Remember the Titans highlights racial tensions

The premise to the movie Remember the Titans is to highlight racial tensions that were happening in our country in the early 70s. A new head coach named Herman Boone (who happens to be black) is hired to lead the team to victory. Boone is assigned to the head coaching job over the current coach Bill Yoast (who happens to be white). The school board has made the decision to give Boone the head coaching job to alleviate racial tensions in the community. The town divides its loyalty black people side with Boones style of coaching and the white community wants Coach Yoast to have control of the team. Yoast considers quitting the team, but then reconsiders when all the white players pledge to boycott the team if he leaves. Coach Yoast does not want the boys to lose their chances of scholarships, so he decides to remain under Coach Boone as his defensive coordinator.

The strongest character by far in the movie is Coach Boone (played superbly by Denzel Washington). One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when the boys are all getting on the bus to go to training camp. Gerry Bertier (played by Ryan Hurst) comes up to Coach Boone and tells him in a cocky voice that the defense is all set and we don’t need any of your people. Coach Boone responds by embarrassing Gerry and his friend Dean in front of the whole team. Coach Boones point that he was trying to make was that HE would be running this football team not Gerry. After doing several bonding-type activities at camp to help bring the two races together, the boys emerge as a more cohesive unit. They start playing as a team and they win game after game. The Titans are undefeated going into the State semi-finals. The referees are prejudiced against the Titans and they call the game unfairly. Finally Coach Yoast goes over to the officials and threatens to expose them as cheaters unless they agree to referee the game fairly. The Titans play an amazing game and they are now headed to the State finals. While the whole town is out celebrating the teams victory, Gerry Bertier is struck by a speeding car at an intersection. The team unites in support of Bertier and they dedicate their heart and soul to win the game for him. The Titans go on to win the State Championship and the community is also victorious because they have overcome many racial problems.

Remember the Titans received mostly positive reviews. I can remember watching this movie with my family when I was younger and I cried at the end. I think Roger Ebert of the Chicago-Sun Times hit the nail on the head when he said, Remember the Titans has the outer form of a brave statement about the races in America, but the soul of a sports movie in which everything is settled by the obligatory last play in the last seconds of the championship game. I grew up in a household where I was told to always follow my dreams, no matter how outrageous they may seem. I never had obstacles like many of the people in the movie had with regards to equal rights or opportunities. As I have grown older, my dreams have transformed from being a princess, to becoming the first woman president, and have finally evolved to the dream that controls my thoughts today; a dream of simply wanting to make a difference in the world by being a skilled and compassionate nurse. The American Dream of having a career you love and being able to have the financial and personal freedom to experience all that life has to offer is something I am striving for as I continue my journey through nursing school. Movies like Remember the Titans make me reflect on my experiences in life that have laid the foundation for me to have a successful life. Because I have been so blessed, I will do everything I can to bring about positive change in our society and promote equality in my work and personal relationships.

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