I'm probably a bit bias... but I'm officially giving The Express an 8 out of 10. And, that's probably a bit lower than I would score it if I wasn't an SU fan, because I'm deducting one point for some minor historical inaccuracies, and another point for... well, you'll see at the end.
All joking aside, it really is a pretty good flick. It's heartwarming, it's action-packed, and it's about my favorite thing in the world (outside the fam and friends, of course); Syracuse University athletics.
I thought Dennis Quaid did a pretty good job portraying a 1950-1960s head football coach and the intensity they usually had. I have no idea what the real Ben Schwartzwalder was like, but the character seemed believable and his relationship with Ernie Davis seemed believable as well. Also, I don't agree with the claims I've heard that the part portrays Schwartzwalder as a racist. Instead, I think the character is displayed as a product of the harsh, segregated times people lived in during the late 50s and early 60s, who was trying to avoid potentially racial driven problems that existed around every corner. I don't think that makes you a racist... a little prejudice, yes, but that's really not the same thing.
Rob Brown was an okay fit for the part of Ernie Davis. He's on the quiet and shy side and remains pretty soft-spoken throughout the film, except for at a few key moments. He wasn't physically big enough for the part, though. I understand players back then weren't as giant as they are now, but Rob Brown looked like the smallest player on the field, when in actuality Davis was probably one of the biggest (6'2", 215). But, I digress as I'm splitting hairs here.
By far the best part about the movie was the football scenes. I have no qualms about saying this was the best "football" movie I've ever seen. The football was extremely believable. It wasn't like "Remember the Titans" where every single play was the quarterback ducking below a high-jumping linebacker and then scrambling away from a small army to throw a 99 yard touchdown pass to the back-up wide-out who leaps over 6 defenders and after catching the ball is hit in mid-air, causing him to do a back flip while still holding onto the ball when he drops back down from 30 feet in the air and breaks both legs when he hits the ground. There are some exaggerations about Davis fumbling and then on the very next play making a leaping interception in the end-zone, but the action is still realistic. Rob Brown does a nice job running the ball as well. His style and his moves are quick, and he makes it look like he may have played some football back in his day.
The wardrobe is AWESOME! I hope the varsity jackets and throwback polo shirts are available on ebay or something soon. The film did a good job of portraying what players and coaches wore before, during, after and between games. Old pennants and banners were pretty cool to look at as well. Syracuse merchandise today is a little too fancy for my liking (though I still buy it all). I wish I could find some of the vintage things they used in the film.
The Saltine Warrior made an appearance, which made it difficult for me not to immediately give the movie a 10. It's funny... it's a movie with undertones about racial insensitivity... but they have no problem throwing a fully wardrobed Native American all ready for battle in the background with no mention of why... I still think its the best mascot ever (sorry, Otto, you're a wuss)... and I'm part Native, so I can think so all I want without it being insensitive... I think.
The ending is sad, very sad, for a number of reasons. I have personal experiences with leukemia, so it pulled at me a little harder than it will at others, maybe. It's just sad on many levels, but also uplifting at the same time. The emotion of the film is balanced very well, and I didn't leave the theater completely depressed (except for when I thought about the point I make in the last paragraph).
So, 8 out of 10.
One point deducted for the minor historical inaccuracies like the team traveling to West Virginia instead of playing them at home.
The other point is being deducted for how sad I was during the movie because a lot of the time all I could think about was how far Syracuse football has fallen. A once proud program has turned into the laughing stock of the Big East, and for the most part the laughing stock of College Football (thanks, G-Rob, you partially ruined a MOVIE about the college team I live and breathe with). It's sad to think that if a dramatic turn isn't made, the only time I'll get to see Syracuse win a football championship is in a movie, on a fake field with fake actors playing mostly fake rolls. That's an underlying, harsh reality of the movie that devoted Orange fans will have to endure.
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