Remember the Titans (2000)

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Remember the Titans was released on September 29, 2000, in the USA. The American drama film was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Films. The movie storyline was written by Gregory Allen Howard, and directed by Boaz Yakin[1].

Plot

Coach Boone and Sunshine in Remember the Titans [2]

In 1971, two schools in Virginia are integrated into T.C. Williams High School. Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) is hired to be the head coach of its football team, instead of Bill Yoast (Will Patton), a nominee of Virginia High School Hall of Fame. This is done to reduce the prejudice towards African Americans. After intense negotiations, Yoast finally agrees to become assistant head coach and leads the defensive coordinator. All the players including white and African American students gather and do training in Gettysburg College. Throughout the training, the students between white and black race clash with each other especially between Captain Gerry Bertier and Julis Campbell. However, after emotional training including a dawn run to Gettysburg cemetery, the team achieves harmony and no racism within the team. Then, Boone is told that he will be dismissed if the Titans lost a single game, and the Titans remain undefeated. Right before the state semifinals, the chairman of the board tells Yoast that he would dismiss Boone and inducted Yoast to the Hall of Fame for the Titans lost in the semifinals game. The semifinals game goes unfair and as Yoast realized it, he told the head official that he would expose the scandal if the game runs unjustly. At the end of the game, the Titans win and Yoast loses his candidacy for the Virginia Hall of Fame. At the state final, Bertier is injured after a truck incident, still, the Titans win the state championship. In the end, Bertier dies and all former members of the Titans attend his funeral[3].

Black Empowerment

The film portrays that there should not be any prejudice and racism in the football game and life. When Ray, Gerry's best friend, mocks the African American members, Gerry immediately removes Ray from the team as racism shouldn't be tolerated[4]. Coach Boone teaches all members that they should respect each other no matter what race they are. As he says in the Gettysburg cemetery "This is where they fought the battle of Gettysburg. Fifty thousand men died right here on this field, fighting the same fight that we are still fighting among ourselves today. This greenfield right here, painted red, bubblin' with the blood of young boys. Smoke and hot lead pouring right through their bodies. Listen to their souls, men. I killed my brother with malice in my heart. Hatred destroyed my family. You listen, and you take a lesson from the dead. If we don't come together right now on this hallowed ground, we too will be destroyed, just like they were. I don't care if you like each other or not, but you will respect each other. And maybe... I don't know, maybe we'll learn to play this game like men"[5].

Controversy

It is shown that in the 1970s racism still appears in Virginia. At first, Coach Yoast seems afraid that Coach Boone would only play players based on their skin. Also, when the two schools are integrated, there seems to be commotion as the white people do not want to share the school with African Americans. In addition, Ray mocks the African American members of the Titans even though they are in the same team[6].

References