The Express (2008)

The Express: Directed by Gary Fleder. With Rob Brown, Dennis Quaid, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Omar Benson Miller. A drama based on the life of college football hero Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy.

“u0026#39;The Expressu0026#39;, though based on Ernie Davisu0026#39;s life, is given a very Hollywood treatment. The story is uplifting and even inspiring to some, especially how Davis chooses to fight racism, not with violence, but with American football. Yet, the film itself is sugarcoated and has the deja-vu feel. For example, it is easy to predict which team will win (as is the case with most sports film). However, the last 20 minutes were handled well. Those scenes could have easily been melodramatic but the director chooses to play it down here. The background score is very intrusive at times. I thought the issue of racism was well tackled. This isnu0026#39;t u0026#39;just another movie about racismu0026#39; because the conflicts are well depicted and dealt with (like one would think it would be in the 50s). Dennis Quaid definitely moves a step forward from his usual average acting. Itu0026#39;s impressive to see him get under the skin of the character rather than play the usual formula. Rob Brown does a fine job and holds his own. Overall, u0026#39;The Expressu0026#39; tells an important story about a man who made a difference in American history even though his name is not known to everyone.”