| Remember the Titans | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Boaz Yakin |
| Written by | Gregory Allen Howard |
| Produced by | Jerry Bruckheimer Chad Oman |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Philippe Rousselot |
| Edited by | Michael Tronick |
| Music by | Trevor Rabin |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Pictures Distribution |
Release date |
|
Running time | 113 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $30 million[1] |
| Box office | $136.8 million[1] |
Remember the Titans is a 2000 Americanbiographicalsportsdrama film produced byJerry Bruckheimer and directed byBoaz Yakin. The screenplay byGregory Allen Howard is loosely based on the true story of coachHerman Boone, portrayed byDenzel Washington, and his attempt to integrate the T. C. Williams High School (nowAlexandria City High School) football team inAlexandria,Virginia in 1971.Will Patton portrays Bill Yoast, Boone's assistant coach. Real-life athletesGerry Bertier and Julius Campbell are portrayed byRyan Hurst andWood Harris.
The film was co-produced byWalt Disney Pictures andJerry Bruckheimer Films and released byBuena Vista Pictures. On September 19, 2000, the film's soundtrack was released byWalt Disney Records. It features songs by several recording artists includingCreedence Clearwater Revival,Bob Dylan,The Hollies,Marvin Gaye,James Taylor,The Temptations,Cat Stevens, andSteam.
Remember the Titans had a budget of $30 million and premiered in theaters nationwide in the United States on September 29, 2000. It grossed an estimated $115.6 million in the U.S., and $136.8 million worldwide. While the film was not particularly well-received at the time,[2][3]it is now considered to be one of the greatestfootball films of all time.[4][5][6][7][8]
In 1981, a group of formerfootball coaches and players attend a funeral for a former football player.
Ten years earlier, in the summer of 1971, head coach Bill Yoast of the newly consolidatedT. C. Williams High School inAlexandria, Virginia, is leading his white football players in summer workouts. In the midst of the city's racial animus, Yoast meetsHerman Boone, a black coach from North Carolina originally hired to lead the city's black high school football team who has instead been assigned to Yoast's coaching staff. Later, in an attempt to placate rising racial tensions and the fact that all other high schools in Alexandria are "whites only" (despite theabolition of racial segregation in public schools), the school district decides to name Boone the head coach of T. C. Williams. Boone initially refuses, believing it is unfair to Yoast, a successful coach who has been nominated to the Virginia High School Hall of Fame, but relents after seeing what it means to the black community. Boone offers to retain Yoast on his staff but is rebuffed when Yoast takes offense to the prospect of working under a black coach. When Yoast tells his white players that he will accept a head coach position elsewhere, they pledge to boycott the team if he is not their coach. Dismayed at the prospect of the students losing their chances at scholarships, Yoast changes his mind and decides to accept Boone's offer to serve as his defensive coordinator.
Boone holds his first team meeting with mostly black students in the school gymnasium but is interrupted by the arrival of Yoast, his coaching staff and several white players. Yoast informs Boone of his decision, but Boone warns Yoast that the Titans are his team, and he will not tolerate Yoast undermining him. On August 15, the players go toGettysburg College fortraining camp. Early on, the black and white team members frequently clash in racially motivated conflicts, especially between defensive captains Gerry Bertier (White) and Julius Campbell (Black). However, through forceful coaching, rigorous training, and a motivational early-morning run to theGettysburg National Cemetery followed by an emotional speech by Boone, the team comes together and returns as a united group. Before their first game, Boone is told by a member of the school board that if he loses even a single game, he will be dismissed, and Yoast will reassume the position of head coach. Subsequently, the Titans go through the season undefeated while battling racial prejudice and slowly gaining support from the community.
Just before the state semi-finals, Yoast is told by the Hall of Fame's executive director that they have arranged for the Titans to lose so that Boone will be dismissed and Yoast reinstated as head coach. During the game, the officials make several biased calls against the Titans. Upon seeing the Hall's director and T. C. Williams' athletic director in the stands looking on with satisfaction, Yoast marches onto the field to warn the referee that if the game is not officiated fairly, he will expose the scandal to the press. After this, Yoast encourages the defense to play aggressively and Boone to run up the score on offense. The Titans win in a blowout and advance to the state championship, but Yoast is told by the infuriated director that his actions have cost him the support of the Hall's voters, though the team supports him regardless.
That night, while celebrating the victory, Gerry is severely injured in a car accident and isparalyzed from the waist down. Despite the loss of the All-American linebacker, the Titans enter halftime of the state championship game trailing by only seven points. In the locker room, Boone, Campbell, and Yoast give impassioned speeches that inspire the Titans to mount a fourth quarter comeback. The Titans score a touchdown on the game's final play to win the state title and complete an undefeated season.
Ten years later, after he has won the gold medal inshot put in theParalympic Games, Gerry dies in another car crash caused by a drunk driver. It is his funeral that the former football coaches and players were attending in the opening scene. Julius, whom Gerry's mother formerly disliked, is now holding her hand as he leads the team in a mournful rendition of "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye".
In the epilogue, descriptions show the players' and coaches' activities after the events in 1971. Coach Boone coached the Titans for five more seasons before retirement, while Coach Yoast assisted Boone for four more years, retiring from coaching in 1990; the two coaches became good friends. After Gerry's death, the gymnasium at T.C. Williams High was renamed after him. Julius would work for the city of Alexandria and remain friends with Gerry until his death.
Filming locations for the motion picture included the campus ofDallas, Georgia at Paulding County High School, where the home games were filmed.Berry College inRome, Georgia,Etowah High School in Woodstock, and in Atlanta, Georgia includingHenry Grady High School andDruid Hills High School which both filled in for T.C. Williams High School. Practice scenes were filmed at Clarkston High School inClarkston, Georgia. Additionally, some of the championship game scenes were filmed at theSprayberry High School football stadium in East Marietta, Georgia.
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As with any movie that is not adocumentary film but is rather "based on a true story", it has strayed from the actual events that had occurred on many occasions to add new dramatic elements of teamwork, commitment, and friendship to the film.
On September 19, 2000, the soundtrack was released byWalt Disney Records. The film score was orchestrated by musicianTrevor Rabin and features music composed by various artists. From the instrumental score, Rabin's track "Titans Spirit", was the only cue (of the 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" is a seven-minute instrumental. It has been used on numerous sports telecasts, particularly those onNBC, which has utilized the score during itsclosing credits for eachOlympic Games since 2002, as well as the final closing credits montage ending their 12-yearrun of NBA coverage in 2002. The song was also played as veteranNew York Mets players crossed home plate during the closing ceremonies atShea Stadium, and as theNew York Yankees were awarded their rings from their2009 World Series championship. TheNew Jersey Devils also used this song during the jersey number retirement ceremonies forScott Stevens,Ken Daneyko,Scott Niedermayer,Martin Brodeur andPatrik Eliáš. In 2018, at the conclusion of theStanley Cup playoffs, the song was used during theWashington Capitals'Stanley Cup celebration as captainAlexander Ovechkin lifted the Cup inLas Vegas.
It was also used during the2008 Democratic National Convention to accompany the celebration and fireworks atInvesco Field after future presidentBarack Obama gave his nomination acceptance speech, and was also used immediately followinghis victory speech upon winning the2008 Presidential Election.[15]
Although not included on the soundtrack, "Them Changes" byBuddy Miles is heard playing early on in the film.
| Remember the Titans: An Original Walt Disney Motion Picture Soundtrack | |
|---|---|
| Film score by Various Artists | |
| Released | September 19, 2000 |
| Genre | R&B,pop rock |
| Length | 46:21 |
| Label | Walt Disney |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" | 2:23 |
| 2. | "Spirit in the Sky" | 4:02 |
| 3. | "Peace Train" | 4:08 |
| 4. | "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" | 4:05 |
| 5. | "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" | 3:17 |
| 6. | "I Want to Take You Higher" | 2:44 |
| 7. | "Up Around the Bend" | 2:42 |
| 8. | "Spill the Wine" | 4:05 |
| 9. | "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" | 5:10 |
| 10. | "Act Naturally" | 2:21 |
| 11. | "Express Yourself" | 3:53 |
| 12. | "Titans Spirit" | 7:25 |
| Total length: | 46:21 | |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[16] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[17] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Following its release in theaters, theRegion 1widescreen andPan and scan edition of the motion picture was released onVHS andDVD in the United States on March 20, 2001.[18] A Special Edition widescreen format of the film was released on March 20, 2001, along with a widescreen Director's cut on March 14, 2006.[19]
A restored widescreen hi-definitionBlu-ray version was released byWalt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on September 4, 2007. Special features include backstage feature audio commentary with director Boaz Yakin, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and writer Gregory Allen Howard, feature audio commentary with real-life coaches Herman Boone and Bill Yoast, "Remember The Titans: An inspirational journey behind the scenes" hosted by Lynn Swann, "Denzel Becomes Boone," "Beating The Odds"; Deleted scenes; Movie Showcase and seamless menus.[20] The film is currently available in 4K UHD on streaming services; however, a physical 4K UHD disc is yet to materialise.[21][22][23]
Remember the Titans opened strongly at the U.S. box office, grossing $26,654,715 in its first weekend and staying within the top five for six weeks.[24] The film debuted at the number one spot, but was quickly overtaken byMeet the Parents a week later.[25] It eventually went on to gross an estimated $115,654,751 in the U.S., and $136,706,684 worldwide.[1]
Among mainstream critics in the U.S.,Remember the Titans received generally mixed reviews.[26]Rotten Tomatoes reported that 72% of 138 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average score of 6.3/10. The site's consensus states: "An inspirational crowd-pleaser with a healthy dose of social commentary,Remember the Titans may be predictable, but it's also well-crafted and features terrific performances."[27] AtMetacritic, which assigns aweighted average score out of 100 to critics' reviews, the film received a score of 48 based on 32 reviews.[26] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film a rare "A+" grade.[28]
James Berardinelli writing forReelViews, called the film "relentlessly manipulative and hopelessly predictable" but noted that it was "a notch above the average entry in part because its social message (even if it is soft-peddled [sic]) creates a richer fabric than the usual cloth from which this kind of movie is cut."[29] Describing some pitfalls, Robert Wilonsky of theDallas Observer said that "beneath its rah-rah rhetoric and pigskin proselytizing, it's no more provocative or thoughtful than a Hallmark Hall of Fame film or, for that matter, a Hallmark greeting card. Its heart is in the right place, but it has no soul."[30] Wilonsky however was quick to admit "The film's intentions are noble, but its delivery is ham-fisted and pretentious; you can't deny the message, but you can loathe the messenger without feeling too guilty about it."[30]
'Remember the Titans' has the outer form of a brave statement about the races in America, but the soul of a sports movie in which everything is settled by the obligatory last play in the last seconds of the championship game.
