Will Patton

Obviously, you’ve figured out that Remember the Titans has won the Best Disney Sports Movie poll, taking 33% of the fan vote. My personal favorite, Miracle, took second with 24%. Cool Runnings took third with 19% and a write-in, The Mighty Ducks, took fourth with 14%. The Rookie and Invincible received votes as well, and I also got a few comments about movies like Angels in the Outfield and The Greatest Game Ever Played. It was a nice mix of votes and I thank all of you who participated. I’m sure if you took the time to read my top five and vote, then you’ve probably seen our winner, but just in case you’ve forgotten, here’s the Binge Media Revisit for Remember the Titans.

Released in 2000, this Disney release covers the story of T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia in 1971. After an all-white school and an all-black school are shut down, T.C. Williams becomes the new integrated home for all students, including the football players. Academy Award winner Denzel Washington plays Herman Boone, the black coach brought in by the school board (“We had to give them something”) to replace the long time white coach and Virginia High School Hall of Fame nominee Bill Yoast, portrayed by Will Patton. And yes, I will mention her again. Coach Yoast’s daughter, Sheryl, is played by a young Hayden Panettiere and throughout the movie, she does provide some voice of reason as well as some comic relief.

And just because I’m putting this together means that I can put up even more pictures of her and I’m going to justify it by saying that this movie shows exactly how Americans should act towards one another. Black, white, it shouldn’t matter. But who wants to listen to me preach about how people should act, so I’ll let an older Hayden just show you a true American.

Okay, I’m done. But we all know where the story goes, but it really is done quite nicely. The players are introduced to one another for the first time in the gym and it doesn’t go well. But then, they go to camp. Who knew that high school football teams actually spent weeks away at camp? But this camp takes place at Gettysburg College, and it’s here that the players start to realize that they have to get along to achieve the goal they need to achieve: perfection. They need to get past the black and white issue and focus on being a team and of course, Denzel is the one to get them going.

From here, it’s clear that the team has become one, including the real-life friendship that would form between Gerry Bertier and Julius Campbell, one of many subplots that help connect the audience to the characters and the struggles each endures. From the obvious race issue, academic troubles, or family concerns, each character is given some decent screen time, allowing us to put all the pieces together that will eventually form a championship football team. From Ethan Suplee to Donald Faison to a young Ryan Gosling, the supporting cast really helps this movie bring you a full story. It would have been easy to only focus on the coaching and friendship aspect of Boone and Yoast, and that’s where the main focus is, but these smaller stories are really the backbone here. The scene between Gerry and Julius in the hospital after Gerry’s car accident (completely his fault by the way) is very emotional and very well done.

Inevitably, we arrive at the championship game and just in case you haven’t seen it, I’ll go ahead and let you take a guess on who wins. I will say that it’s not the best I’ve ever seen, but the actual football action in the movie isn’t bad either. All in all, I really do love Remember the Titans. It’s one of those that’s hard for me to turn off if I come across it on television. Sure, it comes off as a little cheesy, but it’s Disney so it’s to be expected. But, in the world we still live in where race continues to be an issue, what’s wrong with a cheesy movie that shows you what it’s like to do the right thing?

So, what’s your favorite part of Remember the Titans? Or do you even like it at all? Let me know in the comments section below or tweet @THElukenorris to let me know your thoughts. The NHL and NBA are wrapping up their second rounds, so I’ll be back very soon to bring you a preview of the conference finals, so keep checking back with Binge Media Sports for all of your playoff needs.