Racial Diversity For The Win

Remember the Titans is, in my opinion, another one of those rare occurrences of perfect cinema.  It is so much more than a football movie.  The thematic elements and character arcs in the film are very strong which, in turn, makes you care even more about the sequences that occur on the football field.  This film also is, overall, my favorite Denzel Washington movie.

Remember the Titans is true story of an African-American coach, and his first season coaching a racially integrated football team.  What makes this movie so special is that the football team has to come together off the field so they can work together on the field.  It does not happen overnight.  There are verbal and physical altercations, and there are even characters that go through the entire film without changing their point of view, both positive and negative.  Also, just when they are able to come together at football camp, they come home to a world that does not want it to be this way.  It is because of this that the team has to come together and stay together not just for themselves, but for their city, state, and the nation.  The backbone of this film is the storyline between Julius Campbell (Wood Harris) and Gerry Bertier (Ryan Hurst).  What makes their storyline so strong is that they start out bitter enemies who end up being the ones who bring the team together, and they become best friends in the process.  This movie has an incredibly emotional story, and it is also one of Disneys' best live-action films.

Denzel Washington commands the screen as Coach Herman Boone.  Boone is a man who stands up for racial diversity, and even says at one point, "Color won't matter".  Washington wields an unyielding amount of confidence and arrogance which is perfect for the role.  We also see some beautiful dramatic moments where Boone is doubting himself, and questioning whether or not he is pushing the boys to much.  As always, Washington is marvelous at doing these kinds of scenes.  Ultimately, it is Coach Boones' refusal to be intimidated by hate which makes the character so strong.  In fact, Boone is just as responsible for bringing the team together as Julius and Gerry are.  It is hard to pick a favorite Denzel Washington role because the man is always great, but his role as Coach Boone is one of my favorites.  

Boaz Yakin is the director of Remember the Titans.  As I mentioned before, this film focuses on the relationship between the characters off the field which makes you care even more about what happens to them off the field.  Yakin directs this film in such a way that will make you feel better about certain issues that are still talked about today.  Remember the Titans is a movie that might make you shed some tears, and that is because you care about the characters before they even get on the football field.  This is a finely-tuned film that is, I daresay, crafted perfectly.

Remember the Titans is a great film that is filled with young stars that have gone on to become well-known actors, and with Denzel Washington leading the pack it makes it even better.  This film will make you feel better about the world, and will leave you cheering at the end.  In these tough times, it is always important to Remember the Titans.