The Express crosses the goal line as an inspirational sports drama, although fans of the genre will recognize many -- if not most -- of its clichés. Read critic reviews
The Express
2008, Biography/Drama, 2h 9m
121 Reviews 250,000+ RatingsWhat to know
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Movie Info
Born into poverty, Ernie Davis (Rob Brown) overcomes many obstacles to get into Syracuse University's football program. Under the guidance of Coach Ben Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid), Davis becomes one of the school's best players, even surpassing Jim Brown's achievements. In 1961 Davis becomes the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy, but there is one more obstacle in his life that he must overcome.
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Rating: PG (Language Involving Racism|Brief Sensuality|Thematic Content|Violence)
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Genre: Biography, Drama
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Original Language: English
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Director: Gary Fleder
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Producer: Adam Coplan, John Davis
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Writer: Charles Leavitt
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Release Date (Theaters): wide
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Release Date (Streaming):
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Box Office (Gross USA): $9.6M
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Runtime:
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Distributor: Universal Pictures
Cast & Crew
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Critic Reviews for The Express
Audience Reviews for The Express
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A surprisingly enjoyable movie, and one that - I think - got lost among a great many football movies, primarily Remember the Titans, Any Given Sunday (in which Dennis Quaid also plays a coach...) and Friday Night Lights. These three aren't the comparables, though; if anything, put this one beside Rudy. It's an underdog story that's a bit formulaic but very well set in its moment, and it tells of a very human experience: though it's about racism - Davis being the first black player to win the Heisman trophy - it's not too heavy-handed, and it's just as much about football, and built on a deep love and understanding of the game. I recommend seeing it once.
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Though the production value is very good the coverage of the story is follows in the footsteps of every other Sports/Racism Movie around. Not to take anything away from Ernie Davis great achievement the movie is very accurate to his winning the Heisman trophy. The epic scene where Ernie Davis comes out to play with a torn hamstring to show the racist white crowd how he can win. Dennis Quaid really doesnt fit the bill as a Football coach whos Jewish and hes supposed to be crusty? HBO will show it a thousand times and Im sure youll run into it.
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What surprised your reviewer the most about The Express was not how the well played ending still came as a shock even though its particulars were already known, but how this drama rose above the countless other race-related sports flicks. Indeed, such a film had pretty much the same playing field to cover as Remember the Titans, Glory Road, and Prideall recent flicks that are also based on real events. But it does so in an amazingly fresh fashion, doling out a story so emotionally stirring that it does not plod along like a Movie-of-the-Week but as an original underdog tale. And yes, there are times when it swoons a bit too much to its own dramatic strains, but such are the trappings of a true crowd-pleaser. In the PG-13-rated The Express, Syracuse running back Ernie Davis (Brown) overcomes adversity and racism to become the first African-American to receive the Heisman Trophy. Director Gary Fleder, who is known more for crafting thrillers (Kiss the Girls, Runaway Jury) than heart-tugging drama, paints the 60s on an amazingly palpable palette. It helps that he has assembled a letter-prefect cast to pull it off. Brown embodies the winning personality of Davis to great effect. And though he is no stranger to sports dramas as a player (Everybodys All American, The Rookie), Quaid assumes the humbling mantle of cantankerous coach like a true pro, giving the film many of its most memorable scenes. At times, the action- backed by a oftentimes overpowering soundtrack -comes off a tad over-dramatic. Regardless, The Express still packs a wallop. Bottom line: Touchdown.
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This was a very good movie - the cast was good (including Lafayette from True Blood!), and it was very inspirational! I wasn't expecting the ending, since I had never heard of Ernie Davis until this movie, but now I know why.
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