40 reviews
I should probably begin by apologizing-- calling this a "football movie" is a bit demeaning. Superficially, it's accurate, but the true subject of "Undefeated" is the education of inner-city kids through the competition of sports. If you value the lessons team sports can teach, or if you care about kids trying to pull themselves up from desperate circumstances, then I have to believe this is a film you want to see.
I had the privilege of seeing it a couple of months ago at the Chicago International Film Festival, with an audience that I'd wager was comprised mostly of people who didn't grow up in violent inner-city neighborhoods, and there were scenes in this film that reduced many of us in that audience to tears. These weren't tears of self-serving pity, either, but of admiration at what the Manassas Tigers accomplished in this wonder of a season. The film follows the storytelling tradition of the championship season, for the most part, but it's tough to criticize a documentary film for adherence to cliché. In fact, there are scenes in this that you'd dismiss as improbable in a fiction film, and scenes of such close personal observation that you wonder how the filmmakers got them on camera. These filmmakers had astonishing access to coach Bill Courtney and his players O.C. Brown, Montrail "Money" Brown, and the remarkable Chavis Daniels. You will get to know them so well over the course of the film that you might hope for a sequel. I know I do.
My only criticism of the film may not strike you as criticism at all-- in the Q&A session I attended with the filmmakers, they said they cut over an hour of footage to get the film's running time down for the theatrical market. As enthralled as I was with this film, I gladly would have watched another hour-- I wanted to meet more of these players and learn more about their lives. As such, at this length, the film doesn't quite rise to the level of "Hoop Dreams," as that film masterfully integrated its focus on sports into a larger narrative of inner-city life. But "Undefeated" comes awfully close, especially in one of the most moving scenes I've ever seen in a documentary, when a kid gets a piece of news that will change his life forever. You want to see this scene. You want to see this film.
I had the privilege of seeing it a couple of months ago at the Chicago International Film Festival, with an audience that I'd wager was comprised mostly of people who didn't grow up in violent inner-city neighborhoods, and there were scenes in this film that reduced many of us in that audience to tears. These weren't tears of self-serving pity, either, but of admiration at what the Manassas Tigers accomplished in this wonder of a season. The film follows the storytelling tradition of the championship season, for the most part, but it's tough to criticize a documentary film for adherence to cliché. In fact, there are scenes in this that you'd dismiss as improbable in a fiction film, and scenes of such close personal observation that you wonder how the filmmakers got them on camera. These filmmakers had astonishing access to coach Bill Courtney and his players O.C. Brown, Montrail "Money" Brown, and the remarkable Chavis Daniels. You will get to know them so well over the course of the film that you might hope for a sequel. I know I do.
My only criticism of the film may not strike you as criticism at all-- in the Q&A session I attended with the filmmakers, they said they cut over an hour of footage to get the film's running time down for the theatrical market. As enthralled as I was with this film, I gladly would have watched another hour-- I wanted to meet more of these players and learn more about their lives. As such, at this length, the film doesn't quite rise to the level of "Hoop Dreams," as that film masterfully integrated its focus on sports into a larger narrative of inner-city life. But "Undefeated" comes awfully close, especially in one of the most moving scenes I've ever seen in a documentary, when a kid gets a piece of news that will change his life forever. You want to see this scene. You want to see this film.
Sometimes you start a project with a different goal than it eventually ends up to. The filmmakers hit the Jackpot in more than one sense here. On the other hand winning the Oscar might have raised the bar/expectations from people who might have watched this as a normal documentary and therefor might have liked it more.
This documentary sometimes might feel like it lacks the drive Hollywood movies have. But that is because it is real and because everything you see in here is what happened. It still is dramatized, but not to the extent you see in the movies. You also shouldn't forget, that those are not actors, but real people (and please don't confuse real people with "reality TV") doing their thing. The camera is not distracting and the tension is felt throughout.
One really good sport documentary
This documentary sometimes might feel like it lacks the drive Hollywood movies have. But that is because it is real and because everything you see in here is what happened. It still is dramatized, but not to the extent you see in the movies. You also shouldn't forget, that those are not actors, but real people (and please don't confuse real people with "reality TV") doing their thing. The camera is not distracting and the tension is felt throughout.
One really good sport documentary
Undefeated which premiered at Austin's SXSW Film Festival this week fits into a long line of inspiring sports films. It is very much in the tradition of Steve James's Hoop Dreams in its exploration of the struggles of inner city African-American youths to overcome great odds using athletics as a means to escape poverty and deprivation. The filmmaker tells the story of Memphis's Manassas Tigers focusing in on the coach and three of his players as they attempt to produce a special season at a school that has had a long history of football futility. Coach Bill Courtney is an inspiring coach who devotes himself to this football team, even at a cost to the time he can spend with his own family. He makes the team into a family and focuses on character. He and his coaches go above-and-beyond the call of duty raising money for the team and making sure the students also focus on their academics. Despite the reality that the coaches are white and their students are black, issues of race seem to play very little role in their story.
The filmmakers tell the story in mostly chronological with no narration and only very limited input from outside observers. Perhaps the most remarkable element of the film is that the filmmakers were with the team for the entire season and were able to disappear into the background and become part of the team. In so doing, they were often able to capture real emotion and conflict that participants are often afraid to put on film. The honesty of the film is powerful. The music is excellent and complements the storytelling nicely. While Undefeated is powerful and inspiring, it is probably a little too long and could use some more editing.
The filmmakers tell the story in mostly chronological with no narration and only very limited input from outside observers. Perhaps the most remarkable element of the film is that the filmmakers were with the team for the entire season and were able to disappear into the background and become part of the team. In so doing, they were often able to capture real emotion and conflict that participants are often afraid to put on film. The honesty of the film is powerful. The music is excellent and complements the storytelling nicely. While Undefeated is powerful and inspiring, it is probably a little too long and could use some more editing.
- JustCuriosity
- Mar 13, 2011
- Permalink
I don't write too many reviews on here, but I felt I had to after seeing the "5.5" rating (03-13- 2012) on IMDb. What the hell is up with this? In my view, "Undefeated" deserves an easy 10 out of 10. I believe 'Undefeated' could easily have been the best picture of 2011. Period.
I just saw the film a few days ago. Disclaimer: I HATE football movies. I couldn't care less. Until I saw 'Undefeated.' Yes, it got my attention after winning Best Documentary after the Oscars. I was almost reluctant to go see it (I work in documentary filmmaking), but when I did, I was absolutely floored. Like, tears in my eyes as I exited the theater floored.
'Undefeated' isn't really a football movie. It's a documentary about an impoverished community that rallies around their highschool football team to try and turn things around, to try and lift their hopes, spirits and dreams. It's a film that shows the real struggles of real people that you care about. It's about young men redefining their lives after spending years in prison. It's about young men fighting to escape the abject poverty they were born into. It's about young men trying to prove that they can find success if they try hard enough. And of course, you have the Coach who pursues his impossibly vision of turning this failed football team around, by becoming a father figure and using inspiration as his primary tool.
The thing that makes all of this truly special, is that these are REAL PEOPLE. This is not some scripted Hollywood blockbuster starting the latest pop-culture stars. 'Undefeated' cuts deep into real emotions and isn't afraid to expose us for who we are, for better or worse. This is stuff of high-drama that tops even the best of scripted films.
'Undefeated' makes 'The Artist,' look like a Coke commercial. It makes 'Midnight in Paris' look like a Saturday morning cartoon. 'Undefeated' is true drama. True emotion. Real life. It pulls you in with charming fascinating 'characters', and it pulls you along, feeling every rise, every fall, every victory, every setback. If you have a heart, you will cry. For sadness, and for joy. This film has it all. Of all the movies released in 2011, this is the one that counts.
