When the Game Stands Tall

More in the tone of the big screen "Friday Night Lights" than "Rudy" or "The Blind Side," it succeeds as mainstream entertainment without relying on a conventional storybook framework.

For all the pains the movie takes to explain why someone shouldn’t play football—to win, to be a star, to defeat others — it never bothers to explain why someone should play the game. It’s a collection of well-intentioned absences with no defining presence to speak of.

Jim Caviezel, as coach Ladouceur, doesn’t get much to work with, the script reducing the man to a two-dimensional motivational speaker awash in “there’s no I in Team” platitudes.

The movie is more effective as sports fantasy than as theology.

An inspirational sports drama that goes long on rectitudinous sermonizing but comes up short on gridiron thrills or genuine love for the game.

Jim Caviezel commits only to the level of God-like omniscience that Mel Gibson whipped into him a decade ago, and as such his character often seems less a teacher than an appropriately shadowy figurehead of authority.

While discipline and self-control certainly figure into Ladouceur’s teachings, there’s also a passion and drive that’s totally absent from Caviezel’s performance. It’s not that the film needs any more goosing—it’s broad and shameless even by inspirational-sports-movie standards—but its basic lack of plausibility starts with him.

This is a very inspiring story and the movie is very authentic in its portrayal of the real events (as evidenced by clips from the actual people in the closing credits). I love Jim Caveizel as an actor and as a person. No one has taken a hit in Hollywood over the past decade more for his principles. I wanted to see the film just to support him and the message of the film. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie on its own merits. This is a very noble and worthy film. Caveizel does not come across as a typical high school football coach but he very effectively captures Coach Ladouceur's demeanor and integrity. The basic messages of giving perfect effort (even if one cannot guarantee perfect results), becoming someone of integrity and what it means to be someone others can count on really resonate. This is such a refreshing movie compared to most of the nihilistic alternatives currently out there. Please see this movie and take your kids.

Highly recommend this to everyone who enjoys a good sports movie with a positive message! While I knew there was a good chance I would like the movie I was pleasantly surprised to find I loved it!!!

I for one am tired of movies that are based on true storys and have to do with sports if i wanted to watch anything like that i would watch ESPN or sports center. This movie is one of the most boring movies i have ever seen in my life i cant begin to explain the agony i went through watching this movie just went i thought it was over it would cut to another scene in a sweaty locker room with a bunch of roided out jocks talking about how they needed to win another game. The only thing i can remeber is how there team was on a winning streak and they list then they brought it **** where expecting more....nope...i wonder what how bad the director had downsyndromne to think that people should come to a set and waist time with this movie. This movie even has some random black guy getting shot while in his car waiting on a friend to get out of a party and the quater back having an abusive father and both were so poorly directed i couldnt have cared less and in the end the quarter back throws away a world record of most scored touch downs because that record belongs to the coach and i really didnt care. Just whatever you do dont see this movie actually any copys if the movie you see you should burn.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

This is the worst movie I have ever seen. It drags on for much too long and has characters that are so dull and plain that I can not remember any of their names even though I just saw this movie earlier today. The movie also has a habit of trying to tackle heavy subjects such as cancer, murder, strokes, and child abuse; but doing so with such sloppiness that it comes of as darkly funny rather than sad. Another odd thing the movie had was its Christian undertones. For most of the movie it wasn't too obvious but near the end it just got weirdly blatant. Seriously, don't see this movie.