Based on a remarkable true story, "Remember the Titans" follows the explosive dramatic events that took place in Alexandria, Virginia in 1971 when African-American football coach Herman Boone (Academy Award-winner Denzel Washington) was hired to guide an integrated but racially polarized high school team, the T.C. Williams Titans. Angry, stubborn and a rigid task master, Boone faces a cool reception from the team's players as well as an awkward relationship with assistant coach Bill Yoast (Will Patton), a local white coach with seniority and a tradition of winning who was bypassed for the job. As the two men learn to overcome their ignorance and bigotry and realize that they have much in common and integrity, honor and a strong work ethic. They work together to transform a group of angry unfocused players into a dynamic winning team of responsible young men. In the process, they also unite a divided community and ensure that Virginia will always "Remember the Titans."
1 Not as Good........
The teachers at my school showed REMEMBER THE TITANS to the fifth grade. I don't think this is appropriate for 11-year-olds. There were some parts that I really hated, like when one football player is in a severe car crash and is paralyzed from the waist down. There was also a gay football player on the team and mild cuss words. I know this movie is trying to teach a lesson, but it was very disappointing to me.
2 Beautiful
An absolutely wonderful performance by Denzel Washington. Every young person in America should see this movie. An excellent example of what it takes to succeed in this country.
3 A Classic Movie for Everyone
The movie, Remember the Titans, is the classic tale of good versus evil in the form of racism. It tells the story of how a town and more specifically, a football team and high school, overcame their prejudice to attain one common goal.
The story takes place in Virginia in the 1970's at a time when racism was high. One of the all black schools is shut down, forcing the students to move to a new school which until now, was all white. This is the beginning of a huge controversy with the people of the town. To make matters worse, Herman Boone, the black coach played by Denzel Washington, is hired as the head football coach of the school. The former and very successful coach Bill Yoast, played by Will Patton, who had retired, comes back when he hears about the new black coach and becomes the assistant to Coach Boone.
All the elements are in this movie for a hometown story about racism. The football players are forced to bunk together in summer camp as the coach instructs them to learn something about each other. As the players start to examine their own prejudices and to form friendships with kids of another race, Coach Boone and Yoast must also learn to get along and eventually become close friends, as do their families. Now the team must learn to battle the prejudice of the town and even the girlfriend of the team captain leaves her boyfriend because of their difference of opinions. The movie ends with the Titans winning the state championship because they did not allow racism to hurt their team. They also won over most of the townspeople.
I would recommend this movie to anyone who follows sports and especially football. It demonstrates the hours and hours of practice involved in this sport. The game scenes were realistic with bone crushing sound effects and great footage of plays. It was fascinating to hear what goes on in the huddle and between the field and the sidelines. This movie also catches the spirit of high school with the cheerleaders and fans at the games, including the ugly side of it at times. Though there are tragic scenes of violence and a car accident that sidelines a player, there are also many humorous parts as the players get to know each other. No one who will ever see this film will forget the dancing football players singing, "We are the Titans, the mighty, mighty Titans."
4 I dont even know how to play football!!!!!!!!!!
I have no clue how to play football and probably never will even though it has been explained to me a million times. It doesn't matter. This is a great, great feel good movie. I loved it. Its a great "family movie" but if you have a wild 5 year old running around like my crazy niece they probably wont sit still through it. Anyway, great movie! Its about mixed races coming together to win and becoming like brothers. If you liked Rudy you probably will like this even more.
5 Great Movie!
I thought this was a really touching movie. I wanted to cry through half of it. Still,at some parts I felt like jumping up and down and cheering. It also teaches a great lesson. Not your typical sports movie. It still has plenty of action to pass around,though. All in all, it was a pretty good movie. Deffinetly one of my favourites.
6 ONE OF DENZEL'S BEST ROLES.
This is a great movie for the family. It taeches about the importance of working together no matter what the race. Denzel Washington plays a tough high school football coach. I loved this movie!
7 A Classic
This movie is an all around great movie. It tells the story of a football team during one of the darkest moments in American History. It deals with the realistic issue of racism and desegregation while entertaining with the story of a football team that against all odds learns to be one. The music, storyline, and casting are all top-notch. Anyone who has ever played football will get a chill during some of the game footage. I bought this movie right after it came out and still come back to it time and time again.
8 Don't even waste your time (SUX)
If you want to see a good football movie go see RUDY, or better yet HOOSIERS!, THIS movie sux!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
At first i thought There couldnt be a movie as bad as antz, but this movie blows this way away , theres not one thing in this movie that is good , the actor suck , and denzel should not be playing this part , he is far way to good for this movie , if anything he makes the movie 1-5 stars, This movie is the worste movie ive ever seen!!!
9 Best Movie
I saw this movie in 6th grade + i loved it. I told my family about it, and we rented it. The best part is when the Titans were playing agianst the team ( I think El Henery) and the ref was being unfair.
eventally we got it for my dad, who is like addicted to it. Now we watch it almost everynight. BEST MOVIE AWARD!!!!
10 An inspiring, excellent film
I love watching sports movies that are motivating and inspiring, like Hoosiers. These movies are usually family friendly and fun to watch.
Remember the Titans is about a high school in Virginia that is addicted to football, and the culture revolves around the football teams. The Titans are a football team that is predominantly white, but then the schools integrate in 1971 and they have to intermingle with the African Americans. The coaching job is changed over to Herman Boone, who is an African American with a successful past record. However, he has to earn the trust of the white players and has to establish his leadership. There are many conflicts in this movie that demonstrate how it was difficult to gain acceptance for Boone, however he is a headstrong character and wins their acceptance.
This movie showed how the Titans, the football team that Boone coached, strived and worked hard to win the state AAA championship. This movie has a very good storyline and is inspiring. I gave it 4 stars because there were some inappropriate things in this movie that I thought were uncalled for, like a time in the locker room when a boy kisses another boy. There's also some exaggerated moments in the movie that border on being maudlin, however I generally liked the conversations . The movie is a bit long, though-almost 2 hours.
All in all, though, this is a motivational football movie that will leave you feeling good.
11 This movie is ok...
But incredibly predictable. I am from MD and I know some people who went to TC. This movie is actually typical Hollywood...very preachy and very sappy. After seeing this movie, I researched the real Titans' history and I was surprised (well not really) that the director and producer exaggerated the racism. The article quoted one of the players and he said that things were not as the movie made it seem. Their problems weren't so much race-based as they were the problems of two different schools trying to combine football teams. Basically two teams used to having things done their way.
I wish the movie had stuck to what was real...but then, where's the drama in that? </sarcasm> Check out the true history of TC Williams and you'll appreciate that WAY more than this movie.
BTW, I agree with the reviewers who had to distinguish NoVA(Northern VA) from Southern Virginia. I totally know where you're coming from. I have friends who live in NoVa and they are NOTHING like my friends who live in Va Beach or Newport News. There are big differences between the "two Virginias" if you will...
Ok I'm done.
12 Remember The Titans indeed
Excellent picture. Denzel Washington always blows me away with his acting ability because you forget its "Denzel" the actor and really get carried away in the story and really believe this is all really happening. At the end of the film, you're caught offguard and find yourself emotionally cheering for these kids and loving Denzel the Man once again.
13 My favorite sports film
The year is 1971. Coach Bill Yoast ( Will Patton) has led The Titans to fifteen winning seasons. However since the Titans play for an all white school, the school system decides that it is time to intigrate the school with some African American students which leads to a change on the football field as well. This marks the arrival of Coach Herman Boone ( Denzel Washington). Despite his impressive record, Coach Yoast is demoted to Boone's assistant and Boone is made the new head coach. Boone is extremely tough and opinionated, and likes to shake things up. His coaching methods are met with skepticism and resentment from the entire team when he forces the players to look past the color of their skin and treat each other with respect. Watching Boone and Yoast put aside their differences, and turn a group of hostile young men into champions, will give us all a reason to "Remember the Titans".
Remember the Titans is an inspiring film that is based on a true story. Disney effectively portrays the story behind the film with talented actors and an amazing musical score. Denzel Washington is great as always. His portrayal of coach Herman Boone is driven with intensity, integrity, and determination. Will Patton gave the best performance as Bill Yoast. He is torn by envy and hate, but still manages to do the best job possible. There was a lot of inner conflict that the character had to overcome, so the transition is really emotional. The football team itself is full of talented young actors that really symolized the spirit of teamwork. All of them do an outstanding job and actually had to go through a football training camp to make their roles believeable. The football action in this film is hard hitting, suspenseful, and realistic. The last thing that amazed me about this film, was that Disney realisticly captured the racism and segregation that went on during that time. It gives an extra sense of tension to the already dramatic film.
Disney definately scores a touchdown with Remember the Tians. The acting, emotional story, and realistic look at racism makes for a very dramatic and important film. The film is also fun to watch with the hard hitting and realistic football action. The DVD is amazing. You get two commentaries - one from the real life coaches Boone and Yoast, and the other from the crew members on the film. There are also two featurettes, an ABC special, and much more. This is a must own DVD for anyone's collection.
A solid 5 stars...