I just saw the film a few days ago. Disclaimer: I HATE football movies. I couldn't care less. Until I saw 'Undefeated.' Yes, it got my attention after winning Best Documentary after the Oscars. I was almost reluctant to go see it (I work in documentary filmmaking), but when I did, I was absolutely floored. Like, tears in my eyes as I exited the theater floored.
'Undefeated' isn't really a football movie. It's a documentary about an impoverished community that rallies around their highschool football team to try and turn things around, to try and lift their hopes, spirits and dreams. It's a film that shows the real struggles of real people that you care about. It's about young men redefining their lives after spending years in prison. It's about young men fighting to escape the abject poverty they were born into. It's about young men trying to prove that they can find success if they try hard enough. And of course, you have the Coach who pursues his impossibly vision of turning this failed football team around, by becoming a father figure and using inspiration as his primary tool.
The thing that makes all of this truly special, is that these are REAL PEOPLE. This is not some scripted Hollywood blockbuster starting the latest pop-culture stars. 'Undefeated' cuts deep into real emotions and isn't afraid to expose us for who we are, for better or worse. This is stuff of high-drama that tops even the best of scripted films.
'Undefeated' makes 'The Artist,' look like a Coke commercial. It makes 'Midnight in Paris' look like a Saturday morning cartoon. 'Undefeated' is true drama. True emotion. Real life. It pulls you in with charming fascinating 'characters', and it pulls you along, feeling every rise, every fall, every victory, every setback. If you have a heart, you will cry. For sadness, and for joy. This film has it all. Of all the movies released in 2011, this is the one that counts.
- blake_hodges
- Mar 12, 2012
- Permalink
I saw this the first time it was available in LA during the Oscar qualifying period. This film is a true accomplishment and one of the strongest contenders in the field. I was moved to tears on a number of occasions. The struggles of the players and coach Bill resonated with alarming clarity.
Some people could compare it to THE BLIND SIDE, which I also enjoyed. I feel as though this film tells an even larger story in the same amount of time -- something you can get away with more often in documentary, I suppose. However, I often forgot that I was watching a documentary, because the things these filmmakers were able to capture created a remarkable sense of flow.
This is one of those films I recommend to everyone.
Some people could compare it to THE BLIND SIDE, which I also enjoyed. I feel as though this film tells an even larger story in the same amount of time -- something you can get away with more often in documentary, I suppose. However, I often forgot that I was watching a documentary, because the things these filmmakers were able to capture created a remarkable sense of flow.
This is one of those films I recommend to everyone.
- joshvuguru
- Feb 18, 2012
- Permalink
North Memphis looks rough. Its houses are collapsing, its public infrastructure is crumbling, and its prospects on the horizon look like its bringing more of the same. Undefeated says life in North Memphis was not always like this, but once the Firestone plant closed and took the jobs away, this part of the city was forgotten. The residents feel they are not only second class citizens in Tennessee, which focuses more on Nashville in the center and Knoxville in the east, but second class in their own city.
One bright spot is a brand new, state of the art high school; the new home of the Manassas Tigers. Entering Manassas High School, however, is more akin to going through airport security than going to a place to learn. During his first football meeting of the year with his team, Coach Bill Courtney mentions starting players getting shot, jail sentences, and academic suspensions, issues a coach may encounter throughout their entire career, but these are issues he has dealt with in the past two weeks. North Memphis is definitely not Dillon, Texas and Manassas High School resembles nothing of the Friday Night Lights Dillon Panthers; this is real life.
Coach Courtney spends the vast majority of his time preaching character, discipline, and respect to a crowd of high school kids who do not seem very interested in receiving those messages. They are more concerned with fighting amongst themselves than focusing on beating the other team on the football field. Instead of studying plays in film sessions or running through football fundamentals, Coach constantly has to break up fights, convince the kids not to drop out of school, and remind them that a man's character is revealed on the football field.
Incredibly, Coach is a volunteer. He does not get paid to spend grueling hours every day trying to teach football and life lessons to a bunch of kids who usually seem to be tuning him out. He sees something more in them though, much more than they see in themselves. He feels it in his bones that if these kids learn to focus on the team instead of themselves; they will not only win on the football field, but in the classroom, and later on in life. This sounds like a scripted TV show, but it is very real and Coach Courtney is dead serious about it.
One player who visibly understands the Coach's vision is also the team's best player, left tackle O.C. Brown. O.C. reminds you of Michael Oher from The Blind Side. He is a huge human being but has a quiet, almost meek, personality. He is not strong academically though and is having trouble getting the minimum score for college scholarship eligibility on the ACT. In one of the stronger episodes of the film, O.C. gets a one-on-one tutor and stays three to four nights a week at a coach's house because no tutors would ever go see O.C. in his home neighborhood. The filmmaker wisely includes social commentary about why it is always the gifted athletic star that gets so much specific help and never just a regular kid.
There are only two other members of the football team who get noticeable screen time and they are right tackle Montrail 'Money' Brown and team troublemaker Chavis Daniels. Money is under-sized for his position but plays with so much intensity that he is a very strong member of the offensive line. He has a 3.8 GPA and has his sights set on becoming a football manager or lawyer because he knows he is far too small for college ball. Chavis has just returned from school from a 15 month leave of absence because he was in juvenile detention. He has an incredibly short fuse and will instigate a fight in a moment's notice. The back and forth comparisons between Money and Chavis work to the film's credit. Money gets injured and wonders why he can barely get a second chance on the football field when he sees Chavis still causing trouble on the team even though he is on his 50th chance.
Through the unending and amazingly persistent efforts of Coach Courtney, the Manassas Tigers start winning games and the kids' conduct both on and off the field are noticeably improved from the film's opening scenes. I do not know why it is called Undefeated because the Tigers lose their first game of the season before they start their run for the playoffs. There are some very strong scenes though, especially one with Money and some news he receives about his future and a scene between Coach and O.C. as they say goodbye to each other at the end of the season.
Undefeated is a very effective sports documentary but I am surprised it won the Academy Award for Best Documentary. Its nomination was deserved but it is not consistently strong and felt throughout its entire length. However, I encourage you sports fans out there to go see a real football team instead of one created for you with a Hollywood cast; these kids are much more worth your time.
One bright spot is a brand new, state of the art high school; the new home of the Manassas Tigers. Entering Manassas High School, however, is more akin to going through airport security than going to a place to learn. During his first football meeting of the year with his team, Coach Bill Courtney mentions starting players getting shot, jail sentences, and academic suspensions, issues a coach may encounter throughout their entire career, but these are issues he has dealt with in the past two weeks. North Memphis is definitely not Dillon, Texas and Manassas High School resembles nothing of the Friday Night Lights Dillon Panthers; this is real life.
Coach Courtney spends the vast majority of his time preaching character, discipline, and respect to a crowd of high school kids who do not seem very interested in receiving those messages. They are more concerned with fighting amongst themselves than focusing on beating the other team on the football field. Instead of studying plays in film sessions or running through football fundamentals, Coach constantly has to break up fights, convince the kids not to drop out of school, and remind them that a man's character is revealed on the football field.
Incredibly, Coach is a volunteer. He does not get paid to spend grueling hours every day trying to teach football and life lessons to a bunch of kids who usually seem to be tuning him out. He sees something more in them though, much more than they see in themselves. He feels it in his bones that if these kids learn to focus on the team instead of themselves; they will not only win on the football field, but in the classroom, and later on in life. This sounds like a scripted TV show, but it is very real and Coach Courtney is dead serious about it.
