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Movie Review - 'The Express'

Written by bigpicture on

From: getthebigpicture.net

The Express

Starring Rob Brown and Dennis Quaid
Directed by Gary Fleder
Rated PG

Hopefully, a day will come when we no longer classify Ernie Davis as the first African-American Heisman Trophy winner. It would be nice if we were already there -- where such distinctions were no longer necessary to navigate us through a shameful period of our nation’s history – but the fact that the marketing for The Express tells us straight out that it’s the story of the first black Heisman winner proves we still have a way to go.

Davis (Rob Brown from Finding Forrester) succeeded the great Jim Brown in the backfield at Syracuse University. At the beginning of the 1959 season, Syracuse coach Ben Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid) set the bar very high for his Orangemen: National title or bust.

Along the way, he discovered how prodigious Davis’ talents were, but in short order he was known for being black more than he was for being unstoppable. Davis became a rallying point for both sides of the civil rights movement, even after winning the Heisman; believe it or not, some NFL teams didn’t want to take a chance on the most talented player in the 1962 draft. Because of the color of his skin.

That seems like such a distant memory now, in an NFL where felons are not just drafted, their league punishments are challenged by a money-hungry players association after the conviction. Or if you're Adam "Pac Man" Jones, convictions.

If you’ve never heard of Davis, there’s a good reason, which the movie delves into. In a way, however, that’s not really the heart of the story, even though it's heartrending. The point here is this struggle against the odds on and off the gridiron, and on a more universal level, how to deal with outrage through intelligence, determination, and grace.

We’ve seen plenty of these inspirational sports movies over the years, and The Express gets more things right than most. The performances by Brown and particularly Quaid are on the money, the story is not too preachy, and the football looks appropriate for its time. It could be a little more hard-hitting in its societal critique but the interest here is in honoring Ernie Davis more than opening up old wounds.

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