Remember the Titans | |
---|---|
Directed by | Boaz Yakin |
Written by | Gregory Allen Howard |
Produced by | Jerry Bruckheimer Chad Oman |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Philippe Rousselot |
Edited by | Michael Tronick |
Music by | Trevor Rabin |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Buena Vista Pictures Distribution |
Release date |
|
Running time | 113 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $30 million [1] |
Box office | $136.8 million [1] |
Remember the Titans is a 2000 American biographical sports comedy-drama film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Boaz Yakin. The screenplay, written by Gregory Allen Howard, is loosely based on the true story of coach Herman Boone, portrayed by Denzel Washington, and his attempt to integrate the T. C. Williams High School (now Alexandria City High School) football team in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1971. Will Patton portrays Bill Yoast, Boone's assistant coach. Real-life athletes Gerry Bertier and Julius Campbell are portrayed by Ryan Hurst and Wood Harris, respectively.
The film was co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films and released by Buena Vista Pictures. On September 19, 2000, the film's soundtrack was released by Walt Disney Records. It features songs by several recording artists including Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Dylan, The Hollies, Marvin Gaye, James Taylor, The Temptations, Cat Stevens, and Steam.
Remember the Titans had a budget of $30 million and premiered in theaters nationwide in the United States on September 29, 2000. It grossed an estimated $115.6 million in the U.S., and $136.8 million worldwide. Reception was not so favorable upon release, but has become appreciated over the years. [2] The film is often listed among the best football films. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
In 1981, a group of former football coaches and players attend a funeral for a former football player.
Ten years earlier in the summer of 1971, head coach Bill Yoast of the newly integrated T. C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia, is leading his white players in summer workouts. He is informed that Herman Boone, a black head coach originally hired to coach the city's black high school football team, has been assigned to his coaching staff instead. Then, in an attempt to placate rising racial tensions and the fact that all other high schools in Alexandria are "white only" (despite the abolition of racial segregation in public schools), the school district decides to name Boone the head coach. Boone refuses, believing it is unfair to Yoast, a successful coach who is nominated to the Virginia High School Hall of Fame, but relents after seeing what it means to the black community. When Yoast tells his white players that he will accept a head coach position elsewhere, they pledge to boycott the team if he is not their coach. Dismayed at the prospect of the students losing their chances at scholarships, Yoast changes his mind and decides to accept Boone's offer to serve as his defensive coordinator.
Boone holds his first team meeting with mostly black students in the school gymnasium but is interrupted by the arrival of Yoast and several white students. Yoast informs Boone of his decision, but Boone warns Yoast that it is his team and he will not tolerate Yoast undermining him. On August 15, the players journey to Gettysburg College for training camp. Early on, the black and white team members frequently clash in racially-motivated conflicts, especially between captains Gerry Bertier (white) and Julius Campbell (black). However, through forceful coaching, rigorous training, and a motivational early-morning run to the Gettysburg National Cemetery followed by an emotional speech by Boone, the team comes together and returns as a united group. Before their first game, Boone is told by a member of the school board that if he loses even a single game, he will be dismissed. Subsequently, the Titans go through the season undefeated while battling racial prejudice and slowly gaining support from the community.
Just before the state semi-finals, Yoast is told by the chairman of the school board that they have arranged for the Titans to lose so that Boone will be dismissed and Yoast reinstated as head coach. During the game, the referees make several biased calls against the Titans. Upon seeing the chairman and other board members in the audience looking on with satisfaction, Yoast marches onto the field to warn the head referee that if the game is not officiated fairly, he will expose the scandal to the press. After this, the Titans shut out their opponents and advance to the state championship, but Yoast is told by the infuriated chairman that his actions in saving Boone's job have resulted in the loss of his Hall of Fame nomination.
That night, while celebrating the victory, Gerry is severely injured in a car accident and is paralyzed from the waist down. Despite the loss of the All-American linebacker, the team mounts a comeback in the fourth quarter of the state championship and wins the title.
Ten years later, Gerry dies in another car crash caused by a drunk driver after having won the gold medal in shot put in the Paralympic Games. It is his funeral the former football coaches and players were attending in the opening scene. Julius, who Gerry's mother formerly disliked, is now holding her hand as he leads the team in a mournful rendition of "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye".
In the epilogue, descriptions show the players' and coaches' activities after the events in 1971. Coach Boone coached the Titans for five more seasons before retirement, while Coach Yoast assisted Boone for four more years, retiring from coaching in 1990; the two coaches became good friends. After Gerry's death, the gymnasium at T.C. Williams High was renamed after him. Julius would work for the city of Alexandria and remain friends with Gerry until his death.
Filming locations for the motion picture included the campus of Dallas, Georgia at Paulding County High School, where the home games were filmed. Berry College in Rome, Georgia, Etowah High School in Woodstock, and in Atlanta, Georgia including Henry Grady High School and Druid Hills High School which both filled in for T.C. Williams High School. Practice scenes were filmed at Clarkston High School in Clarkston Georgia. Additionally, some of the championship game scenes were filmed at the Sprayberry High School football stadium in East Marietta, Georgia.
This section needs additional citations for verification .(July 2016) |
As with any movie that is not a documentary film but is rather "based on a true story", it has strayed from the actual events that had occurred on many occasions to add new dramatic elements of teamwork, commitment, and friendship to the film.
On September 19, 2000, the soundtrack was released by Walt Disney Records. The film score was orchestrated by musician Trevor Rabin and features music composed by various artists. From the instrumental score, Rabin's track "Titans Spirit", was the only cue (of the 12 composed) added to the soundtrack. It is also the only piece of music on the soundtrack album not to have been previously released.
"Titans Spirit" is a seven-minute instrumental. It has been used on numerous sports telecasts, particularly those on NBC, which has utilized the score during its closing credits for each Olympic Games since 2002, as well as the final closing credits montage ending their 12-year run of NBA coverage in 2002. The song was also played as veteran New York Mets players crossed home plate during the closing ceremonies at Shea Stadium, and as the New York Yankees were awarded their rings from their 2009 World Series championship. The New Jersey Devils also used this song during the jersey number retirement ceremonies for Scott Stevens, Ken Daneyko, Scott Niedermayer, Martin Brodeur and Patrik Eliáš. In 2018, at the conclusion of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the song was used during the Washington Capitals' Stanley Cup celebration as captain Alexander Ovechkin lifted the Cup in Las Vegas.
It was also used during the 2008 Democratic National Convention to accompany the celebration and fireworks at Invesco Field after future president Barack Obama gave his nomination acceptance speech, and was also used immediately following his victory speech upon winning the 2008 Presidential Election. [14]
Although not included on the soundtrack, "Them Changes" by Buddy Miles is heard playing early on in the film.
