The soaring music may have been inspired by CHARIOTS OF FIRE, but there the similarity ends: Instead of celebrating self-sacrifice, this true-life tale concerns British collegians who come to regret importing champions in hopes of improving their chances of winning.
In 1987, Oxford’s rowing team suffered a humiliating defeat to its rival school, Cambridge. Although rowing had been the sport of gung-ho amateurs for 132 years, class president Donald McDonald (Dominic West) and coach Daniel Topolski (Johan Eysen) seek an edge for the 1988 competition. Obsessed with victory, they welcome the brainstorm of American exchange student, Rick Ross (Brian McGovern). With the administration's okay, he persuades several of his American friends -- including Olympic gold medalist Dan Warren (Josh Lucas)—to enroll for a term at Oxford. But despite the infusion of new blood, the reconfigured A-team never pulls together. In their rush to clinch a title, Topolski and McDonald have undervalue the contributions of their back-up rowers, and the American prima donnas complain constantly, second guess the coach and challenge his authority. The petulant Warren even attempts a coup, trying to pressure McDonald into resigning. The Oxford officials set the principles of good sportsmanship aside and cave in to almost every demand. Will Topolski and McDonald finally realize their compromises have sullied a tradition before it's too late to dump the fractious Yanks and give the alternate rowers their chance to shine?
Ferdinand Fairfax's expose of the crybaby world of university sports, based on Daniel Topolski and Patrick Robinson's memoir, apparently intends to be inspirational but instead leaves a sour taste in its wake. leave a comment --Robert Pardi