14 "Remeber the Titans"
Based on actual events Remember the Titans is a heart warming good for the whole family film. Set in Virginia, in 1971, high school football was everything to the people of Alexandria. The town's unity was put to test when the school board was forced to integrate, T.C. Williams High with an all black school. The values and foundations of the championship football team were suddenly interrupted when black coach from South Carolina Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) was brought up to take the place of white head coach Bill Yoast (Will Patton), who is the towns pride and joy in leading the team to several state championships. With tensions thick and the steaks high, the school board has put the pressure on Boone to win every game. The coaches must put their differences behind them and force the boys to become one. Together the team must work together and triumph with courage and spirit to win and bring together a town that has been torn apart by prejudice and bias.
I must say that this is by far one of my favorite movies. It has everything that you could ever want in a story line. Not only is the script well written it is apart of our history and shows the triumph of what our country once had to overcome. It portrays the racial prejudice that occurred during that time perfectly and shows the hardships that people went through dealing with a world full of narrow-minded people. The football team was forced to become a whole and work together as a team putting their differences to rest no matter what the town thought about it.
The whole plot line revolves around this championship football team. Once an all white team now integrated with blacks, have to come together as one in order to win football games. The best part of the film is when the team all bonds as one in camp. At first resisting any type of involvement with the other race except for on the field, and then slowly seeing the brighter side of things. Then head coach Herman Boone rises to the occasion in forcing the boys to relate to each other and learn about one another, not only becoming great friends but playing as an actual team as well. Their trust in each other is tested once they return to school from camp when the whole town is fighting against the integration of the schools. While you sit and watch each game they play you will be sure to get the chills as you watch a team go through their ups and downs. Will they keep it together and be able to lead the team to another championship and make the people of Alexandria come to their senses or will they crumble under the pressures of society?
Although there are not a lot of well known actors in this film, you really don't notice it. Denzel Washington as Herman Boone was simply amazing, like always, he gave a compelling performance. He plays the part of head coach with such ease and composure yet stoic and stern. A perfect man for a football coach dealing with the issues of society while trying to win football games. He is really an amazing actor. Playing assistant coach Will Patton as Bill Yoast who is the other known actor in this movie, also gives a great performance, complementing Washington. Both together are a perfect pair, and are the perfect asset to this wonderful script.
All together Remember the Titans is a wonderful movie filled with passion and desire. It will surely bring you laughter, tears of sadness, and tears of joy, making you want to watch it again and again. Perfect for the whole family, Remember the Titans is definitely at the top of my list and will hopefully soon be at the top of yours.
15 Great film, but something's bugging me...
Being a former football player, I saw this in the theaters and I loved all it's power, definately a great football movie. However, that's not what this is about. I just have a little question:
When Julius is hanging up his poster, Gary says he hates it. Well, what is it? It's obviously a poster implying black power, but how can I find it? Anybody?
Not sure, but I think it's a propaganda poster for the 1936 Olympics showing Jesse Owens, defying the Nazi regime. Or then again, who knows.
16 denzel
Any movie with Denzel is good but this story has a message about everyone no matter what color or boundary coming together. Very good movie for all ages to see.
17 Hands down, one of the greatest movies I ever watched.
Believe it or not, I never even heard of this movie until recently. I'm not a big sports fan, or a sport movie fan so when my boyfriend brough this over to watch, I was less than thrilled.
However, once it started, I was captivated by it.
The movie is made even better based on the fact it is based on a true story. The jist of it is this... Herman Boone, played by Denzel Wahsinton perfectly, takes over as new head coach at a high school that has been desegregated. Naturally, the town has mixed reactions.
We watch as Boone, uses tactics that neither the players, the parents, the townsfolk or even his assistant coaches like to force the players to not only become a team but also respect each other as people. We watch as friendships form, and as a team forms.
Eventually we watch as the winning football team, and essentially Boone brings the town together.
This movie brings something to the table for everyone. I laughed, I cried, I even cheered during the games. A must see!
18 A CLASSIC FOOTBALL MOVIE
this movie is not only very compelling but also has good morals involving racism ,alcohol, and it rele shows how people of different backgrounds can come together when circumstances get rough. this movie is probally for ages 10 -and up because its a lil slow if you are too young to understand the concept of racism and football if you like good drama movies or football movies watch this movie its a legend itself as the titans were in the movie. a small town highschool breaks the color barrior having both whites and blacks on one team some players accept it and others dont and there black coach (denzel washington who plays an excellant part ) gets threats but still coaches his team to victory REMEMBER TO WATCH THIS MOVIE
19 We need more family movies.
I thought this was a great movie. It was a movie that my kids could watch with me. However, the one thing racism)they are trying to conquer in the movie, still lives on today. I would recommend this movie to anyone. It was a great movie.
20 the most powerful movie I have ever seen
Being African-American,I was told by one of my best white friends to see this movie.I watched it when it came on TV the first time and I sat through the entire three hours.The movie was well written and acted.But the story was so powerful the impact stayed with me for nearly a week.I felt like I was hit by every speeding train and 18 wheeler on this world.If you are a parent and don't want to teach your child racism,W-A-T-C-H T-H-I-S M-O-V-I-E.Better yet,have your child watch this movie and tell them the truth about the history of what story the movie is telling and those whose lives were impacted by this event.
21 One of my all-time favorites
I didn't expect to like this movie as much as I did. I don't know much about football, but I love the spirit of this movie. It's about a high school in Virginia in 1971 that has just been racially integrated. Denzel Washington's character, Herman Boone, is brought in as head coach of the school's champion football team over the school's current successful coach, Bill Yoast. The white team members are resentful and afraid of losing their places on the team when the black players show up. After football camp, where the white and black players are forced to work together day and night, they learn that they really aren't all that different and that together they can be unbeatable. There's racial tension all over the town and in the school, but the winning season the Titans is having unites the town. The team sets an example for everyone about acceptance and tolerance. The characters are so well-written and interesting, and the story is very inspirational. I recommend this movie for everyone, including kids.
22 Dan- from Ohio
This was a winner of a movie, I see some reviews that say that this movie was a dud, a mistake. How could you call such a movie as this what you have called it or have said about it. Maybe you could learn something from this movie about passion, love, and spirit. This movie too me was an excellent portrayal of what we should all live by: treating one another like individuals and sticking together through thick and thin no matter what. Maybe those who have considered this movie not worth the time or for the fact that it is not worth seeing, maybe, just maybe you could remember who the Titans really are.
23 Worst sports movie of all time
As a previous reviewer had stated, this is not about football. It's about an embarassingly preachy movie that distorts cultural differences, and tries to be cute.
This could have been a great and moving film. Great/true story, Denzel Washington, good message. Too bad they had to try to get cute and funny, and then try to integrate modern leftist cultural issues into a film where the year is 1971 and these issues were not prevelant.
If you want to see a great movie about African American triumph, see Glory. If you want to see a great football movie see Rudy. If you want to have your intelligence insulted see this horror.
24 Good Movie Here
"Remember the Titans" is a good movie. The football scenes are the best parts. It also deals with the mixing of blacks and whites. I think it's hard to recreate the way it really is, but they do a pretty good job here.
Generally overlooked, however, is the treatment of the players by the coach. He (the Denzel Washington character) is pretty cruel to them. The movie condemns racism, but condones this type of treatment. I just feel that it is really wrong (and harmful) to treat boys this way.
But this is a good movie...not one for repeated viewing...but good for those of us who always hope for the best.
25 Exaggerated but wins you over anyway
My high school years were about five years later than the 1971 time frame of this story of football and racial tension. In my Southern town my school was integrated and the one across town had only a handful of black students, and the tension was there, so I can identify with that and testify to younger viewers that the supercharged atmosphere in this film mostly rings true.
The basic plot is described in other reviews here, so I won't belabor the point. The filmmakers do a fair job of presenting said racial tension, and even do an unusually good job with the football action, which is apparently one of the hardest things to get right in Hollywood. The boot camp atmosphere of the team's August training camp gradually brings about the same type of camaraderie that a military boot camp is meant to, where the players eventually learn to fight for one another and become a team.
It's all a bit predictable, with the team eventually forging an unbeaten season and a state championship under the tutelage of their first-year black head coach, and the town naturally falls in love with the coach and the team, although of course the racially insensitive walls have to be beaten down first. I don't mind the predictability that much because the relationships are handled quite well for the most part and the quick pace of the film doesn't leave us much time to ponder over its imperfections. They just don't linger long enough to become a problem.
Overall, other than a couple of bothersome inaccuracies, this is a family film about racism and football, certainly unique in that regard. Kids today hopefully will find the racism of 1971 to be brutally ugly, and we who lived it can verify its reality and open avenues of conversation on the topic. Perhaps the next generation can continue to make steps toward squashing the less obvious racism that our society still struggles with. Also, in my book any film with Denzel Washington has a leg up on any film without him, and faith in his superb qualities is rewarded here.
A few words about inaccuracy: The film paints a picture of the Titans winning the state title on a last-second TD, which to me is one of the big unforgiveables here. The championship game was actually a 27-0 blowout, with the Titans so completely whipping their opponent that they ended up with negative offensive yardage. Disney apparently believes we needed the uberdrama of a last-second TD to push it over the top, whereas to me a blowout, the truth, with the Titans just having fun on the sidelines throughout the second half, could have been just as triumphant for the viewers.
