Glory Road (PG)
Mike:
Scott:
Scott: Tonight we are reviewing Glory Road
. This movie tells the true story of a small Western Texas college basketball team and their incredible run for the 1966 NCAA tournament championship. Sounds like you heard it before right? Well, this team is also the first team to start 5 African American players in the championship game.
What did you think Mike?
Mike: I loved it. I was afraid we had seen this all before, but the movie was surprisingly fresh.
And you?
Scott: We have seen it before. We have seen it over and over again. You knew what is going to happen in the movie, yet it was still fun and exciting.
I am going to let everyone in on a little secret, the underdog almost always wins. In every true story you see that is what happens, otherwise they wouldn't make the movie.
Mike: Well it's doubly true if it's a Disney movie, and this is.
After Remember the Titans, Coach Carter, Miracle and others, you think, "Why bother with another movie like this?" But I was very entertained.
Scott: You forgot Hoosiers, a small school of all white players that made it to the championship game and played against a mixed race basketball team to win that championship game. This is kind of like Bizarro Hoosiers.
Mike: This movie has humor, emotion and tension. Even though you figure they are going to win it all, they make the basketball games thrilling to watch.
Scott: They highlighted several games throughout the movie. Those games were chosen because they were the most dramatic, but in most movies like this, the games are chosen because the underdog team is losing at some point. This team was so good that the only games they could use were games where they were only wining by 5 or so. Remarkable.
Mike: This is another one of those movies where you don't have to be a big Basketball or even sports fan to watch.
Scott: You say that but there were a bunch of tall people in the theatre, I'd say more tall people than normal.
Mike: What are you talking about?
By the way tall people rock, shorty.
Scott: I was watching the people exit the theatre and there were a bunch of tall folks, 6' +.
Mike: The crowd cheered and applauded a number of times. It's been awhile since we have been to a preview where that happened.
Scott: It was exciting, got my heart racing a bit, and the crowd was into it as well.
I thought Josh Lucas as Coach Don Haskins played a pretty believable coach for this. There were a few too many hooray speeches, but he was solid.
Mike: I like Josh very much in this movie. For awhile there he was the bad guy in a number of movies, but he has moved into leading man country. This is definitely a much better starring vehicle than his last big movie Stealth.
Scott: You keep mentioning that movie, stop it!
Mike: I'm sorry, I didn't want to, but it was his last role. You have to excuse me; I just threw up in my mouth a little.
Scott: Ok, now a Dodgeball reference? Gosh!
Mike: Well, look who has been paying attention.
The movie changed gears a few times. I felt like there was a lot of humor in the beginning, which gave way to some heavier moments when the racial realities of the time reared its ugly head.
Scott: It started as a humorous story but it slowed down as the realization set in as to what they were doing.
Mike: It changed gears one more time when we were taken in by the excitement of the underdog going for the National championship.
Scott: Even when they had the lead going into the second half, the announcers still didn't believe they would win.
In 1966 race relations were pretty rough and having African Americans play for you was unheard of and to a lot of whites, ridiculous.
Mike: Oh, were you even alive in 1966?
Scott: That would be a no, Mike.
Mike: People may get tired of it, but I don't think movies can ever say that racism is bad too many times.
Scott: The games looked pretty good, I think there were only 3 or 4 misses during the movie, which means that baskets must have been bigger back then.
Mike: The basketball scenes definitely got your blood pumping and prompted more than a couple of audible reactions from the theater audience.
You know I always have to mention the music. The Trevor Rabin score was very complimentary to the energy of the game scenes, especially towards the end of the film.
Scott: I liked the Hoosiers soundtrack more. I actually have that running through my head right now.
Mike: I think the acting was pretty solid all around.
Scott: There were several no names cast for the team, and they mixed in well with the more experienced Hollywood actors.
Mike: One of the standout young actors is Derek Luke who was in Remember the Titans and Antwone Fisher.
Did you notice that it was Jon Voight under all that make up as Adolph Rupp, head coach of Kentucky?
Scott: Barely. Just changing the nose was enough to change the look of his face completely.
Mike: I think if my parents had named me Adolph, I would have had to take them to court.
Red West did a fine job as Haskin's assistant Ross Moore. I remember Red from Black Sheep Squadron and a few other TV shows from the 70's. Probably also before your time.
Scott: Oh yeah, I forgot he was in that. Reruns, Mike, us younger folk watch reruns.
The team that they face in the final game is Kentucky, featuring Pat Riley - yes, that Pat Riley.
You had mentioned after the movie that Lucas gained weight for the role. Apparently, it was 35 pounds he put on for the role.
Mike: Supposedly, the real Haskins told Lucas he was too skinny to play him. After he gained the weight he said that Josh may have taken it too far.
Looks like this is director James Gartner's first film. If he keeps this up they should be giving him another one pretty soon.
Scott: Yes, he did a good job his first time out.
So what did you think?
Mike: Once again it must be obvious that I like this film. I give this a 4 for sports drama and a 4 for overall. And you?
Scott: I give it a 3.5 overall and a 4 for sports drama.
I think that if you want to take the boys to see a good sports movie that this one will be a slam dunk!