One player who visibly understands the Coach's vision is also the team's best player, left tackle O.C. Brown. O.C. reminds you of Michael Oher from The Blind Side. He is a huge human being but has a quiet, almost meek, personality. He is not strong academically though and is having trouble getting the minimum score for college scholarship eligibility on the ACT. In one of the stronger episodes of the film, O.C. gets a one-on-one tutor and stays three to four nights a week at a coach's house because no tutors would ever go see O.C. in his home neighborhood. The filmmaker wisely includes social commentary about why it is always the gifted athletic star that gets so much specific help and never just a regular kid.
There are only two other members of the football team who get noticeable screen time and they are right tackle Montrail 'Money' Brown and team troublemaker Chavis Daniels. Money is under-sized for his position but plays with so much intensity that he is a very strong member of the offensive line. He has a 3.8 GPA and has his sights set on becoming a football manager or lawyer because he knows he is far too small for college ball. Chavis has just returned from school from a 15 month leave of absence because he was in juvenile detention. He has an incredibly short fuse and will instigate a fight in a moment's notice. The back and forth comparisons between Money and Chavis work to the film's credit. Money gets injured and wonders why he can barely get a second chance on the football field when he sees Chavis still causing trouble on the team even though he is on his 50th chance.
Through the unending and amazingly persistent efforts of Coach Courtney, the Manassas Tigers start winning games and the kids' conduct both on and off the field are noticeably improved from the film's opening scenes. I do not know why it is called Undefeated because the Tigers lose their first game of the season before they start their run for the playoffs. There are some very strong scenes though, especially one with Money and some news he receives about his future and a scene between Coach and O.C. as they say goodbye to each other at the end of the season.
Undefeated is a very effective sports documentary but I am surprised it won the Academy Award for Best Documentary. Its nomination was deserved but it is not consistently strong and felt throughout its entire length. However, I encourage you sports fans out there to go see a real football team instead of one created for you with a Hollywood cast; these kids are much more worth your time.
Most of us like an underdog story, and this 2012 Academy Awards Best Documentary feature has all the standard elements that make up an award winning one. Directed and photographed by Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Martin, Undefeated follows a season of high school football team in their quest to secure a berth in the playoffs, being led by volunteer coach Bill Courtney, who has given up tremendous time over the last six seasons to follow his passion, and becoming a much lauded figure in the school for his tough love ways to turn around wayward boys, and boys with potential, into team players.
"Football doesn't build character. Football reveals character" is Courtney's philosophical take- away, and much of this documentary is a testament to that. In following this particular season as produced for the film, the filmmakers probably didn't know how it would have turned out, and it's very much contrary to the title of the movie. Then again, we may not be referring to the scoreline and results of the season, but to the spirit of the team that Courtney had developed this particular system that's under the filmmaker's lens and scrutiny, and the drilling down to the more micro, and personal level, amongst a select group of players that were paid a special focus.
One of the arcs may seem a little bit like The Blind Side, where a giant of a player got to stay with one of the coaches for a little while, in order to get his academic grades back on track in order to qualify for college. A college sports career is almost a given for O.C. Brown, but to get there meant a decent academic score. With players who come from troubled backgrounds, there are no lack of contenders making up the subjects for the documentary, especially amongst a large football team, and it goes to show how challenging a coach's job is in order to keep track of the team's progress in the game, the training, and the managing of plenty of egos, especially that of a hot head who just got released from junior penitentiary, and looks set to disrupt team dynamics.
And precisely why this documentary turned out a winner, is the very presence of Bill Courtney, and his story. Owner of a lumber business, he had sacrificed family time for game time to pursue his passion for coaching in a school that doesn't have a remarkable history in the game, and it is his unrelenting belief, and methods, that really made Undefeated engaging, rich, and moving, especially when doing so without much concrete rewards for six years. It is the crossroads he is in now, having to measure time spent with the school players, and that of his own children, that is niggling at the back of his mind, especially so when the team he has at his disposal this year has shown some remarkable progress. It's real family versus adopted family, and it's indeed cruel, yet inevitable in having presented no real choice where one's priorities should reside in.
Told in chronological order with plenty of games highlighted, each that will make you continuously root for the players and coaches we've grown accustomed to, this sports documentary covers a broad spectrum of the game, and the people behind the game. Yet it has plenty of soul in tackling the different story arcs amongst the people, that makes it a lot more powerful, rather than being just another sports movie that countless of Hollywood products have been produced, that tells of similarly inspiring, or heartwarming stories about superb coaches, and underdog teams making it good.
At the end of the day, what matters are the relationships that we forge, and probably the value and legacy we leave behind, that matters more than fleeting results. As Bill Courtney puts it, the measure of a man is not when he wins, but when he is defeated, and his reaction to that defeat, that matters the most. Recommended!
"Football doesn't build character. Football reveals character" is Courtney's philosophical take- away, and much of this documentary is a testament to that. In following this particular season as produced for the film, the filmmakers probably didn't know how it would have turned out, and it's very much contrary to the title of the movie. Then again, we may not be referring to the scoreline and results of the season, but to the spirit of the team that Courtney had developed this particular system that's under the filmmaker's lens and scrutiny, and the drilling down to the more micro, and personal level, amongst a select group of players that were paid a special focus.
One of the arcs may seem a little bit like The Blind Side, where a giant of a player got to stay with one of the coaches for a little while, in order to get his academic grades back on track in order to qualify for college. A college sports career is almost a given for O.C. Brown, but to get there meant a decent academic score. With players who come from troubled backgrounds, there are no lack of contenders making up the subjects for the documentary, especially amongst a large football team, and it goes to show how challenging a coach's job is in order to keep track of the team's progress in the game, the training, and the managing of plenty of egos, especially that of a hot head who just got released from junior penitentiary, and looks set to disrupt team dynamics.
And precisely why this documentary turned out a winner, is the very presence of Bill Courtney, and his story. Owner of a lumber business, he had sacrificed family time for game time to pursue his passion for coaching in a school that doesn't have a remarkable history in the game, and it is his unrelenting belief, and methods, that really made Undefeated engaging, rich, and moving, especially when doing so without much concrete rewards for six years. It is the crossroads he is in now, having to measure time spent with the school players, and that of his own children, that is niggling at the back of his mind, especially so when the team he has at his disposal this year has shown some remarkable progress. It's real family versus adopted family, and it's indeed cruel, yet inevitable in having presented no real choice where one's priorities should reside in.
Told in chronological order with plenty of games highlighted, each that will make you continuously root for the players and coaches we've grown accustomed to, this sports documentary covers a broad spectrum of the game, and the people behind the game. Yet it has plenty of soul in tackling the different story arcs amongst the people, that makes it a lot more powerful, rather than being just another sports movie that countless of Hollywood products have been produced, that tells of similarly inspiring, or heartwarming stories about superb coaches, and underdog teams making it good.
At the end of the day, what matters are the relationships that we forge, and probably the value and legacy we leave behind, that matters more than fleeting results. As Bill Courtney puts it, the measure of a man is not when he wins, but when he is defeated, and his reaction to that defeat, that matters the most. Recommended!