Remember the Titans: An Original Walt Disney Motion Picture Soundtrack | |
---|---|
Film score by Various Artists | |
Released | September 19, 2000 |
Genre | R&B, pop rock |
Length | 46:21 |
Label | Walt Disney |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" | 2:23 |
2. | "Spirit in the Sky" | 4:02 |
3. | "Peace Train" | 4:08 |
4. | "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" | 4:05 |
5. | "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" | 3:17 |
6. | "I Want to Take You Higher" | 2:44 |
7. | "Up Around the Bend" | 2:42 |
8. | "Spill the Wine" | 4:05 |
9. | "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" | 5:10 |
10. | "Act Naturally" | 2:21 |
11. | "Express Yourself" | 3:53 |
12. | "Titans Spirit" | 7:25 |
Total length: | 46:21 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [15] | Gold | 50,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [16] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Following its release in theaters, the Region 1 widescreen and Pan and scan edition of the motion picture was released on VHS and DVD in the United States on March 20, 2001. [17] A Special Edition widescreen format of the film was released on March 20, 2001, along with a widescreen Director's cut on March 14, 2006. [18]
A restored widescreen hi-definition Blu-ray version was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on September 4, 2007. Special features include backstage feature audio commentary with director Boaz Yakin, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and writer Gregory Allen Howard, feature audio commentary with real-life coaches Herman Boone and Bill Yoast, "Remember The Titans: An inspirational journey behind the scenes" hosted by Lynn Swann, "Denzel Becomes Boone," "Beating The Odds"; Deleted scenes; Movie Showcase and seamless menus. [19]
Remember the Titans opened strongly at the U.S. box office, grossing $26,654,715 in its first weekend and staying within the top five for six weeks. [20] The film debuted at the number one spot, but was quickly overtaken by Meet the Parents a week later. [21] It eventually went on to gross an estimated $115,654,751 in the U.S., and $136,706,684 worldwide. [1]
Among mainstream critics in the U.S., Remember the Titans received generally positive reviews. [22] Rotten Tomatoes reported that 72% of 137 sampled critics gave the film a positive review, with an average score of 6.3/10. The site's consensus states: "An inspirational crowd-pleaser with a healthy dose of social commentary, Remember the Titans may be predictable, but it's also well-crafted and features terrific performances." [23] At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to critics' reviews, the film received a score of 48 based on 32 reviews. [22] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare "A+" grade. [24]
James Berardinelli writing for ReelViews , called the film "relentlessly manipulative and hopelessly predictable" but noted that it was "a notch above the average entry in part because its social message (even if it is soft-peddled[ sic ]) creates a richer fabric than the usual cloth from which this kind of movie is cut." [25] Describing some pitfalls, Robert Wilonsky of the Dallas Observer said that "beneath its rah-rah rhetoric and pigskin proselytizing, it's no more provocative or thoughtful than a Hallmark Hall of Fame film or, for that matter, a Hallmark greeting card. Its heart is in the right place, but it has no soul." [26] Wilonsky however was quick to admit "The film's intentions are noble, but its delivery is ham-fisted and pretentious; you can't deny the message, but you can loathe the messenger without feeling too guilty about it." [26]
'Remember the Titans' has the outer form of a brave statement about the races in America, but the soul of a sports movie in which everything is settled by the obligatory last play in the last seconds of the championship game.
—Roger Ebert, writing in the Chicago Sun-Times [27]
Todd McCarthy, writing in Variety , said, "As simplistic and drained of complexity as the picture is, it may well appeal to mainstream audiences as an 'if only it could be like this' fantasy, as well as on the elemental level of a boot camp training film, albeit a PG-rated one with all the cuss words removed." [28] Roger Ebert, in the Chicago Sun-Times , viewed the film as "a parable about racial harmony, yoked to the formula of a sports movie," adding, "Victories over racism and victories over opposing teams alternate so quickly that sometimes we're not sure if we're cheering for tolerance or touchdowns. Real life is never this simple, but then that's what the movies are for". [27]
In the San Francisco Chronicle , Mick LaSalle wrote that the film reminds the viewer that "it's possible to make a sentimental drama that isn't sickening — and a sports movie that transcends cliches." [29] Columnist Bob Grimm of the Sacramento News & Review , somewhat praised the film, writing, "The film is quite lightweight for the subject matter, but Washington and company make it watchable." [30] Some detractors like Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "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 nostalgically omnipotent tough-love saint." [31] Jeff Vice of the Deseret News admitted that although the film contained dialogue that was "corny, clichéd, and downright cheesy at times," as well as how it relayed its message in one of the "most predictable, heavy-handed manners we've seen in a movie in years", the film "serves as a reminder of how much goodness there is inside people, just waiting for the right person to bring it out." He also viewed the casting as top-notch, saying that it helped to have a "rock-solid foundation in the form of leading-man Denzel Washington" at the helm. [32]
The film was nominated and won several awards in 2000–2001.
Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2001 Angel Awards | Silver Angel | ———— | Nominated |
BET Awards 2001 | Best Actor | Denzel Washington | Won |
2001 BMI Film & TV Awards | Film Music Award | Trevor Rabin | Won |
Black Reel Awards of 2001 | Best Actor | Denzel Washington | Won |
Best Screenplay | Gregory Allen Howard | Won | |
Best Film | Jerry Bruckheimer, Chad Oman | Nominated | |
2001 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards | Favorite Actor - Drama | Denzel Washington | Nominated |
Favorite Supporting Actor - Drama | Wood Harris | Nominated | |
2001 Casting Society of America Awards | Best Casting for Feature Film - Drama | Ronna Kress | Nominated |
2001 NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | Denzel Washington | Won |
Outstanding Motion Picture | ———— | Won | |
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Wood Harris | Nominated | |
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | Nicole Ari Parker | Nominated | |
Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress | Krysten Leigh Jones | Nominated | |
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards 2000 | Best Male Newcomer | Kip Pardue | Nominated |
Youth in Film | Hayden Panettiere | Nominated | |
2001 Motion Picture Sound Editors Awards | Best Sound Editing - Dialogue & ADR | Robert L. Sephton, Christopher T. Welch, Julie Feiner, Cindy Marty, Gaston Biraben, Suhail Kafity | Nominated |
Best Sound Editing - Music | Will Kaplan | Nominated | |
Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards 2000 | Best Performance by a Youth in a Leading or Supporting Role | Hayden Panettiere | Nominated |
2001 Political Film Society Awards | Human Rights | ———— | Won |
Exposé | ———— | Nominated | |
Golden Satellite Awards 2000 | Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama | Denzel Washington | Nominated |
2001 Teen Choice Awards | Film - Choice Drama/Action Adventure | ———— | Nominated |
22nd Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actress | Hayden Panettiere | Won |
Best Family Feature Film - Drama | ———— | Nominated | |
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, producer, and director. In a career spanning over four decades, Washington has received numerous accolades, including a Tony Award, two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and two Silver Bears. He was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016, the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2019, and in 2020 The New York Times named him the greatest actor of the 21st century. In 2022, Washington received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Alexandria City High School is a public high school in the City of Alexandria, Virginia, United States, just outside of Washington, D.C. The school has an enrollment of over 4,100 students. The high school is located near the geographic center of Alexandria and is referred to informally as the "Titans" by students, faculty and locals. The school's football team was the subject of the 2000 film Remember the Titans.
Gregg Williams is an American football coach who is currently the defensive coordinator for the DC Defenders of the United Football League (UFL). He recently served as the defensive coordinator for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL) from 2019 to 2020. Previously, he was head coach of the Buffalo Bills from 2001 to 2003, and defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints from 2009 to 2011, and the Cleveland Browns, acting as an interim head coach in the 2018 season. Williams is known for running aggressive, attacking 4–3 schemes that put heavy pressure on opposing quarterbacks and for his key role in the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, also known as "Bountygate".
The Rookie is a 2002 American sports drama film directed by John Lee Hancock and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. It is based on the true story of Jim Morris who debuted in Major League Baseball at age 35. The film stars Dennis Quaid as Morris, alongside Rachel Griffiths, Jay Hernandez, Angus T. Jones, and Brian Cox. The film was released in the United States on March 29, 2002. The film was filmed in 2.40:1 widescreen.
Earl Francis Lloyd was an American professional basketball player and coach. He was the first African American player to play a game in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Chris Harris is an American football coach and former safety who is the passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft after playing college football for the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
Ryan Douglas Hurst is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Gerry Bertier in Remember the Titans (2000) and Opie Winston in the FX drama series Sons of Anarchy (2008–2012). He portrayed the Norse god Thor in the 2022 video game God of War Ragnarök, for which he received a BAFTA Award nomination.
