"The Express" Is Typical But Still Inspirational

Yes, by now it seems cliche. Just about every sports film in the history of man has been made...showing us tales of devotion and inspiration. The underdog that finally gets its glory in the end, or a player who was told he never had a chance and then proves everybody wrong. Well, this story fits among the others like a puzzle piece. The only thing different about this one is that it just may be the most inspirational one out there.

The story is one that will truly touch your heart and tug at your emotions. For those that have followed football closely for years, the name Ernie Davis rings well in your ears. Davis (Rob Brown) was a highly talented football star, who got a big break when he got a scholarship to play for the Syracuse Orangemen. Under the guidance of Ben Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid), Davis becomes one of the greatest running backs in the history of college football and the first African American player to win the Heisman Trophy. Unfortunately, Davis was cut down in his prime when he was diagnosed with leukemia, shortly after being traded to the Cleveland Browns (he was drafted to the Washington Redskins, but they traded him to the Browns). Davis never got a chance to play a professional game.

The storyline is fairly basic. We see Davis as a kid, as he struggles with racism and poverty. The movie follows Ernie through into college, a time where racism is at its strongest. On and off the field, Ernie and his other African American teammates are constantly tormented...even in the games. Ben is more or less Ernie's surrogate father, he kinda looks out for Ernie, but is also obsessed with winning a national championship.

I'm going to side-step the usual sports movie cliches, because they are evident here, and it's basically come to realization that there isn't going to be a single sports movie in the future that doesn't have at least some of them in there. The tough-as-nails coach, the big game pep talk, etc. The film does have a few too many close-ups and there does seem to be an abudance of slo-mo shots during the games. Still, the games can be entertaining to watch. What this movie has a lot of though, is heart. It's powered by its immensely likable cast and the story its driven on. It's overwhelmingly inspirational. Ernie wanted nothing more than to play football, but what he ended up was becoming an icon in civil rights, Ernie tackled one obstacle after another, and that's something to cheer about.

3 stars