Another example of twisting reality to make it fit the Hollywood formula: The star linebacker who is injured in an automobile accident did not, in reality, miss the championship game. His wreck was instead AFTER the Titans had won the state title. Oh, but that doesn't give the screenplay the "win one for the Gipper" plot device. Pardon my indignance, but I just don't like to be emotionally manipulated through lies and exaggerations.
Neither of these problems is as bad as presenting one member of the team as a homosexual. Even in today's football world this is not tolerated by the supermacho type that football requires, and it's an absolute meaningless joke to toss in an attempt at this kind of social harmony with the main theme of racial harmony. Science fiction.
There are other inaccuracies, but mostly understandable ones for the sake of expedience (for instance, Coach Yoast actually had four daughters, and the onscreen lone daughter is a composite of the four, but that's a common practice to simplify the story for staging purposes). I'm also not a fan of the clumsy scenes of players breaking into singalongs at various times.
Taking all these things into account, it's a pleasant and uplifting film that I've seen twice and won't mind viewing against someday, but not one that I've ever gushed about to any friend or coworker. I'll reserve that for less predictable and less manipulative projects.
26 Serious Issues Mangled by Disney
The film's conclusive message--which acknowleges the achieving of goals through racial harmony-is perhaps stronger than the archetypes used to achieve its effect. However, "Remember the Titans" made me feel divided because it seemed to focus on two very unbalanced issues-football and prejudice-by keeping them on an "even" level. On one hand, this film is very powerful and speaks to your emotions through the integration of the white and black community in the South. However, on the other hand, it spends too much time categorizing people and situations into a tight, neat little box. The ultimate impression left is that this could have been so much more; I speculate that Disney's knack for erring on the side of overdoing and overstating had much to do with this.
"Remember the Titans" has dents in its premise. It seems to beg the point that football camaraderie is parallel to racial harmony. The movie implies this message through a series of events: the team must get along to win, if they get along, they have a better shot at winning; if a black and white coach can get along, then prejudice will dissipate; if the team achieves its ultimate goal, then people will remember how we can get along as a community and that we can reach for this anytime there is prejudice.
Other flaws were rampant clichˇs. The black and white players don't along at first, then they get along and sing songs together on the bus in harmony. We have the halftime speech from Coach Boone ("Give it all you got boys"). We have the big oaf of a football player who "can't go to college" because he doesn't have the brains to do it. We have the "redneck" stereotypes. And we, of course, have the "win one for the Gipper" premise, and, last but not least, the high school football championship scenario. All these scenarios seemed to trivialize what should have been a deeper message. Rather than using stereotypes and predictable events, the producers could have focused more on the social aspect of racism and prejudice, and ways to alleviate it, and it would have had a much stronger effect on its viewers.
I don't mean to completely knock this movie. "Remember The Titans" definitely captures the attention of its audience through its message of believing in oneself and coming together as a team. In its ultimate essence, it delves into many of the controversies that we handle in our time: prejudice, determination of goals, fulfillment of dreams and the obstacles that get in the way of those dreams. The action and dialogue may be a bit hokey at times, but the bottom line is that this film exerts a positive final message about what one can accomplish if there is enough effort put into that goal. "Remember the Titans" illustrates how there are ways to get past life's obstacles and prejudices and press on to the next level. If Disney could have handled it a little different, however, it would have been a substantially better movie.
27 Aren't there any teenagers that can portray teenagers?
I liked the message of this movie alot but was amazed that they had so many 30something year old guys playing highschoolers... Aren't there any teenage actors that could play teenagers? Therefore I couldn't ever believe the acting... Please Disney! There are some fine youthful actors out there!
28 best movie of all times
Although im not a football fanatic, this movie is the best one ive ever seen. before i got to go see it for the first time when i was a freshman in high school, i thought it was gonna be another dumb disney movie that would be underrated. after watching it, it became the best movie of all, in my eyes.
story takes place during the early 70s in alexandria, virgina. schools are becoming integraded, T C williams high school. football team players was both black in white. in the beginning, they were against each other. but then they come together and so does the city. this film will touch ur heart and stir up ur emotions. not a minute of that movie goes on that i dont get goosebumps. i recommend this movie to everyone, even if they hat football with a passion. this will also make u realize how bad the turmoil with race was back then and how tehy manged to over come it. whoever give this movie below a 4-star, they better think twice and watch it twice. this movie should deserve a 10-star if it ever existed
29 this Movie is spiritual and very deep a very good buy!
I first saw this movie when i was in junior high and it made a dramatic change in my life and my classmates. this film shows you the real world. based on a true story about the REAl titans! Years ago this was happening day by day and the way this film was portrayed was Breath taking to me. I remember as soon as we saw this movie me and my class mates were singing "we are the titans,(we are the titans) the Mighty mighty titans" in the hallways! this is a Great buy. Denzel is at his best in this movie. though disney has lost their touch with animation films they still can make great and meaningful films. for sport fans and non-sport fans its for everybody i promise you will be deeply moved!
30 A Beautiful, Inspirational Film
In recent years, Disney's animation (save for the CG movies like "Finding Nemo") have shown a huge lapse in content and quality. What a pleasant suprise to find that Disney's live action movies are doing just the opposite.
I approached "Remember the Titans" with a certain amount of criticism. Knowing very little about it, I figured it would be another story of an underdog football team rising to glory. I couldn't have been further off-base. This movie is anything but a football movie, though football is one of the underlying foundations of the story.
"Titans" is a story about racial awareness, acceptance and understanding. It is the telling of a "true-life" series of events surrounding a high school in West Virginia in the early 70's, and the blending of black and white in a school that was always racially segregated. The football team, the "Titans", is the first to be affected by this change, when a long standing all-star coach is replaced by another coach (masterfully portrayed by Denzel Washington). The white families turn from the idea that an African-American coach could possibly guide their children.
As the story unfolds, we see children who were brought up in a racially biast environment setting their own prejudices aside and embracing their teammates. The racial lines blur and the story serves as a reminder that, ultimately, it is not the color of skin that matters, but the size of the heart and the passion contained within that does. These boys become men, transformed through the game of football, to support and care for one another despite their race.
This movie serves as a reminder that we must look beyond our own prejudices and pre-conceived notions as to what is right and wrong, and instead try to accept, without prejudice, our fellow men and women as part of a greater race-the human one.
A great movie for all ages, though some language and situations might be inappropriate for younger viewers.
31 this movie will definately make you remember the titans!
Again Denzel Washington delivers to us an action-packed movie that will make you remember the Titans forever!
Though it focuses on a specific sport, this movie (I guarantee) will be loved by the many who either hate or love sports. This is truly a magnificant movie. It is set in the early 1970's (based on a true story) in TC Williams High School, a school that is about to let both blacks and whites attend this school for the first time. Of course back in that time, many white people were not impressed by the idea.
The school's football coach is about to retire for the season when the white and black football teams have to join together to make one football team, all following the orders of a black football coach, Coach Herman Boon (Washington).
A masterpiece that is both touching and powerful in different ways and mixes with success and tragedy. It has 2 very smart moral of the stories where racism isn't needed in the world and that practice makes perfect.
Great acting is featured here, especially by Washington (which is nothing new!).
Remember the Titans will definately rock your hair off your heads! It's such a great and inspiring movie and is one of those movies that can be watched several times without getting sick and tired of it. I really like this movie because I'm against racism and this sets a good example of why racism shouldn't be needed. We need to learn that we are all different on the outside but inside we are the same. Even if we gather blacks, whites, yellows, mexicans, africans etc. in a room altogether and turn off the lights, you'll see we're the same color. Remember the Titans? You will be after viewing this movie!
32 Like, wow... two thubs up, baby
From the persons casted to the amazing artistry to the feeling in the air, "Remember the Titans" is an amazing and thrilling movie, filled with enough emotionto make a grown man cry, andtouch the hearts of young and old alike. Washington is a geuis... I don't think that they couldhavefounda bettermann for the part. This movie held me captive every moment either with laughter, or emotion, and what an ending. watch this movie.
:: big teehty grin ::
33 You will remember the titans...
No matter whether you're a fan of sports or not, Remember the Titans is an incredibly inspiring film.
Based on a true story, it is set in 1971 at TC Williams High School, a school that is about to intergrate white and balck students for the first time.
The school's football team meet pre-season, and the separate white and balck groups must learn to get along under the guidance of Coach Herman Boon (Denzel Washington).
What follows is a remarkably touching and powerful story, that mixes tragedy and success.
Great acting by all involved, especially the black members of the cast, who are funny and add something else to an already 5-star film.
For movie fans of all genres, Remember the Titans is a great movie that will inspire you and having you watch it again and again. This is the greatest sports film ever made, and it is sure to have watching intently from beginning to end.
34 For you?
A lot of people that are not interested in sports would probably not consider seeing this movie; I am one of those people--but I rented this; and was I amazed!!! I watched it over and over again, until I had to return it!
This is a great movie for sport lovers, 60's-70's music lovers, or ANYBODY!!