- DICK STEEL
- Dec 1, 2012
- Permalink
Oscar-award winning documentary "Undefeated" maximizes it out-take from being at the right place at the right time. The movies focuses its attention on a failing high-school American football team Manassas Tigers in Memphis, Tennessee, yet to ever win a play-off game in the rich 110 years of existence. The Manassas high-school is located in an all-black neighborhood suffering from extreme unemployment rates after the closure of the local Bridgestone plant. Most children lack parental guidance, whilst being raised by grandmothers or single parents is an all-too-familiar sight. In one reveal almost everyone in the team has close relatives convicted of various sorts of crimes with some of the most aggressive youths, like Chavis Daniels, already having spent time in correctional facilities. Into this backdrop of dire hopelessness comes Bill Courtney, a successful businessman, whose true calling and passion is coaching football teams. Having offered six years of his time on pro-bono formation of Manassas Tigers, this year is supposed to be his swansong. His key weapon is the brute force of O.C. Brown, the most talented player on the team, however his educational struggles pose question as to whether he will be able to continue to college with his education. Meanwhile miniscule right-back Montrail 'Money' Brown, a well-versed and perspective youth, hopes to finish his career in football (as being too small to succeed in pro gaming) on a high. Will the school be able to break the 110 year play-off jinx?
Molded into the all too familiar underdog sports story of a team of misfits conquering the odds, it is easy to understand the Academy's decision. Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Martin spent a significant amount of time filming the ordeals of Bill Courtney and his challenged youth team, capturing a spectacular moment in time, when the group turn from perennial whooping boys into the dominant regional outfit with a knack for big comebacks.
Given this extraordinary backdrop the film directors come off with rich material to form a documentary. Even though the ease in which the story fits the mold of narrative genre films feels somewhat suspect and forced at times, the viewing is really pleasurable. Plus, despite everything else you know this is real life and although the directors hint at outcomes along the way, you never truly know what will happen, giving it a unique, engaging quality, so desperately lacking in features. Full of heart, passion and a hopeful outlook this really does seem like the kind of stuff the Academy would go for. Worthwhile watch, even if the year in question had superior documentaries to choose from.
Molded into the all too familiar underdog sports story of a team of misfits conquering the odds, it is easy to understand the Academy's decision. Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Martin spent a significant amount of time filming the ordeals of Bill Courtney and his challenged youth team, capturing a spectacular moment in time, when the group turn from perennial whooping boys into the dominant regional outfit with a knack for big comebacks.
Given this extraordinary backdrop the film directors come off with rich material to form a documentary. Even though the ease in which the story fits the mold of narrative genre films feels somewhat suspect and forced at times, the viewing is really pleasurable. Plus, despite everything else you know this is real life and although the directors hint at outcomes along the way, you never truly know what will happen, giving it a unique, engaging quality, so desperately lacking in features. Full of heart, passion and a hopeful outlook this really does seem like the kind of stuff the Academy would go for. Worthwhile watch, even if the year in question had superior documentaries to choose from.
Great movie worth seeing. The overall rating is far too low for this movie- don't be discouraged from seeing it.
Life isn't easy and some kids learn this from their earliest days. 'Undefeated' gives us heart that some will escape the hard life of poverty they have been dealt. One coach steps in to try his best to do his part to help but the job is tough and full of harsh realities... not everything has a storybook ending in this movie or in real life. Still the movie has plenty of feel good moments, moments when you hope the kids are starting to see the light of their own potential both on and off the field.
Have your teenagers and college kids see this movie. They'll appreciate you and what they have been blessed with a little more because of what they see others go through in this documentary.
Life isn't easy and some kids learn this from their earliest days. 'Undefeated' gives us heart that some will escape the hard life of poverty they have been dealt. One coach steps in to try his best to do his part to help but the job is tough and full of harsh realities... not everything has a storybook ending in this movie or in real life. Still the movie has plenty of feel good moments, moments when you hope the kids are starting to see the light of their own potential both on and off the field.
Have your teenagers and college kids see this movie. They'll appreciate you and what they have been blessed with a little more because of what they see others go through in this documentary.
- keith-petersen
- Aug 7, 2012
- Permalink
UNDEFEATED is a documentary film produced in 2012 about an inner city high-school and their football team. Manassas High-school located in Memphis, Tennessee is followed throughout their season as they try to make the playoffs for the first time in their school's history. At the beginning of the film, we are introduced to the main characters; the head coach and a few seniors who started with him since the end of their eight-grade year. During the player's entire high-school football careers, the team has not had a single winning season and the documentary follows these young men into their final season with the guidance of their head coach.
As we are introduced to each character, we are also introduced to their own specific story and how it plays a part on who they are today. This theme is supported by the development of each persons as the season goes on. The coach is a moderately wealthy man that owns a business but his real passion lies with football. He spends more time with the football team than his very own business and family. His compassion for his players is continued when he welcomes one of them into his home to be tutored. We are also introduced to the seniors on the team; all of which have grown up in the rough neighborhoods of Memphis but each with their unique trait about them. One senior with a violent past goes through a great personal battle with another player but later in the film comes to terms with not only his anger but with his team. He of all the characters makes the biggest transformation. Another player struggles with academics while trying to pursue his dream of going to college and eventually makes a high enough score on the ACT. Going through a season ending injury and doing whatever he can to play in his last high-school football game is the hardest battle one of these players goes through. As the season goes on, the team being mentored by their head coach, develops into game winning team and not only clinching a playoff seed but also home-field advantage. The overall athleticism and skills of the players increase as well as the team begins to win and have momentum. One thing the film does really well is showcase the development of the characters and the team as a whole. At the beginning, the team struggles to perform simple passing plays but now is a 2nd half come-back team and on a winning streak. But when the team faces a loss, the team handles it professionally with their chins held high. Also the film builds great suspense by showing the importance of winning a game because a loss would mean an end to the season. Suspense is also built with one of the players suffering an injury and his ability to heal so he could play in his last football game.
Overall, UNDEFEATED is a good film. It isn't a potential threat to Remember the Titans as the best football movie but it does a good job. I really enjoyed the journey the team went through and the hardships they endured. The director does a good job with scenery and putting the audience on the football field with the team. The film is raw, meaning there is profanity and real emotions being showcased like in the real world. The film also does shows the hardship of life by referencing the closure of the Firestone plant and how it affected local economy and way of life. The city of Memphis suffered tremendously and many of its citizens became unemployed. The audience's hope for success is satisfied at the end of the film when the characters graduate and go on to their respective paths. UNDEFEATED can be watched by anyone; however, with the film will be most enjoyed by people who follow sports and especially football
As we are introduced to each character, we are also introduced to their own specific story and how it plays a part on who they are today. This theme is supported by the development of each persons as the season goes on. The coach is a moderately wealthy man that owns a business but his real passion lies with football. He spends more time with the football team than his very own business and family. His compassion for his players is continued when he welcomes one of them into his home to be tutored. We are also introduced to the seniors on the team; all of which have grown up in the rough neighborhoods of Memphis but each with their unique trait about them. One senior with a violent past goes through a great personal battle with another player but later in the film comes to terms with not only his anger but with his team. He of all the characters makes the biggest transformation. Another player struggles with academics while trying to pursue his dream of going to college and eventually makes a high enough score on the ACT. Going through a season ending injury and doing whatever he can to play in his last high-school football game is the hardest battle one of these players goes through. As the season goes on, the team being mentored by their head coach, develops into game winning team and not only clinching a playoff seed but also home-field advantage. The overall athleticism and skills of the players increase as well as the team begins to win and have momentum. One thing the film does really well is showcase the development of the characters and the team as a whole. At the beginning, the team struggles to perform simple passing plays but now is a 2nd half come-back team and on a winning streak. But when the team faces a loss, the team handles it professionally with their chins held high. Also the film builds great suspense by showing the importance of winning a game because a loss would mean an end to the season. Suspense is also built with one of the players suffering an injury and his ability to heal so he could play in his last football game.
