I am amazed at the number of excellent documentaries available
today, particularly ones that are as entertaining as a stellar Hollywood film.
Most recently, my husband and I discovered a jewel at Redbox, entitled Undefeated, which won the 2012 Oscar for
best documentary feature. We were enthralled with the true story of Coach Bill Courtney from Memphis, Tennessee,
whose mission is to coach a group of ragtag inner-city kids from Manassas High
School to success.
The year is 2009 and Courtney, bearing a strong resemblance
to Philip Seymour Hoffman, is a loud-mouthed, potbellied, freckled-faced Ole
Miss graduate who loves football. He is white and affluent, but every one of
his high school players is African American from an impoverished area where
sports is a potential golden ticket to a better life. Courtney is married with
four children, runs a successful business, but every free moment is spent volunteer
coaching his team to a possible state playoff game, something that has alluded
the school since its inception in 1899. He sacrifices the pleasures of life
with his own family to serve his players, and he does it with drive, passion,
and joy.
The odds are stacked against Courtney and the frustration level is
high, but this only makes him work that much harder. More mentor than coach, he
teaches these young boys what it means to be a man and “dig in,” work hard, and
persevere when life’s obstacles seem insurmountable. It is clear his commitment
comes from his own broken childhood of having a father leave him at the age of
four. His heart is swollen with compassion for these kids who have grown up
with similar disappointments and rejections. Most of them are fatherless, like Courtney,
being raised by a single mom or grandmother, most have at least one relative
who served time in prison, and most have no means of attending college upon
graduation, short of receiving an athletic scholarship.
Courtney’s compassion in no way diminishes his aggressiveness in motivating
his players. Time is spent checking up on grades, monitoring unruly behavior,
breaking up fights, guarding against truancy, and maintaining order. And he
does it loudly and forcefully, as one would expect a good coach to do, complete
with glistening eyes that reveal a river of love flowing underneath the
harshness. He is a Christian man, one of God’s heroes, even though a few curse
words leak out every now and again (to which he laments that he will need to go
home and pray for forgiveness). He is on a mission to serve, and his story is
remarkable.
The three stars of the story are Chavis, a hot-headed delinquent
with a penchant for violent rages, OC Brown, who is blessed with physical
prowess and skill, and my favorite, Montrial aka “Money,” who is sweet and intelligent
with a big heart. The viewer feels the greatest connection with Money, as does
Courtney in my opinion, because his story is particularly heartbreaking. His
father was killed at a young age, he is bright but has no means of paying for
college, and a torn leg tendon midway through the season keeps him sidelined
from playing. We watch Money go through the emotions of realizing his dream of
a football scholarship is forever crushed, leaving a future that seems very
bleak. I shed tears along with him at the unfairness of life.
*** SPOILER ALERT ***
But fortunately for Money, Courtney’s tirades emphasizing character,
“manning up,” doing the right thing when the wrong thing seems easier, never quitting,
and staying focused and vigilant pay off tremendous dividends. In a stroke of
fortune, an anonymous benefactor learns of Money’s story and agrees to fund a
four year scholarship to the college of his choice. To Money and Courtney, this
gift is as wonderful as hitting the Powerball lottery; when Courtney gives him the news, the emotional
reaction sent my husband and me grabbing for the hankies! It is a powerful
cinematic moment that many Hollywood filmmakers long to capture in their films.
As for Chavis and OC, they both find success, like Money. Chavis wins
the team’s “Uncommon Man” award, which he dedicates to Money in a touching
speech, and later becomes captain of the defense his senior year. OC is picked
to play football for Southern Miss, expressing his desire to be a coach like
Courtney—a tremendous honor for a simple man who is now a national hero. Courtney’s
book, Against the Grain, is destined to be a bestseller, his business
has grown into a multi-million dollar company, and a Hollywood rendition of
this documentary is in the making.
The film builds to the playoffs, where Courtney achieves his goal
of taking the team to its first game. They perform well but tragically lose by
one point, ending Courtney’s six year run at Manassas. He makes the hard
decision of spending more time with his own children, in particular coaching
his little boy’s football team, lest he continue the cycle of paternal rejection. The emotions displayed on
the field after that final playoff game are gripping. It is a lesson to us all
that miracles can happen in others’ lives if we are willing to give of our time
and passions.
The filmmakers, Dan Lindsay and TJ Martin, have done an excellent
job telling a compelling story about the power of love and commitment. I
watched it a second time before writing this review and cried the same tears. If
there were more men like Bill Courtney, our country would be in much better
shape!