Denzel Washington does a great job playing as the football coach; especially in a time when the tensions between blacks and whites were so great (the football team is both black and white; which is great). There is much pressure on Herman Boone (Denzel), because if he looses one game he will be fired. This pushes him to push his team and to succeed and to all be friends for life... but I don't want to give the ending away. Like the description of the movie, this movie really brings Affirmative Action into the picture. The film is not serious, though; like I said before, there is great music, and many funny parts. I would recommend this movie to anyone-- any age, race or gender.
I would also recommend the soundtrack, which includes:
1. Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
2. Spirit In The Sky - Norman Greenbaum
3. Peace Train - Cat Stevens
4. Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye - Steam
5. Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) - The Hollies
6. I Want To Take You Higher - Ike and Tina Turner
7. Up Around the Bend - Creedence Clearwater Revival
8. Spill the Wine - Eric Burdon & WAR
9. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall - Leon Russell
10. Act Naturally - Buck Owens
11. Express Yourself - Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
12. Titans Spirit (Score)
I loved this movie, and I hope you have a chance to see this wonderful and meaningful movie!
35 Greatest Movie of all time!!!!
This is my favorite movie. Denzel Washington plays an extrodinary role of the head high school football coach in Virginia in 1970. It's a story of the blacks and whites uniting and coming together for the first time. They experience a hate from the other race and coach Boone (Washington) tries to bring the team to equality. By the end of their winning season, the team unifyes and they become friends for life. The storyline is great and the actors did a superb job.
36 possibly Denzel Washington's best
One reviewer said that Denzel Washington should have received an oscar for this movie and I agree! Remember the Titans is based on a true story and is very entertaining. If you are a fan of Denzel Washington or football movies then this one is for you. But even if you're a fan of neither I think you will enjoy this movie for the most part.
37 music
i love good movies. my collection includes 'citizen kane' and 'spaceballs', and many in-between. so this movie is great, just another good movie, don't you know?
but it's use of racially stereotyped music disturbs me. in this movie, all 'black' music is great, and all 'white' music is trash. ok, cinematic device and all, but please don't continue using this thing to sell movies.
all this withstanding, this is an intriguing movie. i'd love to see it with a new date, which explains why i'm still alone.
38 Great movie
I watched this movie as non-athletic marching band member in the middle of an anti-football bitterness trip. I was a hard sell on going yo see it, and only saw it because my brother insisted. And I loved it. It was one of only five movies in my life that have ever made me cry, along with Shawshank Redemption, Stepmom, Shine, and The Green Berets. Great film.
39 Saddness Of it All, not that Sad
I would respectfully suggest that the previous viewer who posted with the Subject: "Saddness Of it All", doesn't have the facts straight.
The school is _not_ currently an "all black" school as was stated by the previous viewer. This is what the school's own web site says about the demographics:
African American 43%
Asian Pacific 7%
Hispanic 25%
Native American 0.1%
White 25%
Sounds reasonably well integrated in my opinion.
Sincerely,
Ron
40 Disney scores a touchdown with a true story.
My interest in football comes and goes from time to time depending on the time of the year but "Remember The Titans" is one movie that I will remember for many years to come. This Disney movie starring Denzel Washington is a powerful, true story of a battle against the corrupt forced segregation at the high school in Virginia called T.C. Williams High School located in Alexandria, Virginia where a racial upheaval occurs when football coach Yoast played by Will Patton hires an African American coach named Herman Boone played by Denzel Washington to coach the T.C. Williams Titans and integrate T.C. Williams High School and is threatened with being fired if they lose a single game during their 13 game season. The players meet and hate each other at first but gradually learn to respect each other and use teamwork to overcome their petty differences.
This movie is a marvelous portrayal of the struggle of integration of all, I repeat, ALL colors and the continuing struggle against the corrupt racial segregation and the ugliness of it's outcomes. The story is true and probably the story could not be better told than from the actual former players who actually played the championship game during this turbulent period in1971. The two coaches Yoast and Boone worked together to bring the Titans to victory in the Championship game amidst the racial turmoil and strife that clouds the atmosphere. Disney definitely scores a touchdown with a riveting true story of a turbulent time in America's history. Amidst all of the turmoil and hatred, the spirit of the Titans during this historic year will forever be remembered around the nation as one of the greatest achievements in high school football history. While Alexandria might have been going through racial tough times during the late 60s and early 70s, today, it's now a very diverse city of many different peoples (I lived there once) but de facto segregation has been and continues to be a huge obstacle to integration today. "Remember The Titans" is indeed a movie to remember.
41 Top Notch Sports Movie
This is a tremendous movie with a deeper message for all of us. The Titans represent what we can do when we all join together and prevent prejudice from intruding in our lives. Great action, great performances, and a great feeling after watching this. Recommended for all ages.
42 Not A Football Movie, A Landmark Film For A Disney Movie!
I liked this movie including the cast: Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Hayden Patteneire, Nicole Ari Parker. It is just bad that one of the football players got killed in a car accident while driven drunk. I give it a(5 out of 5), because it's more than a Football Movie, a Landmark Film.
43 I Will Say It More Clearly- THIS IS NOT A GOOD MOVIE!
REMEMBER THE TITANS primarily takes place in Alexandria, VA in 1971. The city has recently integrated its schools, and the citizens, both black and white, are furious over the decision. Coach Yoast is a white coach who has led the football team of T.C. Williams High School to fifteen consecutive winning seasons. So it becomes a surprise when the school board, in an attempt to prove the integration will never work, hires black Herman Boone to take Yoast's place. (Boone can only keep his job, however, on the presumption that the team will win all thirteen of their games- including the state championship- that year.) Yoast is unhappy with the school's decision, but he reluctantly accepts Boone's invitation to become the football team's defensive coordinator. 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 be 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, yet against the will of Alexandria. However, during the football season on the field, the Titans show their city that the interaction of whites and blacks can work. That spirit continues as the Titans work their way towards the state championship.
The spirit the Titans apparently show may be enough to convince viewers that REMEMBER THE TITANS is a wonderful movie. But people must know that it is not what the package is, it is how that package is created. In other words, REMEMBER THE TITANS may be a charm on the surface, but dig in a little deeper, and it falls apart. The film is obviously trying to tell the story of how a team gets over its racism towards each other and unites during its winning season. It is not necessarily a problem that this movie that attacked racism had to focus on the football field; the problems instead revolve around producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Bruckheimer has been known to create bombastic and bloated productions that emphasize style over substance, and in this obvious bid to gain some respectability among critics, REMEMBER THE TITANS follows that same trend. Under Bruckheimer's direction, the movie is steered so that an emphasis is placed on the football team's success that year rather than the racism issues that are the real roots of this movie.
It would have been nice to see a deeper involvement within the rivalry/friendship of Coaches Boone and Yoast. It would have been nice to get a better understanding of how angry Alexandria was over the integration. It would have been nice to see a convincing development of acceptance among the team. But none of those issues are to be. Instead, they are passed up for standard cliches and insincere moments, which inhibit the entire movie. But the reason I find this movie bad is not as much the fact that it is quite predictable- it is because of the aforementioned "insincere moments." By that, I am especially talking about the absolutely poor development during the team's degree of acceptance- especially at a turning point where Coach Boone gives a haphazard comparison of his team to the Battle of Gettysburg.
The characters outside Boone and Yoast are not really that memorable, either; they are just basically stereotypes used to insert their few traits (if that's what you call it) in certain situations to make them entertaining. I must also point out that it is never a good sign when a movie that tries to discuss a serious issue plays music that is suited not necessarily to the mood of particular events, but for the sake of sing-along enjoyment, ala "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." When members of the team (both races involved) sing along to songs themselves, it ends up more as comic than inspirational. And there are certain events in the movie that were absolutely unnecessary for a race-issued movie (i.e. a team member kissing another team member (of the same race) for the sake of humor, somebody throwing a football at a person (of the same race) in response to a sly joke).
There are admittedly some good moments in this movie- such as the material in the first five minutes, which gives a rough overview of Alexandria's response to the integration, or a crucial game where the referees have been asked by racists to intentionally make bad calls that hurt the Titans. But moments like these are sparse and scattered, and when put in with many other events of cliches and insincere moments as those previously mentioned, it all equates to a movie that is ultimately a disgrace towards the seriousness of racism. (But, sadly, it is not necessarily a disgrace towards the joy of football.)
There you have it- my opinion on REMEMBER THE TITANS has been stated. And because I do not think I focused on the cliches in my review, I would not consider myself in this case to be a cynic.
44 A FUN RIDE!
It took nearly twenty years, but this winning sequel is a worthy successor to 1981's mythological masterpiece, CLASH OF THE TITANS. If u own the first one, u gotta get this one, too.
45 A Very Good Movie!
This movie was very good but, it does have a little bit of foul language in it. Other than that, I was very, very pleased with it. The cast is amazing and the story line is incredible. It is a very good movie and I would recommend it to anyone who likes football or just likes to be very well entertained!
46 This chicks pont of view.
I didn't mean to watch this movie. My husband had it on and I just happened to pass by as it started. Immediately, after watching Denzel Washington's performance for a few minutes I was completely sucked into the movie. I'm not a big football fan but this story goes beyond football. This is a guy's movie a chick can watch. Also a must see for teenage boys.
