Average Rating: 
Rating:  - A memorable movie and DVD....
I first saw "Remember the Titans" in the theater with a group of younger friends, who did not live through the civil rights movement or the uneasy truce that existed through the next 10 years. It was interesting to see their reactions to the chasm that existed on the "battlefield" of the public school system. Although "RtT" doesn't explore the issues of the time in a substantive way, the film makes it easy to believe that the situations were real. The football field action is impressively filmed and the soundtrack is outstanding.Will Patton and a terrific cast of young actors will entertain you and make you believe for the run of the movie. And although some scenes are corny, (every scene that features Coach Yost's daughter!) you find yourself caught up in not only the game, but in what it represents as a centerpiece for a small town or city. I confess that there is no movie featuring Denzel Washington that I don't like! His performance here is solid, and he hides his natural charm well - Coach Boone is not a charming guy! In DVD, the film is enhanced with many special features that are just as entertaining as the movie. I particularly enjoyed the discussion between the two coaches and the items that were edited out of the movie. Not an award winning movie, but definitely a feel-good flick with an edge of some of the hardships that make life worth living. It's great to see such favorable and complex reviews from younger watchers; it makes you realize that the film hit its mark!
Rating:  - 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.
Rating: - I wish I could give this movie six stars instead of five.
Remember the Titans is the true story of a small town in Virginia during the 1970's. The "white" high school and the "black" high school are forced to combine into one as the town explodes in racial havoc. Just as the caucasian football coach Yoast is about to enter the Virginian high school football hall of fame, he is demoted to assistant head coach when the two high schools combine. The new head coach is Coach Boone (Denzel Washington), an experienced African-American football coach that recently moved there. On top of this being between the two coaches, they have to figure out how to bring two teams into one and to end the prejudice between the players.Though the plot seems rather dark from the above description, the movie does a great job balancing itself so that it is dramatic and you are able to understand what racism was like during that time period, but there is plenty of humor to cause you not to be upset during the entire film. This has got to be one of the best movies I have seen throughout my entire life (okay, I'm only fourteen, but give me a break). I saw this movie three times while at the movie theaters (my mom saw it five times; believe me, she isn't the type to see a movie while it's in theaters that many times), and you can bet that Remember the Titans will become a part of my video library when it comes out on video. This movie made me laugh, made me cry, and made me that much wiser about the world. When Remember the Titans comes out on video, please at least do yourself the favor of renting it. I can almost guarantee that you will absolutely enjoy this film. That's how good it is.
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