Scoring a touchdown against racism in 'Remember the Titans'

By Joko E.H. Anwar

Remember the Titans (*** 1/2 out of four stars)

Drama, 113 Minutes

Starring: Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Ryan Hurst, Wood Harris, Hayden Panettiere

Director: Boaz Yakin

A Walt Disney Pictures/Jerry Bruckheimer Film Presentation

JAKARTA (JP): Racism has always made an interesting issue in films, particularly in the United States, from stories about racial differences in the classroom (Blackboard Jungle, To Sir With Love) to war tales (Glory).

Since racism is not a light issue in the United States or in any other country, it is guaranteed that filmmakers who dare to handle such themes are not second-rate ones.

So when schlock-action master Jerry Bruckheimer, best known for his tendency toward strict commercialism, presents a film which deals with the sensitive issue, it naturally raises eyebrows.

The producer exploited the school-in-the-ghetto theme with Dangerous Minds , which was his version of The Blackboard Jungle for pre-teens. There was also his cutesy flick Coyote Ugly and stupid action movie Gone in 60 Seconds from last year.

Against all odds, however, Remember the Titans, which he co- produced and is based on a true story, is something different. It works on several levels, including as a genuinely moving story of racism and a truly inspiring sports movie.

It begins in 1971 in all-white T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia, which is merged with two other high schools.

The school board decides to make a black man, Herman Boone (Denzel Washington), head coach for the school's football team, The Titans, replacing white coach Bill Yoast (Will Patton).

The event takes place when the town has just been touched by the spirit of the civil rights movement, but there are many who still cannot embrace the possibility that their neighbors may be of a different race. Fighting among teenagers between both sides happens every day, while adults still look at each other with clear suspicion or even disgust.

The arrival of the new coach immediately causes a stir. The white football players mull whether to boycott practice because they are sure they will only be sitting on the bench during the games. The black players assume their new coach will favor them.

Soon, both sides learn they are wrong.

Washington, who was also part of the racial storyline in Glory, is top notch here as a no-nonsense, uncompromising coach who only thinks in terms of sports.

The coach makes it clear to black players that they will still have to work hard if they want to be part of the team.

And when The Titans' white captain Gerry Bertier (Ryan Hurst), who happens to be the only All-American player in the team, tries to get smart with him, Boone lets him know in no uncertain terms that on the field he is his "daddy".

Thanks to Washington's undeniably charismatic and commanding presence, the young man instantly acknowledge his new coach's authority.

Color-blind

The film's screenplay, which was written by Gregory Allen Howard, makes a smart decision in having Washington's character a true color-blind professional. Despite coming from a minority race in the U.S., Boone is not a man who is still searching for his identity and he has no doubt about what he stands for.

When the town's black residents gather on his lawn -- applauding him as a hero -- Boone refuses the honor, saying he only wants to be a coach.

In the field, he realizes it is impossible to make the team work if they still think in terms of skin color. A training camp, which is more like a military training camp, is then set to make the team a solid one.

Patton is well cast as coach Yoast whose nomination in the Hall of Fame is threatened after his replacement. At first, he is a dubious character but we soon learn that he has good intentions.

In order not to make white players lose their college scholarships, Yoast represses his pride and offers himself to Boone as his assistant to make the white players stay on the team. At the same time, he also tries to "protect" black players from Boone's hard attitude, which Boone himself knows is not fair because he is not as strict with the white team members.

The training camp itself turns out to be a success. The black players learn to accept the whites, and vice versa.

A white player, for instance, chooses to break up with his girlfriend rather than sever the bond he has with his fellow black players. Everybody on the football team soon becomes united in fighting for the school's integration.

Child actress Hayden Panettiere as Yoast's nine-year-old daughter Sheryl gives an amusing performance as her father's true sidekick on the field. Every time The Titans fight against other teams, Sheryl shouts at the top of her lungs, cursing or giving the team a verbal boost.

Unfortunately, the film still has some of Bruckheimer's trademarks, such as the "unexpected" singing scenes that can be found in some of his other films, like Top Gun.

Away from the schmaltz, there are many moving moments, such as when a black player visits his white friend's house and warmly hugs his friend's mother, which immediately melts her reluctance to get to know him. When the white boy is admitted to the hospital after a terrible accident, the mother will only allow the black player to see her son.

Life, as we know it, is not as simple as the one described in the film, which some might find as cartoonish. (If you want to see an uncompromising drama on racism, watch Tony Kaye's American History X). But the tension and emotion depicted in the movie are real.

Former independent film director Boaz Yakin (A Price Above Rubies, Fresh), in his first major studio film, skillfully mixes the sports film formula with the message of racial tolerance.

The story confirms that heroes are not always made on the battlefield with guns but also in sports. At the end, when The Titans are on the field, we cheer not only for the touchdowns, but also for victory over racism.