47 One of my top ten favorites
I'm not really a football fan, but everyone kept telling me how they "loved" this movie. So, I rented it, then ended up buying it. This movie is now in my top ten list (really top five). Yes, it is based on a true story about football and a coach, but there is so much more to it. Denzel Washington is excellent in it and so are the rest of the cast. The story is incredible about different races coming together to accomplish what no one said they could. I can watch it over and over again and I am sure everyone will really enjoy this movie.
48 Yet another movie that Denzel should've received the oscar
Hands down...the best movie of the year. It paints an accurate picture of the complexities of life. It has moments of pure triumph and glory...as well as moments of absolute sadness. This film was saturated with scenes that made the viewer sit back and reflect on the importance of integrity...how very fragile life really is...and how very passionate friendship can be. The most touching moment in the movie was when `Bertier's', (Ryan Hurst) the white co-captain, ex-girlfriend `Emma' (Kate Bosworth) goes to the sideline and introduces herself and shakes the hand of `Big Ju' (Wood Harris), the black co-captain.
49 Football!!!
I normally don't like football. Yet, I love this movie! The language in it is wonderful! Not a single curse word! There is some slang but the director did a wonderful job of taking out all of the immoral words. I think that football fans and those that aren't alike, would love this movie as I do.
50 A lesson in teamwork that the world should learn
Like most cinematic versions of true-life stories, "Remember the Titans," is an idealized version of reality. The main theme focuses on the two-sided coin of racial tension and racial harmony. Such moralistic tales can be heavy going but in this case, using school football as a backdrop, director Boaz Yakin creates a moving and entertaining parable.
Set in Virginia around 1971, the story primarily involves the football team at T.C. Williams High. The school is in the middle of a racial integration process and seems to find the concept, of blacks and whites in physical contact, objectionable. Thrown into this already volatile mix is Coach Boone, a black man from out of state and from a lower grade of football. Boone is placed above Coach Yoast, the current, and white, head of the football department. This strange form of affirmative action is seemingly aimed at political, rather than social, goals.
Not surprisingly Coach Yoast, solidly played by Will Patton, takes umbrage at this obvious slight to his tenure, experience and standing in the community. His young daughter, Sheryl, takes the news with even more disgust. Played by Hayden Panettiere, Sheryl steals every scene she's in, creating a funny and memorable character; a small curly haired girl who loves football more than life itself.
Seeing the danger of his team abandoning university scholarships just to show solidarity, Yoast steps back onto the team in a subordinate role to Boone. Densel Washington gives us another strong performance as the forceful, and borderline abusive, Coach Boone. His credo seems to emphasise offence, both on the field and off. This is made clear after he challenges the worst elements of the town to face him, following an incident involving bricks flung through his home's windows.
Boone's first act as head coach is to undo the racial divide among his players. Instead, the team is split along offensive and defensive lines. This forced integration soon causes conflict, allowing the audience to explore the large cast of characters in more depth. It is remarkable that so many minor characters stand out in memory and if some of them seem a little shallow, there are limits to what can be achieved in under two hours.
True reconciliation, perhaps even racial harmony, does not begin building until the team is lead on a crippling morning run that finishes at the Gettysburg battle ground. Boone, who set up the event, gives a shaming speech comparing the "cause" that their forefathers fought and died for, to the smaller battles still being fought within their team. In addition, each player was given an ongoing assignment to get to know each and every other member of the team, forcing some level of understanding in most of these young men.
There is a fair amount of football in the film but for me, it was the character expositions and interpersonal conflict that held my interest. I'm sure those who enjoy the game will get a lot more out of the film but the game does not overshadow the strong narrative, creative cinematography and moving soundtrack. In the end, the film's value rests on the shoulders of the two leading men rather than on football. These two honourable men may start out as adversaries but, like the team's offensive and defensive captains, they eventually become life-long friends.
51 Great movie!
"Remember the Titans" is definetely one of the most uplifting movies I have ever seen. Starring Denzel Washington and Will Patton along with a terrific young ensemble cast, this is a story of friendship and hope, of respect and courage. I really wasn't sure whether I would like this movie since it is all about football, a sport I don't particularly like or understand, but I was pleasantly surprised! The film is based on the true story of the Titans, a Southern high school football team in 1971. There, in the midst of racial conflicts and prejudices, two coaches - one black, one white - must take a mixed group of football players and turn them into a team. Which, as they come to understand, takes more than just training on the field - they must first learn to respect each other, before they expect to win any game. This movie will have you laughing and crying, and, ultimately, rooting for the Titans!!!
52 Not a Titan, but Close
If you have ever seen a sports movie, then you know before the opening credits how this movie must end. The best thing about this movie -- a good, solid film -- is the role reversal of Washington. He plays the hard-nosed coach, who, despite his color, pushes his racially mixed team in a town where the races don't mix. Very well done. 4.25 stars
53 A Titan(ic) movie.
What a great movie and I don't even care for football that much. A must see for anyone who loves Denzel.
54 The total package.
I have problems with Disney. They buy up martial arts classics such as "Fist of Legend", "Drunken Master 2" and "Tai-Chi Master", chop them up, repackage them, and parade them out like clockwork. Also, The Disney view of historical events isn't exactly accurate, to say the least. But finally, a Disney movie with some life to it... and it's one that doesn't have Miramax or Touchstone at the top of the credits.
I loved this movie. That's right, I love a non-animated Disney movie, and I'm not ashamed to say it. For one, it had Denzel, and when Denzel is in a movie, my [price] movie ticket is bought and paid for. But it also dealt with a very human story, and a true one at that. A true story where the principal characters were all still alive, with the exception of one. No "Pocahontas"-type artistic license here, and that was pleasing. The movie deals with the TC Williams High Titans, a high school football team in Alexandria, VA in the early 70's. The Titans were comprised of students from the newly integrated school district. The way they came together over those months up to and including the football season, inspired the entire city to change.
I found that the actors were the greatest assets. They brought out their characters in a way that made you root for each one. You could see the conflicts in each and every movement they made. Every word they said. You could see the almost-obsessive drive in Denzel's Boone, as well as the compassion he had for his players. The conflict of Will Patton's Yoast, torn between doing the right thing and preserving his own legacy as a coach.
I especially liked the evolution of the relationships between the players. They didn't just fall in with each other right away, it was a progression. It wasn't black being right, as proven by the character Julius' militant outlook. Nor was it about white being right, with Gary's hostility towards all not things not bleached out. It was about togetherness, and rising above differences. A very moving and uplifting movie. Sure, there was a heavy dose of schmaltz, but with it being a Disney movie, I wasn't caught off guard (EX: Denzel's last line. "You're a hall of famer in my book." Going by the way he delivered that line, you'd think he was tricked into saying it.). I'd recommend this movie to anyone going through a rough patch in life, or anyone feeling an excessive level of hate. Maybe this movie will show them that great things can still happen in this world. Hell, I won't even take a star off for producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and I excessively hate him. See this movie.
55 I went to Hammond High
I read all these great reviews about this movie... and I gotta tell you guys, I graduated from Hammond in 1968... and the white kids in this movie were not culturally anything like Hammond kids. I've discussed it with classmates and we all agree this movie was pure FAKE hogwash. First of all, I knew everybody at least a little at Hammond and I never heard ANY southern accents. We were children of Washington DC government workers, military kids, etc. Second, the movie was filmed in Georgia!!!! Northern Virginia simply does not relate to southern culture and southern racism at ALL! If this event HAD taken place in Georgia back then (which it didn't), it would have been very very violent and the coach Boone would have been .... There were problems at the time but it was more about the resentment of the CLOSING of our school... but that would have happened anywhere even if it involved all white or all black kids... we weren't southern racists as this movie portrayed... I will say it is accurate that Hammond and GW kids ended up "getting along"... but that was BECAUSE we weren't racist rather in spite of that... why did they choose to make the film in Georgia rather than say Pennsylvania which was closer to us culturally? Sensationalism... yes, we were residents of Virginia, but Northern Virginia is culturally dissimilar as night and day to southern Virginia. I got really ticked off by the southern racist restaurant owner... he was definitely straight out of Georgia where the film was made ... we didn't have any restaurants like the dump they showed... YUK! we just wouldn't have walked into a place like that even if there were any sleezy places like that. I hate this movie for the lies... I feel it was manipulative, very typical of Hollywood sensationalism... for me it's a lie... and the producer and director are liars who used what happened falsely. The movie would have been very boring I suppose if they had told the truth... but they intentionally made up what they wanted to when they wanted to... the big question is why? If you lived in Alexandria back then and knew Coach Yoast, then he is the true hero of this movie... why? because Coach Yoast loved his kids so much he stuck around to help them give up their school AND he loved all kids black or white... he was a great educator... but we were not southern redneck hicks so don't give the South any credit here... we were from Northern and Midwestern states... southern Virginians resented us because we were intruding "Yankees". Some of us who went to Virginia universities later on had some real adjustments getting used to the southern Virginia kids... why? that's where the real cultural divide was at the time... ask anyone from Virginia and they'll tell you about the differences. Boy am I ticked off my school was portrayed the way it was... a bunch of hype!!!! I sure wish they had told the real story in at least half way a truthful manner... enjoy it for what it is FICTION... but never never think that it really happened.