Overall, UNDEFEATED is a good film. It isn't a potential threat to Remember the Titans as the best football movie but it does a good job. I really enjoyed the journey the team went through and the hardships they endured. The director does a good job with scenery and putting the audience on the football field with the team. The film is raw, meaning there is profanity and real emotions being showcased like in the real world. The film also does shows the hardship of life by referencing the closure of the Firestone plant and how it affected local economy and way of life. The city of Memphis suffered tremendously and many of its citizens became unemployed. The audience's hope for success is satisfied at the end of the film when the characters graduate and go on to their respective paths. UNDEFEATED can be watched by anyone; however, with the film will be most enjoyed by people who follow sports and especially football
- teinunitedphotography
- Oct 18, 2015
- Permalink
It has become a new thing of amusement for sports fans to research old rants of coaches, particularly football coaches, that they gave in a live press conference while currently in the heat of the moment. Quite possibly the most iconic was the professional and motivating Herm Edwards sending a message to his players saying, "you play to win the game" after Herm's New York Jets lost to the Cleveland Browns in 2002. The rant I thought of during Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Martin's documentary Undefeated was Jim Mora's "Playoffs?!" remake when asked about the Colts' future after a devastating loss. "I just hope we can win a game!" he stated shortly after.
It's that kind of mentality I feel that the Manassas High School football team and their long-suffering coach, Bill Courtney occupied for a long, long time, as the school's team, which existed for 110 years, never won a playoff game and have become the devastating team that you look on the schedule and cite as an easy win if you play them. The school is located in Manassas, Virginia, and is grossly underfunded, along with possessing an athletic program unfit for even a third-rate school. The kids need to get by with what they have, and that's not much. Coming from a prestigious and often highly-regarded public high school, I look on with great sympathy and possess deep gratefulness in what I was born into.
Undefeated primarily focuses on Manassas High School football team's 2009 year, where they plan to turn things around for the better (not like they could get any worse). They figure that since they're at rock bottom, they can only go up from there, and Bill Courtney plans to turn the team around, putting heavy emphasis on character and frequently telling them, "character is not how you handle successes, because anyone can bask in the glory of a win, but how you handle failures," and that is a bold and admirable message for an unpaid coach to tell his players. He believes in them, even when their previous record was 0-10. You won't find too many high school coaches who take the game as seriously as Courtney, or are prepared to give them advice they can use off the field or when they hang up their jerseys and helmets to pursue other things.
Courtney explains that the school is so underfunded athletically that they considered taking part in "pay games," which involves the team traveling miles across the state to face a team they have no chance in beating and accepting a $3,000 - $4,000 in exchange for brutal humiliation. When your only option to get money is to belittle your self-esteem, you really need help in some way, shape, or form. He even goes on to say that the reputation the football team gets is so putrid, ugly, and dehumanizing that athletes that come to Manassas High from eight grade don't even consider playing for the team. Can you blame them? Yet not only are they out of an extra-curricular activity in their high school career, they're almost completely out of a future career with football.
Thankfully, Courtney has a reliable lineup, involving O.C. Brown, a senior whose passion is more suited for the field than the classroom, the quick and dependable Montrail "Money" Brown, and a man by the name of Chavis Daniels, who is the team goon, often causing trouble and possessing a very suspicious anger problem. Courtney accepts the challenge with no regret at all, and often connects personally with many of his players. There's a touching scene in the latter half when O.C. and Courtney are traveling somewhere in a car together when O.C. tells the coach that he is attracted to another girl. As a result, Courtney hands over a small bottle of cologne telling him to use it conservatively and he will get all the ladies he wants. The warm, innocuous, yet comforting feeling of bonding goes right to the viewer's heart in just a wonderful scene.
The film chronicles the 2009 season, showing modest beginnings, but a wonderfully unbelievable conclusion with opportunities soaring for the team, players, and school. We also see how the players not only adapt to the new opportunities, but also the inevitable ones, like college approaching their line of vision and high school entering their rear-view mirror. Courtney devastatingly explains that once the football season ends, some kids recognize that they have a 2.0 grade point average, a 14 on their ACT, and no scholarship, resulting in almost nowhere to go. It's a depressing state of affairs, especially for kids who have no other experience other than the kind they obtained on the field.
Undefeated is a nicely made documentary that had the honor of beating Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory at the 2012 Oscars for Best Documentary Feature. The film will without a doubt will strike an emotional chord for some audiences, yet despite being a true story, there's something about hearing the perfunctory tale of a coach turning a ragtag bunch of half-wits into a winning team, real or not, that feels sort of artificial. Yet there is a divine humanity in this story that isn't ignored, and the result, in the long run, was a long-overdue one Manassas will cherish for another 110 years. It's light years more efficient than a cliché-ridden tale like Rudy, I suppose.
NOTE: Undefeated will see a DVD/Blu-Ray release on February 19, 2013, but is currently on several video on demand outlets and on DirecTV's Pay-Per View feature.
Starring: Bill Courtney, O.C. Brown, Montrail "Money" Brown, and Chavis Daniels. Directed by: Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Martin.
It's that kind of mentality I feel that the Manassas High School football team and their long-suffering coach, Bill Courtney occupied for a long, long time, as the school's team, which existed for 110 years, never won a playoff game and have become the devastating team that you look on the schedule and cite as an easy win if you play them. The school is located in Manassas, Virginia, and is grossly underfunded, along with possessing an athletic program unfit for even a third-rate school. The kids need to get by with what they have, and that's not much. Coming from a prestigious and often highly-regarded public high school, I look on with great sympathy and possess deep gratefulness in what I was born into.
Undefeated primarily focuses on Manassas High School football team's 2009 year, where they plan to turn things around for the better (not like they could get any worse). They figure that since they're at rock bottom, they can only go up from there, and Bill Courtney plans to turn the team around, putting heavy emphasis on character and frequently telling them, "character is not how you handle successes, because anyone can bask in the glory of a win, but how you handle failures," and that is a bold and admirable message for an unpaid coach to tell his players. He believes in them, even when their previous record was 0-10. You won't find too many high school coaches who take the game as seriously as Courtney, or are prepared to give them advice they can use off the field or when they hang up their jerseys and helmets to pursue other things.
Courtney explains that the school is so underfunded athletically that they considered taking part in "pay games," which involves the team traveling miles across the state to face a team they have no chance in beating and accepting a $3,000 - $4,000 in exchange for brutal humiliation. When your only option to get money is to belittle your self-esteem, you really need help in some way, shape, or form. He even goes on to say that the reputation the football team gets is so putrid, ugly, and dehumanizing that athletes that come to Manassas High from eight grade don't even consider playing for the team. Can you blame them? Yet not only are they out of an extra-curricular activity in their high school career, they're almost completely out of a future career with football.
Thankfully, Courtney has a reliable lineup, involving O.C. Brown, a senior whose passion is more suited for the field than the classroom, the quick and dependable Montrail "Money" Brown, and a man by the name of Chavis Daniels, who is the team goon, often causing trouble and possessing a very suspicious anger problem. Courtney accepts the challenge with no regret at all, and often connects personally with many of his players. There's a touching scene in the latter half when O.C. and Courtney are traveling somewhere in a car together when O.C. tells the coach that he is attracted to another girl. As a result, Courtney hands over a small bottle of cologne telling him to use it conservatively and he will get all the ladies he wants. The warm, innocuous, yet comforting feeling of bonding goes right to the viewer's heart in just a wonderful scene.
