FILM REVIEW: Undefeated

Watching sports films can be disheartening for film fans and for those of us who just want someone to cheer on. You can only see so many tie-breaking goals, so many inspiring speeches, before it seems nothing more than steroid-injected cinema. Fake, predictable moments, bloated with the myths of athletic achievement.

Then along comes a documentary like Undefeated -- a movie that reminds us that somewhere in the middle of America there are real underdogs, tenacious coaches and games that truly have the possibility to change lives. The capacity to do good still exists and whether you're a fan of the pigskin or not, Undefeated is a movie that gives hope.

The setting is inner-city Memphis, Tenn. The Manassas Tigers are a football team with a reputation for losing. They hadn't won a game in years, until Bill Courtney volunteered his services. A well-off entrepreneur who created his own hardwood lumber company, Courtney has been working with the Tigers since 2004 and Undefeated chronicles the season when everything started to gel.

The movie centres around three characters. Chavis, the star athlete with a temper, is back at school after a stretch in the penitentiary. Montrail "Money" Brown, a charmer with a wide smile, is small for a lineman but is already making plans for college. Finally there's the gentle giant O.C. Brown. His size and speed have college teams paying close attention, but his poor grades threaten to wipe away any chance of a scholarship.

Coach Bill Courtney, left, and player O.C. Brown in a scene from Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin's Oscar-winning documentary film Undefeated. (Alliance Films)

While each of those characters could carry a film on their not-insignificant shoulders, coach Bill Courtney is the true star. He's a pasty, roly-poly guy who's never without his ballcap, but he has the cadence of a preacher and a way of getting through to his players. Anyone with an interest in coaching, whether it's football, soccer or water polo, should pay close attention. Courtney never talks down to his team. He pushes, prods and teases them. When Money leaves practice after a tiff with Chavis, Courtney drives over and convinces him to come back. When Chavis storms off, Courtney nags "What's a matter, you don't like talking to white people?"

One of the refreshing aspects of Undefeated is how little race comes up. That's not to say filmmakers Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin ignore it. It's always there in the background. The black players on the Tigers come from families where death, divorce and jail time are staples. Courtney lives in a sprawling section of Memphis where the front lawns are almost as wide as the practice field. But he has a bond with his boys that's nearly unreasonable. For whatever reason, Courtney keeps at it, sacrificing time with this own children to give the Manassas Tigers a shot at going to the finals. A little more about what drives Courtney would have helped, but it doesn't diminish the inspiration he provides.

The co-directors also gave up two years of their own lives to capture the story of the Tigers. As Courtney slowly gets through to the team, we're treated to some stunning games with pep talks that would put Herb Brooks to shame. Undefeated has its share of pulse-quickening moments, the announcer's voice and on-field action accented by a sparse Midwestern soundtrack. But what separates it from other sport stories are the quiet moments. There's one scene in particular, with O.C. who has been staying at the coach's house to raise his grades. During a drive to school, O.C. asks Bill Courtney for some cologne to smell good for his girl. There's something undeniably sweet about seeing the coach show him how to slap it on. It's obvious it's a new experience for the soft-spoken linebacker, who smiles shyly as he wipes his hands -- a potent reminder there are kids hiding under all that equipment.

I don't like football and I don't get emotional at movies but Undefeated is the closest I've come to blubbering in a theatre in a long while. Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin said they set out to make a movie that didn't lecture but allowed people to "feel it." They certainly have.

Rating: 4 out of 5.