Director Kenneth Carlson may be a little too close to the subject of this documentary.
Go Tigers! (2001)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:39
Fresh:33
Rotten:6
Average Rating:7.1/10
Consensus: Go Tigers! is both an absorbing and evenhanded documentary, a perceptive look into the world of high school sports and its impact on a community.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for language and a scene of teen drinking
Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins
Genre: Sports/Recreation
Theatrical Release:Sep 21, 2001 Limited
Synopsis:
In the shadow of a crumbling Norman Rockwell dreamscape, towns like Massillon, Ohio face an ongoing identity crisis and fiscal decline in the new dot com millennium. But while steel mills close and...
In the shadow of a crumbling Norman Rockwell dreamscape, towns like Massillon, Ohio face an ongoing identity crisis and fiscal decline in the new dot com millennium. But while steel mills close and families drift away from such industrial pockets, Massillon's identity has remained intact. For whatever trouble that has besieged the town, Massillon has always had "the greatest show in high school football." In the birthplace of football and 10 miles from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Massillon Tigers have drawn more than fifteen thousand spirited fans to every game for more than a hundred years. For ten weeks out of the year, this provincial hamlet is ground zero for one of the greatest sports traditions anywhere. For ten weeks out of every year, the people of Massillon know who they are.
The 106th season of the 1999 Tigers finds Massillon, Ohio a "house divided". Following the team's poor season the previous year, the people of Massillon are faced with a school tax levy necessary to protect the jobs of teachers, coaches and the Massillon educational system itself. After three consecutive levy defeats, the town is split down the middle on the issue.
As the election approaches, the Tiger players come to realize that the fate of the levy and the future of their town seems to rest on their success, creating a pressure-filled atmosphere. Faced with obstacles on and off the field, the Tigers must endure criticism, accusation and self-doubt. Taking on these challenges, THREE YOUNG STARS emerge to carry the burden of the town they love into an uncertain future. Entering the final game of the season against mortal enemy Canton McKinley, these young men and their coaches come to understand the power of tradition, the depth of their character and the undeniable force of destiny. -- © 2001 IFC Films
Starring: Dave Irwin, Danny Studer, Ellery Moore, Frank Cicchinelli
Starring: Dave Irwin, Danny Studer, Ellery Moore, Frank Cicchinelli, Rick Shepas
Director: Kenneth A. Carlson
Director: Kenneth A. Carlson
Screenwriter: Kenneth A. Carlson
Producer: Kenneth A. Carlson, Sidney Sherman
Composer: Randy Miller
Studio: IFC Films
Get This Movie
Reviews for Go Tigers!
Carlson has pieced it together in such a way that it represents a genuine crowd-pleaser.
In a vivid portrait of one high school football season, Carlson gives us a snapshot of American values on parade.
a caution against an entire American culture grown fat, brutal, and stupid on their own frugal repast of bread and circus
Neither celebratory nor critical, but it has elements of both while staking out the middle ground and asking audiences to make up their own mind.
The movie argues that Massillon lives for football, that it creates identity and pride, and on the evidence I would have to agree.
Carlson doesn't let his camera flinch, and his film is more captivating and authentic for it.
An enthralling look at the drama that can transpire in the autumn of one small town on any given Friday.
Asks all the right questions, and it suggests, fascinatingly, that the same amoral melodramatics that are playing out on the national sports scene are destined to play out locally.
A really good documentary gets inside its subject and examines every aspect of it with a critical eye. Go Tigers! opens a lot of drawers but often only takes the slightest peek inside.
A doc that's more spirited than most action-adventure pics--about a top-rated, small-town high-school football team.
Carlson grew up in Massillon and he seems to know the territory of Friday night football.
Traverses an enormous amount of material ably and paints some vivid portraits in complex colors.
A sharply observed and richly detailed nonfiction feature that plays like feel-good, crowd-pleasing entertainment.
A nifty piece of entertainment that says a lot about American society.
A smart and often mesmerizing look at how high-school sports can hold a medium-sized town in its grip.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
| 49% 49% | Taking Woodstock |
| 26% 26% | The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard |
| 47% 47% | The Girl From Monaco |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- Go Tigers! at Rotten Tomatoes
- Go Tigers! at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Techland lists the best Sci-Fi films of this decade.

Moviefone takes a look back at the biggest stinkers of the past 10 years.

The Me and Orson Welles star answers reader questions on TIME.com.

Hollywood.com's C. Robert Cargill offers his thoughts on what the best decade for film was.

In the AV Club's "Scenic Routes," Mike D'Angelo reminisces about the Tim Burton film.
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic


