Woodlawn sets a new standard for the faith-based
film in that its story, acting, directing, cinematography, and music (kudos to my
friend, Paul Mills) are up to par with the best of Hollywood films. For that
reason, it was garnered great reviews from secular critics who don’t mind
giving a positive spin on well-crafted tales that happen to preach the Gospel.
Set in the 1970s deep South with racial
tensions and high school football as its backdrop, the canvas for Woodlawn is perfectly drawn for both the
Christian and secular audience to revel in the emotions that come from a story
where good versus evil and perseverance in the face of opposition reign
supreme. The Erwin Brothers (Jon and Andrew) of October Baby fame have truly outdone themselves by delivering an
exquisite film that moves, entertains, and beautifully delivers the message of
the love of Jesus Christ. All other Christian filmmakers are now on notice that
the bar has just been raised!
The time is 1970s Birmingham, Alabama,
where Tandy Gerelds (played by Nic Bishop), a hard-driven football coach for
Woodlawn High, experiences every coach’s dream of having a future NFL star on
his roster. The problem is, the player is African American, and the white majority
are vehemently opposed to newly integrated black athletes filling starting
positions. Tony Nathan (Caleb Castille) is the player in question, a sweet,
Christian boy from a God-fearing family who eventually becomes a hall of fame
running back for the Miami Dolphins. But as this story tells, the road to
success is not smoothly paved, even when Paul “Bear” Bryant (Jon Voight) shows
up at his door with an offer to play at the University of Alabama.
A comment on Nic Bishop—as a southerner
with a keen ear for a fake, southern accent, I must confess that he duped me on
his flawless twang! I had no idea I was watching a well-known
British/Australian actor who many may recognize from his stint on Covert Affairs. His performance is
excellent and helps give the film the Hollywood quality that some other
Christian films lack. And his slight resemblance to Russell Crowe certainly
helps! I predict he is on his way to the A list.
As integration takes hold on the local
community, Gerelds finds that the clash of two worlds under the banner of high
school football presents some very difficult issues: the spirit of hate fills
the halls of the school, fights are an everyday occurrence, and the negative sentiments
of the white townsfolk are reflected in veiled threats. But the greatest
obstacle is that the white players refuse to play with their African American
teammates, a problem for any coach whose career is dependent on a winning
season.
The answer to Gerelds’ problem comes in
the person of Hank Erwin (Sean Astin), a self-professed “sports chaplain” with
a limp and a cane and a mysterious past that makes him more prophet than
preacher. After several failed attempts to speak to the team, Erwin eventually
wears Gerelds down and gets his shot. With a humble demeanor, he delivers the
message of the Gospel in a resounding cascade of emotional speech that escalates
in power, until he takes on the persona of a commander calling his soldiers to
the battle line to save their beloved homeland from destruction; morality, peace,
tranquility, love, and communal serenity are at risk of being forever annihilated
if these young men don’t rise to the occasion and accept a different way of
life. Jesus is presented as the alternative to prejudice and hate, and
miraculously, the message is accepted by an overwhelming majority of the
players. In a humorous moment, Gerelds and his assistant coach are left with their mouths agape, wondering what just happened.
Gerelds soon realizes that a spiritual
transformation has taken place, manifested by changed attitudes that have
united the team. The phenomena is so palpable that Gerelds finds he doesn’t
want to be deprived of what his players have experienced. In another powerful moment,
he stands before a congregation of mostly African American believers and
professes his faith in God, requesting to be baptized. Like the scene where Erwin
delivers the Gospel message, the spiritual elements in this film are presented
very well, with no over-the-top dialogue or cringe-worthy acting which could make
nonbelievers squirm. All references to Jesus, God, and church throughout the movie
appear to be natural to the story and flow nicely with the ebbs and flows of
the plotlines.
Castille does a
great job of displaying the pressure history has placed on Tony Nathan’s young
shoulders. His dream of playing college football for Alabama is fraught with
the wounds that all pioneers bear when new trails are being blazed. He is able
to manage the taunts from evil whites and the accusations of betrayal from the
black community, but when the danger threatens his family, he reconsiders his
decision. Bricks thrown through windows bring a fresh douse of fear that only
the support from his father, Bear Bryant, and Gerelds can assuage. In a tender
locker room scene, Nathan’s frustrations are released in a highly emotional
moment where Gerelds comforts him more as father than coach; the love they have
for each other goes beyond skin color and straight into the soul. Drawing on this
support, as well as his faith, Nathan summons the courage to risk it all and
give football everything he has.
The movie
eventually builds to the real-life match-up in 1974 between Woodlawn and two
time defending state champions, Banks High, referred to as the biggest game in Alabama
high school football history. A record 42,000 fans congregated at Birmingham’s
Legion Field to see Nathan play against the best quarterback in the state, Jeff
Rutledge. The spiritual changes that started with Coach Gerelds and his Woodlawn
football team had resonated in the hearts of this Alabama community, so that
for one night, people could forget their differences and come together, play
football, and cheer their team on to victory without regard to anything other
than the rules of the game.
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