Remember the Titans
| Remember the Titans | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Boaz Yakin |
| Written by | Gregory Allen Howard |
| Produced by | Jerry Bruckheimer |
| Starring | Denzel Washington Will Patton Wood Harris Ryan Hurst Kip Pardue Kate Bosworth Burgess Jenkins |
| Cinematography | Philippe Rousselot |
| Edited by | Michael Tronick |
| Music by | Trevor Rabin |
Production companies | Walt Disney Pictures Jerry Bruckheimer Films |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Pictures |
Release date | September 29, 2000 |
Running time | 113 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $30 million |
| Box office | $136,706,683[1] |
Remember the Titans is a 2000 sports film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Boaz Yakin. Inspired by real events, the plot was conceived from a screenplay written by Gregory Allen Howard. The film starts as a new coach of the Titans, a football team previously coached by the white Bill Yoast, begins coaching the team. The new coach, Herman Boone (portrayed by Denzel Washington), is black, and his team is a mixture of black players and white players. The struggles that arise from the racial diversity are profound. Actor Will Patton portrays Bill Yoast, making a transition to help out Boone as an assistant coach. The portrayal of real life athletes Gerry Bertier and Julius Campbell (played by Ryan Hurst and Wood Harris, respectively) appears within the integrated storyline. Kip Pardue and Kate Bosworth also star in principal roles.
A joint collective effort to commit to the film's production was made by the film studios of Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films. It was commercially distributed by Buena Vista Pictures. Remember the Titans explores civil topics, such as racism, discrimination and athletics.
Remember the Titans premiered in theaters nationwide in the United States on September 29, 2000 grossing $115,654,751 in domestic ticket receipts. It earned an additional $21,051,932 in business through international release to top out at a combined $136,706,683 in gross revenue. The film was considered a financial success due to its $30 million budget costs. Preceding its theatrical run, the film was generally met with positive critical reviews before its initial screening in cinemas.
Plot
In 1971 in Alexandria, Virginia, at the desegregated T. C. Williams High School, African American head coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) is hired to lead the school's football team. Coach Boone takes the coaching position from current head coach Bill Yoast (Will Patton), who has been nominated for the Virginia High School Hall of Fame, and who also later decides to move on to other coaching opportunities. In a show of respect, Boone offers an assistant coordinator coaching position to Yoast. Yoast at first refuses Boone's offer, but is then tempted to join after the white players pledge to boycott the team if he doesn't participate. Dismayed at the prospect of the students losing their chances at scholarships, Yoast changes his mind and takes up the position of defensive coordinator.
The black and white athletes of the football team frequently clash in racially motivated conflicts at their football camp, including those between captain Gerry Bertier (Ryan Hurst) and Julius Campbell (Wood Harris). However, after forceful coaxing and rigorous athletic training by Boone, the team achieves both racial harmony and triumph. After returning from football camp, Boone is told by a member of the school board that if he loses even a single game, he will be fired. Subsequently, the Titans go through the season undefeated while battling racial prejudice, before slowly gaining support from the community.
Just before the state semi-finals, Yoast is told by a member of the school board that he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame after the Titans lose their game, essentially implying he wants Boone to get fired over his race. During the game, it becomes apparent that the referees are engaging in biased officiating against the Titans. Yoast warns the head official that he will go to the press and expose the scandal unless the game is called fairly. The Titans end up winning, but Yoast is told afterward that his actions have resulted in his loss of candidacy for the Hall of Fame.
Later, while celebrating after the victorious game, Bertier becomes paralyzed in an automobile accident. Despite the fact that Bertier is no longer able to play, the team goes on to win the championship. Ten years later, the coaches and athletes from the team reunite to attend Bertier's funeral, as Sheryl reiterates the message of racial equality taught by the Titans.
Cast
- Denzels Washington as Coach Herman Boone
- Will Patton as Coach Bill Yoast
- Wood Harris as DE Julius Campbell
- Ryan Hurst as LB Gerry Bertier
- Donald Faison as RB Petey Jones
- Ethan Suplee as OT Louie Lastik
- Kip Pardue as QB Ronnie "Sunshine" Bass
- Craig Kirkwood as QB Jerry "Rev" Harris
- Hayden Panettiere as Sheryl Yoast; Bill Yoast's daughter.