The film chronicles the 2009 season, showing modest beginnings, but a wonderfully unbelievable conclusion with opportunities soaring for the team, players, and school. We also see how the players not only adapt to the new opportunities, but also the inevitable ones, like college approaching their line of vision and high school entering their rear-view mirror. Courtney devastatingly explains that once the football season ends, some kids recognize that they have a 2.0 grade point average, a 14 on their ACT, and no scholarship, resulting in almost nowhere to go. It's a depressing state of affairs, especially for kids who have no other experience other than the kind they obtained on the field.
Undefeated is a nicely made documentary that had the honor of beating Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory at the 2012 Oscars for Best Documentary Feature. The film will without a doubt will strike an emotional chord for some audiences, yet despite being a true story, there's something about hearing the perfunctory tale of a coach turning a ragtag bunch of half-wits into a winning team, real or not, that feels sort of artificial. Yet there is a divine humanity in this story that isn't ignored, and the result, in the long run, was a long-overdue one Manassas will cherish for another 110 years. It's light years more efficient than a cliché-ridden tale like Rudy, I suppose.
NOTE: Undefeated will see a DVD/Blu-Ray release on February 19, 2013, but is currently on several video on demand outlets and on DirecTV's Pay-Per View feature.
Starring: Bill Courtney, O.C. Brown, Montrail "Money" Brown, and Chavis Daniels. Directed by: Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Martin.
- StevePulaski
- Jan 15, 2013
- Permalink
This documentary is ostensibly about sport, but its about much more than that. High school football coach, Bill Courtney, has a major task on his hands. How is he going to transform a high school football team with a reputation for being easybeats, into a mean lean fighting machine? A high school that has never won anything, that rarely wins a game, and has never ever in its history made it to the playoffs?
In the process of striving to achieve the impossible, he learns as we do, the importance of inspirational leadership, fatherhood and how to be a man. Every young teenage boy should watch this documentary and it should be viewed and discussed in schools across the country. Its quite frankly a masterpiece of documentary film making.
In the process of striving to achieve the impossible, he learns as we do, the importance of inspirational leadership, fatherhood and how to be a man. Every young teenage boy should watch this documentary and it should be viewed and discussed in schools across the country. Its quite frankly a masterpiece of documentary film making.
- Marcus-Aurelius90
- Sep 13, 2017
- Permalink
This film is about a football program at a high school with a long tradition of losing. Despite having been around for over a hundred years, they've never won a playoff game and recently went entire seasons without a win. This film follows their much more successful coach and the team through the course of a season and you see the team's ups and downs.
"Undefeated" is a decent sports documentary and is worth seeing if you like this sort of thing. Oddly, however, after I watched it I learned that the film won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature....and I am not really sure why. It's good, but ESPN makes a lot of documentaries that are as good or better. I guess I just am not the target audience or the Oscar folks saw something in it that I just didn't see.
"Undefeated" is a decent sports documentary and is worth seeing if you like this sort of thing. Oddly, however, after I watched it I learned that the film won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature....and I am not really sure why. It's good, but ESPN makes a lot of documentaries that are as good or better. I guess I just am not the target audience or the Oscar folks saw something in it that I just didn't see.
- planktonrules
- Aug 20, 2015
- Permalink
The documentary, Undefeated, is about a film that reveals and builds up a person's character. Daniel Lindsey and T.J. Martin did an outstanding job directing this inspirational movie. This documentary is about three deprived young student-athletes from a town called Memphis. They all have their differences and struggles with football, school, and families. But after a volunteer coach comes in and helps out the team and these three athletes, things start changing for Manassas High School.
Manassas High School in North Memphis was a school that wasn't very successful in football. Other teams would take advantage of this program and basically use them for practice. When Bill Courtney arrived as a volunteered coach, he changed the ability and attitudes of the athletes he had to deal with. Not only did he help this team turn into an athletic team but he also helped build this team into an academic team as well.
There are a few athletes that are being focused on in this documentary that have struggles of their own. One athlete named O.C. Brown, was a strong left tackle for Manassas. He was one of the main star players on the team. He has many scholarship opportunities for college, but struggles with keeping his grades up, and scoring high on his tests. Another athlete named Montrail, also known as "Money", was an offensive lineman. He is pushing to get an academic scholarship but struggles because he suffers a knee injury and stops going to school. The last main athlete in this film is a returning player that just got out of Juvy, named Chavis. Chavis learns to overcome a lot of things in high school and his anger management is the main one. He is an explosive and talented linebacker but his temper sets him off at times that are unacceptable to the team and to the coaches.
Bill Courtney, the volunteer coach for Manassas High School, was a life changer for these young men and for the rest of the football team. He brought passion, and heart into these boys. He taught them life lessons, and preached that it's not only about being an athlete, but being a student before an athlete. He did not care about the wins or the losses, but he was more concerned about revealing the character out of these young men; one of his main objectives was helping each other grow together as a team and also grow individually. He seen the outcomes he had on the athletes, and it was all love from Courtney and his ability to help these boys grow up and overcome adversity and their struggles.
This film gives great detail and goes in depth about the real feelings of the athletes and coach. The camera men get great footage of the external and internal emotions out of the coach and the athletes. With that being said, throughout most of the documentary the camera men are actually holding the camera. It makes the film better, I believe because if it was just a movie being caught on a standing camera, you wouldn't get the same emotional touch from the characters. It's more of a live perspective and makes you feel like it is not even a movie, and it's just something that's happening in the moment. This documentary gives actual features and behind the scenes of an everyday life at Manassas high school and the football program. This gives you a better understanding and helps you grasp the details about the film.
The target audience for this documentary would be coaches, players, and anyone involved in an athletic program. This also could be for anyone who wants to watch an inspirational film. Even if you weren't ever involved in football or another athletic program, this movie would show you that kids not only struggle with school, sports, and football but also with outside complications. It shows that one person, which is Bill Courtney in this film, can impact and help build character out of a hopelessness athlete and motivate them to be a better player, teammate, and student.
Overall this 10 out of 10-star movie did an astounding job at showing us that this film was an Oscar- winning high school football documentary. From showing the background of where each of the main athletes in the movie came from and what their home-life was like, to parts of the film that keep you emotionally engaged by coach to player. This documentary is one for the books, and I would totally recommend seeing it. You will never get uninterested, and you will always be entertained by something passionate throughout the film. If you're looking for a gratifying sports flick, Undefeated is the way to go.
Manassas High School in North Memphis was a school that wasn't very successful in football. Other teams would take advantage of this program and basically use them for practice. When Bill Courtney arrived as a volunteered coach, he changed the ability and attitudes of the athletes he had to deal with. Not only did he help this team turn into an athletic team but he also helped build this team into an academic team as well.
There are a few athletes that are being focused on in this documentary that have struggles of their own. One athlete named O.C. Brown, was a strong left tackle for Manassas. He was one of the main star players on the team. He has many scholarship opportunities for college, but struggles with keeping his grades up, and scoring high on his tests. Another athlete named Montrail, also known as "Money", was an offensive lineman. He is pushing to get an academic scholarship but struggles because he suffers a knee injury and stops going to school. The last main athlete in this film is a returning player that just got out of Juvy, named Chavis. Chavis learns to overcome a lot of things in high school and his anger management is the main one. He is an explosive and talented linebacker but his temper sets him off at times that are unacceptable to the team and to the coaches.
Bill Courtney, the volunteer coach for Manassas High School, was a life changer for these young men and for the rest of the football team. He brought passion, and heart into these boys. He taught them life lessons, and preached that it's not only about being an athlete, but being a student before an athlete. He did not care about the wins or the losses, but he was more concerned about revealing the character out of these young men; one of his main objectives was helping each other grow together as a team and also grow individually. He seen the outcomes he had on the athletes, and it was all love from Courtney and his ability to help these boys grow up and overcome adversity and their struggles.