Todd McCarthy, writing inVariety, said, "As simplistic and drained of complexity as the picture is, it may well appeal to mainstream audiences as an 'if only it could be like this' fantasy, as well as on the elemental level of a boot camp training film, albeit a PG-rated one with all the cuss words removed."[32]Roger Ebert, in theChicago Sun-Times, viewed the film as "a parable about racial harmony, yoked to the formula of a sports movie," adding, "Victories over racism and victories over opposing teams alternate so quickly that sometimes we're not sure if we're cheering for tolerance or touchdowns. Real life is never this simple, but then that's what the movies are for".[31] Michael O'Sullivan ofThe Washington Post gave the film a scoring of one out of four and wrote, "Toss it in the bin along withThe Replacements, but give it bonus points, at least, for having a social conscience."[33]
In theSan Francisco Chronicle,Mick LaSalle wrote that the film reminds the viewer that "it's possible to make a sentimental drama that isn't sickening — and a sports movie that transcends cliches."[34] Columnist Bob Grimm of theSacramento News & Review, somewhat praised the film, writing, "The film is quite lightweight for the subject matter, but Washington and company make it watchable."[35] Some detractors likeOwen Gleiberman ofEntertainment Weekly wrote, "Denzel Washington should have held out for a better script before he signed on to star inRemember the Titans, but you can see why he wanted to do the movie: He gets to play Martin Luther King Jr. and Vince Lombardi rolled into one nostalgically omnipotent tough-love saint."[36] Jeff Vice of theDeseret News admitted that although the film contained dialogue that was "corny, clichéd, and downright cheesy at times," as well as how it relayed its message in one of the "most predictable, heavy-handed manners we've seen in a movie in years", the film "serves as a reminder of how much goodness there is inside people, just waiting for the right person to bring it out." He also viewed the casting as top-notch, saying that it helped to have a "rock-solid foundation in the form of leading-man Denzel Washington" at the helm.[37]
The film was nominated and won several awards in 2000–2001.
| Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Angel Awards | Silver Angel | ———— | Nominated |
| BET Awards 2001 | Best Actor | Denzel Washington | Won |
| 2001 BMI Film & TV Awards | Film Music Award | Trevor Rabin | Won |
| Black Reel Awards of 2001 | Best Actor | Denzel Washington | Won |
| Best Screenplay | Gregory Allen Howard | Won | |
| Best Film | Jerry Bruckheimer, Chad Oman | Nominated | |
| 2001 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards | Favorite Actor - Drama | Denzel Washington | Nominated |
| Favorite Supporting Actor - Drama | Wood Harris | Nominated | |
| 2001Casting Society of America Awards | Best Casting for Feature Film - Drama | Ronna Kress | Nominated |
| 2001NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | Denzel Washington | Won |
| Outstanding Motion Picture | ———— | 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 | |
| Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards 2000 | Best Male Newcomer | Kip Pardue | Nominated |
| Youth in Film | Hayden Panettiere | Nominated | |
| 2001 Motion Picture Sound Editors Awards | Best Sound Editing - Dialogue & ADR | Robert L. Sephton, Christopher T. Welch, Julie Feiner, Cindy Marty, Gaston Biraben, Suhail Kafity | Nominated |
| Best Sound Editing - Music | Will Kaplan | Nominated | |
| Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards 2000 | Best Performance by a Youth in a Leading or Supporting Role | Hayden Panettiere | Nominated |
| 2001Political Film Society Awards | Human Rights | ———— | Won |
| Exposé | ———— | Nominated | |
| Golden Satellite Awards 2000 | Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama | Denzel Washington | Nominated |
| 2001Teen Choice Awards | Film - Choice Drama/Action Adventure | ———— | Nominated |
| 22nd Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actress | Hayden Panettiere | Won |
| Best Family Feature Film - Drama | ———— | Nominated |
AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers - Nominated
Denzel Washington and an inspiring tale of race relations added up to an A+ for "Remember the Titans" in September 2000.