- Nicole Ari Parker as Carole Boone; Herman Boone's wife.
- Kate Bosworth as Emma Hoyt
- Earl C. Poitier as OE Blue Stanton
- Ryan Gosling as Alan Bosley
- Burgess Jenkins as Ray Budds
Musical score
Trevor Rabin composed the instrumental score, of which "Titans Spirit" was the only cue (of 12 composed) added to the soundtrack. It is also the only piece of music on the soundtrack album not to have been previously released.
"Titans Spirit" was a rousing seven-minute exploration of the movie's energetic themes that projected from Denzel Washington as he spoke during filming. It has been used on many sports telecasts, particularly those on NBC, which has the score during its closing credits for the Salt Lake 2002, Athens 2004, Torino 2006, Beijing 2008, and the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games as well as with the final closing credits montage for their 12-year run with the NBA in 2002. The song was also played as veteran New York Mets players crossed home plate during the closing ceremonies at Shea Stadium.
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It was also used during the 2008 Democratic National Convention to accompany the celebration and fireworks at Invesco Field after future president Barack Obama gave his nomination acceptance speech, and also at Chicago's Grant Park immediately following Obama's victory speech upon winning the 2008 presidential election.[2]
Reception
Critical response
Remember the Titans received generally positive reviews from the critics. Movie review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie a score of 73%,.[3] However, its score on Metacritic was more affected by the limited but severe negative reviews, putting the movie at 48/100.[4] It also scored well on Internet Movie Database, at 7.5 out of 10.[5] The general consensus was that the movie was heartfelt and uplifting, buoyed by Washington's central performance, and featured thoughtful social commentary, though there was little debate that the movie was predictable. Negative criticism included statements that it relied too heavily on sporting clichés and one-dimensional characters, while dealing too softly with the racism at the center of the story. The film opened at the #1 spot in the North American box office, making 20.9 million USD in its opening weekend. The movie grossed $115,654,751 in the U.S. box office alone, earning $136,706,683 worldwide.[6]
Awards and nominations
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angel Awards | February 15, 2001 | Silver Angel - Feature Film | Remember the Titans | Nominated |
| BET Awards | June 19, 2001 | Best Actor | Denzel Washington | Won |
| Blockbuster Entertainment Awards | April 10, 2001 | Favorite Actor - Drama | Denzel Washington | Nominated |
| Favorite Supporting Actor - Drama | Wood Harris | Nominated | ||
| Casting Society of America | October 4, 2001 | Artios - Best Casting for Feature Film, Drama | Ronna Kress | Nominated |
| Image Awards | February 23, 2001 | Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | Denzel Washington | Won |
| Outstanding Motion Picture | Remember the Titans | Won | ||
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Wood Harris | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | Nicole Ari Parker | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress | Krysten Leigh Jones | Nominated | ||
| Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards | January 16, 2001 | Best Performance by a Youth in a Leading or Supporting Role | Hayden Panettiere | Nominated |
| Political Film Society Awards | 2001 | Human Rights | Remember the Titans | Won |
| Exposé | Remember the Titans | Nominated | ||
| Golden Satellite Awards 2000 | January 14, 2001 | Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama | Denzel Washington | Nominated |
| Teen Choice Awards | August 12, 2001 | Film - Choice Drama/Action Adventure | Remember the Titans | Nominated |
| Young Artist Awards | 2001 | Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actress | Hayden Panettiere | Won |
| Best Family Feature Film - Drama | Remember the Titans | Nominated |
References
- ^ "Remember the Titans". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2010-08-15.
- ^ "Barack Obama Wins Big: 'Change Has Come to America'". Time. November 4, 2008.
- ^ "Remember the Titans Movie Reviews, Pictures, Trailers - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2010-03-13.
- ^ "Remember the Titans reviews at Metacritic.com". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 2010-03-13.
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0210945/
- ^ "Remember the Titans (2000) - Box Office Mojo". www.boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 2010-03-13.