56 I went to Hammond High
Why don't I like this movie? I went to Hammond graduating in 1968. The movie portrayed us completely inaccurately. The southern accents and atmosphere was so wrong.... Hammond true is in Virginia, but northern Virginia is not part of the southern culture... we have no southern accents... and the town didn't look at all familiar... why? it was filmed in Georgia! I knew everybody at Hammond and none of us were from the south... Our parents were from all over the country because Alexandria is only 15 minutes from DC... all I can say is though the lesson of this movie is exemplary, this movie was not truthful... this is such a typical trick of Hollywood... I'm just plain ticked off about it... and you would be too if they did it to your town. It would be comparable to a movie about San Franciscans filmed in Los Angeles. But I am proud of Coach Yoast and the success of Coach Boone. Most of the anger of the time was about the closing of Hammond... race was really less of an issue... people just didn't like their high school being closed like that... Hammond was a great school as was George Washington High which was also closed... and GW High had plenty of white kids... If this had really taken place in a southern racist town in the south, it would have been a lot more violent... Hammond and southern racists are on opposite ends of the spectrum of Americana.
57 Perhaps These Titans Are Best Forgotten
Last summer, my sisters were hooked on to this movie. They could not stop watching it, for they enjoyed all of the funny portions in the movie, as well as the plot that the movie "told." But when I watched the movie for the first time, I became disheartened and very disappointed. I was expecting a movie that gave me real sympathy toward the black characters, but I admittedly could not show a lot of sympathy. The plot just simply got lost in itself.
REMEMBER THE TITANS is another movie that was produced by the bombastic one-and-only Jerry Bruckheimer. Bruckheimer has a tendency of making movies just for the sake of making money, so his movies tend to give as much focus on the cliches as they do on the plot. And this movie is no exception. It is evident that the movie is trying to tell the story of the recent integration at Alexandria, Virginia in 1971, focusing on the T.C. Williams football team, where the coaches are trying to make the two different races accept one another. Needless to say, the team does eventually get over its acceptance issues, but the road to that, as described in this movie, is rocky. VERY rocky.
First, there is character Herman Boone's comparison to his team's problems to the Battle of Gettysburg. This is used as a key event that supposedly causes the team to accept one another, but I was not convinced with Boone's speech at all, for it gave more attention to the battle than their current problem. Then you have the characters: if you do not watch this movie over and over again, I guarantee that you will not remember many of them. For the most part, the characters are little more than stick figures; they have no distinguishable personality at all. And last but not least, there are the cliches, the main detriment in this movie: many, if not all of them, come at unnecessary times. It was difficult for me to accept events such as the karaoke singing of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" from some of the players, the kissing between two teammates, or a teammate's reaction to a nurse at one point in a hospital.
Now, I realize that many of you probably think I am a moron for thinking about the movie this way. But I remember one time when I was talking about my opinions of this movie to a friend of mine: during that time, I pointed out my observation that the events in this movie could function as realistic events among a typical football team, even a team involved with racism. So, if that was my observation with this movie, then I would have absolutely given this movie a perfect score. However, in a movie, a story like this should be focusing on the issue that it is trying to bring to the forefront the entire time. And this movie, unfortunately, does not do that.
Personally, I would not request anybody to watch this movie, unless I told them to watch for its problems. But if you view my opinions as little more than nitpicking or misunderstanding (which many of you would probably argue is), then go and watch it. I am pretty sure you would enjoy the movie- especially if you are highly interested in stories that deal with racism (but, surprisingly, this reviewer happens to be one of those people).
58 Feel Good Gridiron
Based on a true story, REMEMBER THE TITANS, is a solid film that is the latest in a long line of "crowd pleasers" from Disney. The year is 1971. After 15 years leading his High School Football Team to victory, Coach Bill Yoast (Will Patton), is demoted to Assistant. in favor of a African American coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington). As you might imagine, this action causes a lot of friction and mistrust by all involved. The film, directed by Boaz Yakin, deals with all of that and more. How can 2 men, who don't like one another, come together and lead a brash team to victory on and off the field? The duo of Washington and Patton make a winning combination in the film. The group of largely unknown actors, who make up players on the team, hold their own, and are definately faces to watch for.
The DVD contains two audio commentaries. The first is from the real life coaches Yoast and Boone, the second is by the director, writer Gregory Allen Howard, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Both offer contrast between fact and film. There are 3 featurettes, one of which aired on ABC-TV, owned by Disney, and is best of the trio. There are a half dozen deleted scenes that offer little to enhance the movie. The DVD is available in both Widescreen or Standard versions. I personally would recommend going with widesceen, as you get to see the film, the way it was intended. Either way though, the DVD is recommended.
59 Awesome!
I thought that the movie was very well writen. A very heart warming story. Denzel Washington played an excellent roll here.To think that it took that much effort for the world to except the blacks into "our" schools.I watch the movie with my kids and they don't realize that that was the way it was.
60 Gwendolyn's Opinion
This movie is so good. I really love it.In this movie it talked about a racism country. In this country their was a school that had to be torn down and the black kids that went to this school had to move to another school that had only whites. This was the only school that had a mixture of whites and blacks. They had to learn how to get alone with each others. They had the best football team. They were very good. They were also undefeated. The movie was mainly about football team. How Denzel Washington was so hard on the team. This is what made the team so good. The more the team won the games the more the parents started to get alone with each other. One of the boys on the team got in a car accident and he was paralized from the waist down. He didn't get to play in the championship game so the team won specificatly for him. The team won the championship game and the boy that got in the car accident died like five or ten years later.
61 Gwendolyn
Remeber the Titans is one of the best movies in the world. Denzel washington played a good role in this movie. Remeber the Tians is a movie about a racism between a neighbor hood that doesn't want any blacks in no schools, but there is one high school that had to immagrated and Denzel Washington had to teach them how to get along and how to play with each other because they were the only school that was immagrated together. Denzel Washington was very hard on the football team because of all the things that was going on, but it worked real good because they learned how to get alone and they became undefeated champions. There football team was the best on in town and as they won games the more everyone started to like him.
62 Great!!!
Remember the Titans is a wonderful movie for the whole family.
It is based on a true story back in the 1970's. Back when integrating was just beginning and no one wanted to get along. Remember the Titans is a story about a football team of a school that is forced to integrate and how they handled the change.
It is a heartwarming story that makes you laugh and cry.
Denzel Washington stars in this inspiring movie as Coach Herman Boone. Also in this movie is Will Patton as Coach Bill Yoast, Wood Harris as 'Big Julius' Campbell, Ryan Hurst as Gerry 'Superman' Bertier and many more.
This is a movie you definitely CANNOT miss! My personal rating is 10 out of 10. Please go out and rent or buy this movie today! It's that good.
63 Horseraddish
This is the worst movie I have ever seen in my life.
64 This is a MUST-SEE movie!
Remember the Titans is funny, sad, uplifting, touching, maddening and and a true story! The sentimentality of the coming together of this group of high school football players is totally balanced by the grittiness of the football action. There is not one wasted shot in the movie----when it was over, I couldn't believe the scope of the story that had been told in such a short period of time. This is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time---and one I can watch again and again.
65 I loved this movie!
I thought this movie was great and I don't know anything about football. Luckily, this movie is more about people than it is about sports. Denzel is his usual more-than-competent self and the actress that plays Will Patton's daughter practically steals the show. It has a great soundtrack too. Don't miss this one.
66 A lesson on racism for young and old
If you have teenagers in your household, rent this movie for them. It's rated PG for a reason. This isn't a movie about football; it's a movie about the pointlessness of racism, that uses the football field as a metaphor. That the kids won't understand that doesn't matter, they'll absorb the message while being too entertained to notice. Disney always produces movies that both young and old can appreciate and so the adults will enjoy the movie too. The script may not be very original and the end result may not reach any deeper than the life-lessons it sets out to teach, but it teaches them with a lot of heart and there's a lot to be said for that.
In this true story, Denzel Washington plays Herman Boone, a no-nonsense football coach who has been handed the job of Head Coach at a high school in Alexandria, Virginia that has suddenly been desegregated. It's the early 70's. His players consist of the school's white football team and the new black kids who played for their former all-black high school team. That these two factions don't want to have anything to do with each other is an understatement. During football camp, through the will and drive, the insight and courage, of Coach Boone, they are forced to treat each other with respect, which turns out to be the first step towards friendship, and they become a more unified team. This all happens a little too easily, but then, it's a feel-good Disney movie, not a three and a half hour Oliver Stone saga. Once school starts, they face the same conditions they faced going into camp: they step into a desegregated school environment that is now segregated internally. The community at large is more to blame than the kids themselves, but that doesn't make the students any less prejudiced. As the football season unfolds, racial lines become more and more blurred for the team members to the disdain of all others around them. Friendships gets tested and relationships get nurtured, on and off the field, including the growing but guarded friendship that takes root between Coach Boone and his assistant coach, Bill Yoast, (a convincing performance by Will Patton). Yoast was head coach before he was forced out to make room for Boone, and is a hard-edged but, we slowly find out, open minded and big hearted, member of the white community.
