to the people of Alexandria. Nevertheless, when the all while school was forced to integrate with a neighboring an all black school, the very foundation of Alexandria’s football was put to the test. In what was an explosive situation with many consequences, the school board hired a new black coach to train the Titians.

Herman Boone was hired as head coach of the T.C. Williams High Titans instead of the favored Bill Yoast. As expected, the blacks and the whites of the team hate each other upon first meeting, and that hatred stays as the team goes to training camp. But Coach Boone is determined to make his players accept each other's race, whether it is through assigned cross-race seating on a bus or a requirement during camp for each white roommate to know his black roommate. By the end of camp, the team does learn to accept one another. Soon Boone and Yoast also learn to work together, and found they had much more than football in common. Together they shaped a group of unreliable boys into responsible men and created a winning team. This newly integrated team then followed their coach’s leadership and brought together a town plagued by prejudice. That spirit continues as the Titans work their way towards the state championship.

Remember the Titans is an inspiring film based on a true story. Disney effectively portrays the story behind the film with talented actors including Denzel Washington and Will Patton. The film does a great job of inspiring positive race relations. It would be great if every high school sports team could come together like this one. This also helps people understand how things were back then and the things that people went through.

This movie is more than just about football, race relations and integration. The lead characters excellently portray the human spirit, showing that everyone can overcome not just on the field but also in life. This movie is not so much about the Titans football team winning the state championship, as it is about the team players learning to respect each other and using the sport as a way of expressing their future goals and dreams in life.