Remember The Titans

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer seems to have been aiming for a new genre here — call it the steroidal message flick. But this mix of sweat and uplift in the Civil Rights era doesn't quite come off, despite some strong performances and the fact that it's based on a genuinely inspirational true story. Alexandria, VA, 1971: African-American high-school football coach Harold Boone (Denzel Washington) replaces the titular Titans' popular white coach, Bill Yoast (Will Patton). Boone goes on to integrate the team, with all the intra- and extra-mural tzuris that entails, and ultimately turns the Titans into champions, in the process overcoming prejudice and bigotry on both sid...