This film gives great detail and goes in depth about the real feelings of the athletes and coach. The camera men get great footage of the external and internal emotions out of the coach and the athletes. With that being said, throughout most of the documentary the camera men are actually holding the camera. It makes the film better, I believe because if it was just a movie being caught on a standing camera, you wouldn't get the same emotional touch from the characters. It's more of a live perspective and makes you feel like it is not even a movie, and it's just something that's happening in the moment. This documentary gives actual features and behind the scenes of an everyday life at Manassas high school and the football program. This gives you a better understanding and helps you grasp the details about the film.
The target audience for this documentary would be coaches, players, and anyone involved in an athletic program. This also could be for anyone who wants to watch an inspirational film. Even if you weren't ever involved in football or another athletic program, this movie would show you that kids not only struggle with school, sports, and football but also with outside complications. It shows that one person, which is Bill Courtney in this film, can impact and help build character out of a hopelessness athlete and motivate them to be a better player, teammate, and student.
Overall this 10 out of 10-star movie did an astounding job at showing us that this film was an Oscar- winning high school football documentary. From showing the background of where each of the main athletes in the movie came from and what their home-life was like, to parts of the film that keep you emotionally engaged by coach to player. This documentary is one for the books, and I would totally recommend seeing it. You will never get uninterested, and you will always be entertained by something passionate throughout the film. If you're looking for a gratifying sports flick, Undefeated is the way to go.
- veronicawestfall-12321
- Oct 17, 2016
- Permalink
This is the story of the Manassas High School football team and their coach. It is a predominately black school in Tennessee. They have never had much success because they are lacking in every area, money, hope, and talent. A white coach who pretty much gives his entire life to his young charges, works to get them successful in the classroom and on the field. They have a chance to win the first playoff game in the history of the school, but he must nursemaid them in every way he can to get them to that point. They have one division one prospect, a huge offensive lineman, whose academics are at issue. He has a loose cannon kid who has spent time in prison and has just returned, carrying his baggage onto the team. There is nothing simplistic about this film. These young men have two strikes against them and this is a chance to be true team. It's hard to reproduce the heart that is in this movie. Just see it and ask yourself if it isn't one of the best sports films you've ever seen.
Undefeated is a simple, yet interesting documentary. In just under two hours this film manages to showcase a wide variety of emotions including heartbreak, apathy, frustration and elation. I'm not that big into sports, but I found myself pulled into the world of high school football, and invested in the lives of each one of the kids. This is an inspiring movie.
- cricketbat
- Nov 22, 2018
- Permalink
I am not going to lie to you, most of the time when I hear the word 'documentary' associated with a movie, I lose quite a bit of interest. From what I have heard that is not an unpopular opinion about documentaries. The knock on these type of films is usually that they are too boring, too education based, and most of all they lack the Hollywood acting, suspense, and plot line of your typical interesting movie. Does that sound about like your thoughts when thinking about the word 'documentary'? Well let me tell you that this movie, Undefeated, will blow you away if you are expecting a prototypical documentary film that lacks all of the aforementioned qualities. The filmmakers of this documentary absolutely hit it out of the park with this one! Undefeated is a triumphant tale about a mediocre (at best) high school football team that is simply unbelievable that it was all caught on camera to say the least. This high school football team, the Manassas Tigers out of Memphis Tennessee, is an inner city school in which the funding, especially for the football team, is very poor. The conditions in which these kids were going to school and playing football in were so poor, it was difficult to get good football players to come there for years, hence making the Manassas Tigers the butt of all football jokes in not only Memphis, but all of West Tennessee and the surrounding areas. In all honesty, it is pretty easy to make jokes about a football team that hadn't won a football game in 10+ years before the arrival of volunteer coach and star of the film, Bill Courtney. In coach Courtney's first season at Manassas he recorded four victories and began to turn some heads. A good thing for Coach Courtney about that minimal success in his first season, was some of those heads that were turning were some very talented eighth graders that took notice of the programs progress and were lured by Coach Courtney to come to Manassas to build a winning team there. One of those eighth graders was an eventual All American offensive lineman by the name of O.C. Brown. This film takes place during Brown's senior year at Manassas, and Bill Courtney's sixth season leading the Tigers as a volunteer head football coach. The filmmakers do a terrific job of capturing as much of this highly anticipated season as possible, and take you on a roller coaster ride of different emotions, from extreme disappointment to moments of great triumph. The best part of a documentary doing this, is the fact that you are able to not only experience this watching it, but your emotions live vicariously through the different football players and other people featured in the film. This is a key aspect that absolutely blew me away, and after you watch this movie you will understand more of what I am talking about when I tell you that the filmmakers hit absolute gold in luckily capturing a magical season for the Tigers. You will notice as you watch the film that you will hear from many people and accounts throughout the movie, but the film captures this season focusing on four main people. Two of the people it follows have already been mentioned, head coach Bill Courtney, and All American lineman O.C. Brown. Brown is a very talented football player that over the course of the season will struggle with the balance between football, and being able to keep his grades up in the classroom to possibly be able to go to college and further his football career. The third person featured in this film is Montrail Brown, or better known as "Money". (No relation to O.C.) Money is an extremely smart kid and although he may be undersized, works harder than anyone on the football field to be good. Money will not only be physically challenged, but also goes through a tough spiritual and mental challenge during this film. The fourth and final person with a key role in the film is a junior standout linebacker, Chavis Daniels. Chavis has storied and well documented anger issues, headlined in the beginning of the film in telling the viewers that he just got finished serving fifteen months in a youth penitentiary. The film will highlight and follow his anger issues throughout. Overall, this film teaches some of the same lessons and values that Coach Courtney instills in the young men on his team. I pulled two quotes from Coach Courtney in the film that I think portray his mission very well. At the beginning of the film he lays it all out there saying "The foundation has got to be a solid platform that you can stand on and speak to these kids and say, this is the way you build yourself, if you build yourself this way and handle yourself this way and have character, you get to play football. And winning will take care of itself because, young men of character and discipline and commitment end up winning in life and they end up winning in football. Well when you flip it, and the foundation of what you're doing is football, and then you hope all that other stuff follows. Well then you think football builds character. Which it does not. Football reveals character". The second quote is one he gives early on to his players, and is repeated in the film. "The character of a man is not measured in how he handles his wins, but what he does with his failures". This is the best documentary I have ever watched, I recommend you do yourself a favor and give it a try. You'll love every second of it!
