matthew embry 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.

Hitchcoc 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.

p-stepien 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.

Andy Steel 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 RECOMMENDEDMy score: 8.9/10You can find an expanded version of this review on my blog: Thoughts of a SteelMonster.