George C. Marshall High School is a public school in Falls Church, Virginia. Named for General George C. Marshall, it opened in 1962 and is part of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). It is ranked #245 in the nation for public schools and has received a gold award for Best High Schools from the U.S. News & World Report 2020. It is ranked 4th in Virginia and 4th in Fairfax County. George C. Marshall High School is a fully accredited high school based on Virginia's Standards of Learning tests.
Riki Morgan Ellison is a New Zealand-American former professional player of American football who was a linebacker for ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was known as Riki Gray while playing college football for the USC Trojans, earning all-conference honors in the Pac-10 in 1982. He is the first New Zealander to play in the NFL and the first New Zealander to win a Super Bowl. Ellison is also the founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance and the Youth Impact Program.
Gregory Allen Howard was an American journalist, playwright and Hollywood screenwriter. He is best known for composing the screenplay to Disney’s award-winning mega movie staple Remember the Titans, a film chronicling the real life story of the racial barrier-breaking T.C. Williams High School football team recognized as the sports force to incite community integration in its notoriously Deep South-segregated Alexandria, Virginia, of 1971. Howard is the first African American screenwriter in Hollywood history to script a $100 million dollar-generating motion picture drama, and the only African American screenwriter in film history to write a spec script that garnered $100 million dollars in revenue.
Herman Ike Boone was an American high school football coach who coached the 1971 T. C. Williams High School football team to a 13–0 season, state championship, and national runner-up. That season later served as the basis for the film Remember the Titans in 2000, in which Boone was portrayed by actor Denzel Washington.
John Vaughn is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football for the Auburn Tigers.
The Express: The Ernie Davis Story is a 2008 American sports film produced by John Davis and directed by Gary Fleder. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Charles Leavitt from a 1983 book Ernie Davis: The Elmira Express, authored by Robert C. Gallagher. The film is based on the life of Syracuse University football player Ernie Davis, the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy, portrayed by actor Rob Brown. The Express explores civil rights topics, such as racism, discrimination and athletics. It was the film debut of Chadwick Boseman as Floyd Little.
Robert Lewis Pruett is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach Marshall University for nine seasons, from 1996 to 2004. During his tenure at Marshall, the Marshall Thundering Herd football team compiled a record of 94–23, completed two undefeated seasons, won six conference championships, won five of seven bowl games played, and captured the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship in 1996. Pruett has coached many high-profile National Football League (NFL) players, including Randy Moss, Chad Pennington, and Byron Leftwich. In 1999, he was inducted into the Marshall University Athletics Hall of Fame for his collegiate career in football, track and field, and wrestling.
Gerry Bertier was a high school American football player and Paralympian. He became known for his participation on the 1971 Virginia State Champion football T. C. Williams High School team, and their portrayal in the Disney film Remember the Titans. Bertier was also the nephew of Howie Livingston. After the conclusion of the 1971 season, Bertier was involved in an automobile crash that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Despite this injury, Bertier attended Northern Virginia Community College and remained an active athlete, participating in the Paralympics. In 2006, Bertier's family started the "Bertier #42 Foundation", dedicated to raising money for research on spinal cord injuries. There is also a gymnasium at Alexandria City High School that bears his name.
The Wichita State Shockers football team was the college football program of Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. The Shockers fielded a team from 1897 to 1986. They played their home games at Cessna Stadium and were members of the Missouri Valley Conference until the program was discontinued. The team was known as Fairmount from its first season in 1897 to 1925 and Wichita from 1926 through 1963.
Alexandria is an independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately 7 miles (11 km) south of downtown Washington, D.C. Alexandria is the third largest "principal city" of the Washington metropolitan area which is part of the larger Washington-Baltimore combined statistical area.
Ronald Edwin "Sunshine" Bass is a former American football player who played at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia, and the University of South Carolina. He was portrayed by actor Kip Pardue in the 2000 film Remember the Titans which is about his high school’s 1971 State Championship team, on which he was the starting quarterback.
Denzel Washington is an American actor known for his performance on stage and screen.
Denzel Washington and an inspiring tale of race relations added up to an A+ for "Remember the Titans" in September 2000.