Denzel Washington puts in his usual winning performance. One wishes that his character was written with a little more depth and was less of the Cheerleader-for-the-Movement variety. What he does with the script that he's handed, however, is memorable. In fact, you can tell Washington is relaxed and enjoying himself here; he doesn't exactly have to stretch his acting skills to nail this character, and it's obvious that it's a character he believes in.
Hayden Penettier who plays Coach Yoast's daughter Sheryl, is hilarious as a 7-or-so year old tomboy who calls her father "coach" instead of "dad" and knows more about football than most of the players do. She's a very talented young actress and this role should land her more significant ones. She very nearly stole the show.
The various members of the football team are a well-rounded and capable group of actors even if they're your standard stereotyped bunch of characters. They're the primary source of fun in the movie, filling up the screen with various locker-room antics. The strongest of these characters is Gary Bertier, the white team captain (played by Ryan Hurst) and Julius Campbell (played by Wood Harris) the strongest minded black player, who start out as enemies and whose evenutal friendship plays a pivitol role in the film.
Remember the Titans is the kind of movie Hollywood is continually accused of not making: a movie aimed at kids that doesn't pander to sex and violence. That it isn't Oscar material should be of no consequence. It may not have won any awards, but that doesn't make it any less worthy of an audience.
67 Racial tension on the gridiron...
Set against a football backdrop, REMEMBER THE TITANS is actually a story about a town dealing with racism. And that is a lofty topic to take on. And the success in that area results in a failure on the football front. The characterization and ball playing are unsurprising, heavy in clichˇ. But, this only hurts the film if you are looking for a sports film.
With its positive message, REMEMBER THE TITANS is a strong film for young teens with sturdy performances by Will Patton and Denzel Washington. And they will be even more involved when they realize it is based on a true story.
68 Highly overrated
Surprise - another "Denzel against the world" film. In the last several years, this fortysomething actor has been in films where he has played either a cop, a military man or the victim of some horrible racial injustice. In each of these films, Denzel's straight-laced character has to fight an uphill battle against a seemingly insurmountable force. It's getting pretty tired.
"Remember the Titans" follows the same paint-by-numbers formula as the rest of his films. It just seems too easy, too feel-good, too lush. There's a theme park feel to it, as if the powers-that-be had decided to open a Rosa Parks trolley ride at Disneyland.
69 Boys of the bland
Denzel Washington should have held out for a better script before he signed on to star in Remember the Titans, but you can see why he wanted to do the movie: He gets to play Martin Luther King Jr. and Vince Lombardi rolled into one sanctimonious tough love saint. The picture, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and "based on a true story", is set in 1971, just after the Alexandria, Va., school board has been forced to integrate a local black school with a local white one.
Except that the film can hardly wait to get all corny and back slappy. The players become instant best buddies, engaging, at one point, in a locker room sing along of ''Ain't No Mountain High Enough'' (a great song that should be banned from movies as a hackneyed "feel good" staple). The jock lite camaraderie is like something out of a telephone commercial: It's reach out and touch your fellow linebacker.
Back in town, the Titans' new solidarity is tested by a society still mired in racism - and by a script that's willing to trot out the cheapest tricks in the inspirational hack's playbook (the white girlfriend who's a cartoon bigot, a crucially timed auto accident). In a movie this treacly and glib, you can bet the team that plays together (racially, that is) slays together. Denzel, as usual, has leapt at the chance to play yet another role stinking of preachiness and forced sentimentality, as we've seen him do so many times before - cementing his place in Hollywood as a one-trick pony a little bit more each time (in fact, his shamelessly cut-and-paste performance in John Q should undoubtedly make that typecasting complete).
Overall, a forgettable movie that didn't leave me with anything more than an urge to raid the concession area for the saltiest popcorn I could buy to offset the syrup-thick saccharin sickness Remember the Titans heaped on.
70 the Most touching and Spectacular Movie i have ever seen
This movie is a beutiful display of not only football but of life and how you need to over come obstickles, in this case Coach Boone(denzel washington) had a big one. However it the end lead by captain Gary berteir and his new maid best freind Julius end up having the perfect season and win the stae champsion. But in the end gary dies and the his whole high school football team was there. So where your in a tough time just "Remember the Titans".
71 Best Yet
I love any movie with Denzel Washington in it , but by far this is one of his finest movies . He does an exellant job playing coach Boone and he handled the racial problems with a lot of dignity and made the football players look at each other as people ,and not as emenies . just as it should be . I loved the part where he took them to the cemetary and explained what happened there so many years ago . It made them all stop and think to play as a team and not against each other.
72 My favorite movie ever
This movie is a great family film. Ever since I saw it the first time I saw it I havent been able to stop watching it. It tells the story a football team of a school that has just been forced to integrate. Not only the players but the coaches too. The actors really portray what it was like during these times. it shows how they come together and overcome there differences, with a few conflicts along the way, and become a successful football team. This is by far the best movie I've ever seen. Also check out the soundtrack it is terrific.
73 A movie beyond words
This movie deserves 6 stars because its so excellent. The cool thing is my dad knows somebody who played for the Titans which just made it even more special.
74 wonderful story
not really about football. It's about overcoming racism and personal obstacles. Very uplifting and inspiring
75 Cynics Need Not Apply
THE MOVIE
I thought this was an excellent film and was well done in several aspects. First off, the talent is top notch with the phenomenal Denzel Washington in the lead as Coach Boone. Not to be overlooked and a very unappreciated talent is Will Patton as Coach Yoast. Both actors play off of each other well and I believe Patton has the more difficult role as someone who starts out against the protagonist, Coach Boone and gradually comes around. I also thought his accent was top notch.
The youngsters they found for the football players were outstanding with Wood Harris as Julius Campbell and Ryan Hurst as Gerry Bertier getting special mention. They too have difficult "transitional" roles where their characters start out cold and set in their ways and gradually turn around. Both of these young men do an excellent job.
The football scenes were great in an action sense. I love football but I'm hardly a tactician of the sport so I can't tell you how realistic they were. However, the film does a great job of lending import to the games but making it clear the games were not the focal point of the journey these characters, and their real-life counterparts, took together.
THE DVD
First of all, there are TWO different DVDs for this movie so I don't think you should be complaining about there not being a widescreen because there definitely is one. In fact, the Widescreen Edition is stellar with both Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks. A big plus just for that alone given my preference for DTS.
The extra features on the Widescreen Edition are stellar. About the only complaint I have is the disc doesn't let you change audio while watching the movie, you have to go back to the menu to change it (a minor annoyance). This is more than made up for with the supplemental material which includes some great featurettes and, best of all, commentary tracks from the real-life Coach Boone and Coach Yoast. This is a great way to find out what in the movie was real, what was exaggerated and what was made up. Much to the surprise of many cynics you will find they approved of the film and there is little that was changed for dramatic purposes.
CONCLUSION
All-in-all this is an oustanding film and an outstanding DVD, I highly recommend it. For those who didn't think it was "realistic" or the language was toned down, I say hogwash. Sit your kids down and MAKE them watch it. Films like this will hopefully inspire future generations to better their relations with people of another race, another culture and another creed. Certainly we need more films like that.
76 Youth can bring about real changes in community
This is a show about the integration of a High School, the football team is the catalist for the changes in the entire community. They have to endure many things, including a new black coach, while their championship, probable coach of the year, takes a back seat as an assistant coach. The problems overcome by the team and the community in a perfect season, show that with the right catalyst changes can happen. Definate 5 star material as not only historical based on a true story, it is also entertaining don't dare miss a scene good.
77 Remember the Titans
This was a movie that, when I had seen previews for it, I thought that it would be interesting to see; but then forgot all about it. My husband authored the disk and brought it home one night to show me. I loved the movie. It's inspirational and motivating; you want to get off your couch or lazy-boy and go do something great with your life. Everyone in my family loved it as well...Densel was great.
78 Remember the Titans
This movie totally blew mw awy! Denzel Washington is at the top of his game as Coach Boone. My mother is always speaking of Bryan's Song - which I have never seen. This one tells the true story of the integrated high school football team in the early seventies with emotion, fun, and great on-field action. There are humorous moments, exciting moments, and moments of heart-wrenching emotion. It is definately not just a football movie. It is for everyone - young and old alike. There is not enough one can say about this terirfic movie!!!!
79 Do not miss this movie, even if you're not a sports fan!
This is one of the most inspiring films I have ever seen. Denzel Washington does a superb job as Coach Boone, the newly hired head coach of the Titans high school football team. The time frame is 1971 during the time of forced integration in the South, when tempers ran high and hate filled the hearts of both blacks and whites. The displaced head coach Yost, who was white, stayed on reluctantly, as an assistant coach, just to keep the original team from walking off.
I am not a football fan, not even close, but the outstanding acting by the entire cast had me riveted to my sofa not wanting to miss any of the story. In fact, I think I watched it at least twice, maybe three times, just because I wanted to share it over and over again with different friends. Can Coach Boone pull this team together when race lines are all the players can think about? The answer to this question will have you riveted, too. Because the film was based on a true story makes it all the more profound.
80 A great sports movie, but a spectacular drama film
In the racially segregated early 1970's, many high schools, especially in the South, were still either all black or all white. It seemed like there was no way to succesfully mix the two races at the time in certain parts of the country.
