Synopsis:
Based on the incredible true story, The Express
follows the inspirational life of college
football hero Ernie Davis (Rob Brown), the first
African-American to win the Heisman Trophy.
The Freak's
Rating: C- : Sports movies are a wonderful
genre of cinema. As both a sports fan and
a movie fan, the thought of combining the two
always gets me excited. With such
treasures out there such as Hoosiers, Remember
The Titans and such flops out there like Facing
The Giants and The Replacements, it is always a
coin toss (pun unavoidable) as to which you will
get when you put down your cash at the theater
to see the latest foray into the genre.
Dennis Quaid, nearing the twilight of his acting
career, has ventured into the area of the wise
man role and does a nice turn as Ben
Schwartzwalder, Ernie's college coach.
Quaid has a nice blend of likeability and
strength, portraying a coach similarly to Gene
Hackman's role in Hoosiers (though not near as
well done). Rob Brown is showcased here to
attempt to thrust his talent into the foreground
of praise for the film. Brown is
lackluster at best as Davis, exuding little
emotion and meriting little concern or praise
from the audience.
Direction is on par with similar takes on the
genre. Cinematography is nice with typical
sports shots scattered. Editing and
writing are done quite poorly here. When
emotional moments present themself, the buildup
should solidify an outpouring of enthusiasm or
sympathy from the audience. Within The
Express, few moments truly showcase feelings
that a sports movie can invoke.
All in all, The Express is less than stellar.
Decent acting by Quaid along with a nicely-done
cameo by Rock Hudson keep it from dropping into
the D range, but just barely.
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