- jrdariancunningham
- Oct 17, 2015
- Permalink
- allboyzokfarm
- Sep 17, 2020
- Permalink
- Chris_Pandolfi
- Feb 25, 2012
- Permalink
This is a documentary film about a historically unsuccessful high school football team and the rebuilding of the program by a volunteer coach in North Memphis, Tennessee. There is some adult language used that may be reserved for early teens and up. Also the movie is a little long but short enough to give a full story of the team. The movie targets two areas that Americans love dearly; their football and their youth. Americans are very involved, concerned, and infatuated with things we would have done different and being an athlete or reliving High school are two of the topics at the top of the list. The film starts with a very grabbing summary of recent events by the head coach, Bill Courtney, that grabs any viewers' curiosity for the entire film. Like most sports movies, as you probably expect, this is another underdog story. It is a "rags to riches" feel of a high school football team's season and it's rise to a become winning program with it's inner city talent. The school goes from a "pay to play" school where larger football programs pay the school to come and play them for a guaranteed win so that bad team can pay for their athletic programs to a more competitive school. The main characters and the chronology of the events through out the film tie into the ending very well. The three main characters, within the team, that are followed throughout were a good selection. There is the star player, O.C, the team captain and academic, Money, and the trouble causing player, Chavis. The turn of events from the beginning to end between Money and Chavis are worth keeping an eye on. This film really speaks to former athletes that have been removed from the camaraderie of school sports for a few years at the least. The shots captured of the home, student, and athlete life style causes me recall my own memories that are very much the same as in the film. The coach and player interactions during practice, in the school hallways, and the extra effort to make home visit for the athletes remind me of the same experiences I also had as a player. Although I don't mind, some may, when Coach Courtney makes a playful racist remark when trying to resolve another of Chavis's anger outrages. One of the coaches also touches on the local criticisms of the help the star player is getting similar to the movie The Blind Side with Michael Oher. I see this documentary as spotlighting the sport of football and belonging to a sports team as an alternative to other activities outside of school, like gang activity. Some may see this film as focusing attention the bad conditions of inner city schools and youth. The coach teaches positive lessons to the players as an alternative to what they were dealing with at home. Chavis gives us a good example of why the environment and team is more important than himself and his actions. This film does a great job telling the story of the football teams and a few key characters. It has a story line that plays out so well as if it were scripted but is so authentic that there is no way it could be made up. There are a lot of heartfelt and genuine lessons throughout this documentary and I hope you enjoy.
- embrymatthew
- Oct 17, 2015
- Permalink
- nfreemank12
- Nov 13, 2014
- Permalink
I found this a very inspirational film with insights into the lives of the players and the coaches alike. Admittedly, a lot of the focus is on Coach Courtney, but we do get glimpses of the lives of the players too. Not only star player O.C. Brown, but players like Montrail 'Money' Brown, who struggles with a bad injury part-way through the season. It was great to see how both the coach and his team-mates stood by him throughout. Also there was bad boy Chavis Daniels, who had problems with discipline but overcame them to become an intrical part of the team. Even if, like me, you're not particularly a fan of the game this inspirational film is well worth a look!
SteelMonster's verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
My score: 8.9/10
You can find an expanded version of this review on my blog: Thoughts of a SteelMonster.
SteelMonster's verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
My score: 8.9/10
You can find an expanded version of this review on my blog: Thoughts of a SteelMonster.
- cat_ranchero
- Apr 13, 2013
- Permalink
First of all, I would like to start by stating that I absolutely loved Undefeated. This is easily one of the greatest movies/ documentaries that I have ever watched, and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone who is considering watching it. Before I go into why it is such a great documentary I will fill you in with a short synopsis. Undefeated follows the Manassas Tigers football team, a terribly underfunded, underrepresented, and unfortunate team, with young players who are projected to have no future in anything they do as a result of their environment. Bill Courtney comes in as head coach and takes on the roll as savior and mentor to the team, while touching the lives of several particular players. In addition to the film focusing on Bill Courtney's impact on the Manassas program, we are inducted into the lives of Montrail "Money" Brown, O.C. Brown, and Chavis Daniels.
There are several criteria that I used to assess how much I really enjoyed the film and whether or not I would recommend it. First, I determined that the intended audience was more than likely younger adults and sports fans, as well as people who like documentaries that are touching and appeal to the audiences' emotions and test their sympathy.
This film touches on very touchy and relatable subjects including: poverty, imprisonment, underprivileged people and the effects that class and funding have on the education and experiences of students in our country. We also see the impact of athletics and an adult figure that has the slightest amount of faith in one's potential to succeed. For the reader who may still be on the cusp in terms of whether or not you will enjoy this film, it is easily relatable to Remember the Titans, Coach Carter, and Hoop Dreams. All of these movies take a hopeless group of people who have been pushed to the side and follow their journeys to triumph through blood, sweat, and tears.
Undefeated incorporates great pacing in the way that the characters are introduced into the film as well as the way we see Coach Courtney touch each one of their lives. For example, we are introduced to two very different characters when we meet Chavis Daniels, a trouble child who is released from jail and placed on parole towards the beginning of the movie. He has a short temper and smart mouth, but you can see in the film how his new coach impacts his life and attitude. This is a change in character that you will want to see. Next, we see O.C. Brown. If you have every seen The Blind Side, imagine Michael Oher as his character is introduced and develops throughout the film, and this is how you can visualize O.C. Brown as he portrays himself in this documentary. I would strongly advise that everyone see this film so they can experience and appreciate how far both young men go despite their differences in character and work ethic.
The last bit of criteria I want to address in order to convince you of how great this documentary is, is its uplifting spirit and theme of strength in how it introduces the town, school, football program, and character as dead beat and hopeless, and then in comes a savior through Coach Bill Courtney, and the program begins it's upward trend not necessarily in wins vs. losses, but rather in successes and defying the odds. I can confidently make the claim that the average movie watcher enjoys the theme of hope and this is the theme most present in Undefeated.
All in all, I would 100% recommend this film to anyone who isn't sure if this is worth the time. It is a film that encompasses the themes of hope, strength, and family, while maintaining a relatively good pace when introducing the characters and the sequence of events. The sole criticism that I have for the makers of the film is that it honestly could have been 30 minutes longer and I would have greatly enjoyed seeing more events and parts of some of the characters home lives. Other than this, I give this movie a 10 out of 10 and hopefully have convinced you to at least check it out and prepare to enjoy.
There are several criteria that I used to assess how much I really enjoyed the film and whether or not I would recommend it. First, I determined that the intended audience was more than likely younger adults and sports fans, as well as people who like documentaries that are touching and appeal to the audiences' emotions and test their sympathy.
This film touches on very touchy and relatable subjects including: poverty, imprisonment, underprivileged people and the effects that class and funding have on the education and experiences of students in our country. We also see the impact of athletics and an adult figure that has the slightest amount of faith in one's potential to succeed. For the reader who may still be on the cusp in terms of whether or not you will enjoy this film, it is easily relatable to Remember the Titans, Coach Carter, and Hoop Dreams. All of these movies take a hopeless group of people who have been pushed to the side and follow their journeys to triumph through blood, sweat, and tears.
Undefeated incorporates great pacing in the way that the characters are introduced into the film as well as the way we see Coach Courtney touch each one of their lives. For example, we are introduced to two very different characters when we meet Chavis Daniels, a trouble child who is released from jail and placed on parole towards the beginning of the movie. He has a short temper and smart mouth, but you can see in the film how his new coach impacts his life and attitude. This is a change in character that you will want to see. Next, we see O.C. Brown. If you have every seen The Blind Side, imagine Michael Oher as his character is introduced and develops throughout the film, and this is how you can visualize O.C. Brown as he portrays himself in this documentary. I would strongly advise that everyone see this film so they can experience and appreciate how far both young men go despite their differences in character and work ethic.
The last bit of criteria I want to address in order to convince you of how great this documentary is, is its uplifting spirit and theme of strength in how it introduces the town, school, football program, and character as dead beat and hopeless, and then in comes a savior through Coach Bill Courtney, and the program begins it's upward trend not necessarily in wins vs. losses, but rather in successes and defying the odds. I can confidently make the claim that the average movie watcher enjoys the theme of hope and this is the theme most present in Undefeated.
All in all, I would 100% recommend this film to anyone who isn't sure if this is worth the time. It is a film that encompasses the themes of hope, strength, and family, while maintaining a relatively good pace when introducing the characters and the sequence of events. The sole criticism that I have for the makers of the film is that it honestly could have been 30 minutes longer and I would have greatly enjoyed seeing more events and parts of some of the characters home lives. Other than this, I give this movie a 10 out of 10 and hopefully have convinced you to at least check it out and prepare to enjoy.