"Remember The Titans" is about Coach Boone (Dezel Washington) coming to a white high school in early 1970's Virginia to take over the head coaching spot from the extremely popular and classic Coach Yoast (Will Patton). Not only is this a big deal because Coach Yoast is so popular with his team and the school, but Coach Boone happens to be black and Coach Yoast is white. But this doesn't mean anything to Coach Boone because he just wants to win, no matter what it takes.
I'm not going to reveal much of the main plot itself other than to say that "Remember The Titans" is mainly a film about showing how different races can either come together, work together as a team and get along, or not come together at all.
"Remember The Titans" is without a doubt one of the best films of the year 2000. It has everything in it that football fans could want, such as fast-paced action on the field and hits that seem to be harder than a 50-MPH truck. But even more, it's about two different races who try to come together as one.
Denzel Washington is the true star of this film, but almost everybody, football players included, did a great job of portraying their characters in a realistic sense. As for Denzel, this is without a doubt one of his best efforts to date, if not his best.
Growing up in and still living in Alabama, I've seen and I still see a lot of racial segregation between blacks and whites every day. Myself, I'm not prejudice, I believe that people are people, that we should be judged on who we are, not what color we are. That being said, I believe "Remember The Titans" shows a great example of how racial prejudice could be overcome. Not saying that football is the answer, but teamwork and friendship could be.
I can't put everything about how great "Remember The Titans" is in words because that would mean giving away the biggest surprises and too much of the plot. Just as long as you like drama movies or if you've witnessed first-hand the difficulties between blacks and whites in your life, but you don't agree with it, at least watch "Remember The Titans." If you feel strongly about the subject and especially if you like football even one bit, go ahead and purchase this film. It will be money well spent.
81 Overrated, cotton candy movie
I still can't believe I got talked into seeing this poorly acted, poorly written schmaltzfest. This movie is nothing more than yet another pedistal for perpetually put-upon Denzel Washington to preach his whiney gospel. Denzel is one of the most overrated actors in Hollywood today, and Remember the Titans is a shining example of that. NO STARS!
82 Remember?
Okay, I'll admit it -- I've never been a big Disney fan. I'll go out on a limb here and say that I've never been a big football fan, either. Obviously when going to see this movie, then, one could say that I had the usual expectations -- a bunch of jocks sappily growing to like each other in the traditional Disney style.
I was totally off-base on that one! This was one of the really cool movies, for a number of different reasons. The movie begins the same way that it later ends -- at a funeral. We don't know who the funeral is for at first, but we don't really care -- why? Because an attractive young lady with a southern accent is telling us a story -- the story of the Titans football team in Virginia in the 1970's.
Blacks and whites didn't get along, meaning they certainly didn't play high school football together. The new head coach at T.C. Williams High School plans to change all of that, however. Coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) is "given" this job by school board bureaucrats who want to remain politcally correct. Former Head Coach Bill Yost (Will Patton) stays on the team as Assistant Head Coach.
Racial tensions are obviously flaring at this point -- Yost is pissed off because Boone stole his job and wants blacks to play on the team -- Boone is pissed off simply because there's so much racial tension. When it's time for the blacks and whites to go away to camp with one another, the whites immediately go to "their bus" and the blacks go to theirs. Boone corrects this -- he organizes his team, not by color, but by "offensive" and "defensive."
The team goes away to camp and with the strict guidance of Coach Boone most of the players become friends with one another. While at camp, we encounter what begins as "the problem of homosexuality," but by the end of the film becomes "the acceptance of homosexuality" -- nicely done by a Disney film!
Returning from camp, the Titans go on to win every game they play and make it to the championship against a "can't-lose" team. On top of this, star player Gary Burteer becomes paralyzed. The big question becomes: Will the team be able to win without Gary?
The acting is excellent -- throughout the movie, it's important to remember that the actors are portraying real people as this movie was based on a true story. Washington plays Boone perfectly -- he's strict and rarely let's up, yet we see why he's so strict and why it's so important for him to succeed. Similarly, Patton portrays Yost with just the right amount of initial jealousy and eventual acceptance of the situation he must share with his head coach.
See this movie -- it will make you realize that seeing a person's color is okay, as long as you appreciate it as part of the person. Remember the Titans succeeds in teaching viewers about prejudice, leadership, and attitude. Rating: 4 / 4.
SMITH TALKS: The Future of Movie Reviews ...
83 Titans and Berry College
Remember the Titans is a movie everyone should see. It is one movie that had the potential to appeal to everyone. I have seen it numerous times because it is so good, but also because parts of it were filmed at my college and high schools in my area. The part where the team is at football camp was filmed at Berry College in Rome, GA. Some of the Football games were filmed at high schools in the Metro Atlanta Area. I love to watch this movie because I have actually seen and stood where the movie was filmed.
84 Ryan Gosling and fantasy lover
I saw this movie for the first time on the third to last day of school. A friend brought it in so we watched it. I thought it was ok. then over the summer i told my mom "we have to rent this movie you'd like it." mom didn't watch it when we rented it but i did. I watched i once and then again and again and again and i realized this movie is pretty cool. i got the dvd 2 days after we returned it and i'm still watching it every weekend. now my room has mummy, mummy returns, and remember the titans stuff all over it
85 aj review
This video is a very powerful, moving motion picture that deals with an issue that is still very prominent in the nation today.
86 Bad News Bears Meets Rudy
I think someone forgot to include reality in this movie. It's like an afterschool special. I understand that there are different movies for inspirational reasons, i.e. Rudy, Lucas, and The Mask, but Disney does not need to be in charge of making a movie based on real events. I know that just because a movie is not made by Disney does not mean it is totally realistic, but I do think that people used cuss words a little bit more than they did in Alexandria "Disneyworld." This movie is good for about an 9-12 year old. Any older and they will understand that this is fluff and not take it seriously. As for the adults who view this movie and like it, I have a little advice: watch Saving Private Ryan and get a dose of reality.
87 Cheese can be good!
This movie has a great story that we've all have seen before. Someone comes to a school and gets the kids to be nice and play together. It's is a feel good movie and does tug on the heart strings. Also Denzel Washington is in it, you really can't go wrong with that.
88 Pretty darn good
I am not always a huge fan of inspirational feelgood movies. Many of them have a fake quality about them. An ideal world that isn't like ours so it is difficult to take the messege fro mit.
But that isn't the case with this film. Although there is a big race messege in the film, it is really about what it takes to get people of different backgrounds, colours or beliefs to get along and work as a team.
It is a good movie all round, including pace, plot, emotion and characters. Well worth it.
89 Attitude Reflects Leadership
Great "feel-good" flick with a powerful message. Everybody ought to watch this film. The scene at Gettysburg is classic. (Though you can see fall colors among the leaves which wouldn't be there during the time of a summer football camp.)
90 DISNEY
REMEMBER THE TITANS
Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Donald Faison, Nicole Ari Parker, 2000
Synopsis
Based on a true story of a Black football coach who takes a job at a high school in 1971 in Virginia. He (working with a coaching staff and team that is half white, half black) transforms the existing mistrust and racial tension into a triumphant victorious season, leading the team to the state championship.
My Review
It's a Disney movie folks. So expect the corny and clichˇ things that come with it. Good story, but there are better movies with similar stories (eg Hoosiers). If you get the DVD, you can see interviews with the actual two coaches and players that this film is based on. Yes they are still alive!
91 astronomically aclaimed
This is a very long fetched movie, but it makes you feel good to believe that it really could have happened. It deals more with teamwork then blacks and whites. it does a good job of looking passed this fact and finding the best man for the job. Many family issues are also brought up in this film which can still be considered to happen in a time like today. If youve never seen this movie id highly recomend that you rent it if you are into football fairy tales.
92 ONE OF MY FAVORITE FILMS!
I am not a football fan, but if there were reasons to watch this film were this: it had a great theme, it was quite critically acclaimed and for Denzel Washington and Will Patton and for Jerry Bruckheimer, and it was a great film, great acting, great plot, also is one great feel good film, you will just want to watch over and over again, the DVD is great, it was great to disney to put a DTS track, it sounds a lot more powerful and stronger than the Dolby track, this is a highly recommended film!
93 Great Movie
Personally i think this would have to be Denzel Washington's biggest role ever!
One of the most uplifting movies you'll ever watch.
A Must see even if u don't like american footy. :-)
94 Great Movie
Personally i think this would have to be Denzel Washington's biggest role ever!
One of the most uplifting movies you'll ever watch.
A Must see even if u don't like american footy. :-)
95 Definatly Disney!
This movie however definatly a Disney football movie, where the good guy always wins, based on a true story, I thought Disney did a phenomenol job pulling this movie off. It really goes in deep showing the diversity that was set in back then, tying in all angles from coaching, to players, to families, to children, to school boards, to communities. I thought parts of the movie were a little unreal yes, but overall; like the fact that a football team when it comes down to championship can pull a whole town together! My mother who hates history movies and hates sports movies, loved Remember the Titans, I had to force her to watch it, but afterward she thanked me and has even watched it again and again! Even if your not a huge fan of Disney (poor unfortunate soul that you would be) you will love to watch this movie if you are the football fan or not the football fan at heart! And let the spirit and magic of Disney brighten up your day!
