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Movie Review: The Express
‘The Express’ hits big
By Rachel Shepard
Special to 2theadvocate.com
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“The Express” is based on the true story of Ernie Davis (Rob Brown), the first African-American to win the Heisman trophy.
Davis grew up in poverty in New York and overcame many obstacles, but it was his role as running back that got him noticed by Ben Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid), the head coach of Syracuse University.
At Syracuse, Davis not only excelled on the field, but the quiet young man became an icon for many during the beginning of the Civil Rights movement in the early 1960s.
For every great sports movie that becomes a box office hit or cult classic, there are 100 others that unsuccessfully repeat the formula. It’s hard not to compare one movie to the other, and for this generation, all football movies are compared to “Remember the Titans.”
However, “The Express” is the first inspirational football drama to step out of “Titan’s” very impressive shadow.
The story celebrates the life of Davis, and while the film portrays him as an overly perfect person, he is still a character with whom you will fall in love with and for whom you will really root.
Brown did an excellent job capturing the essence of Davis. There was never a moment in the film when I thought about the actor who played the character rather than the character himself.
Quaid was great as the tough-as-nails coach who still had heart. He was even able to add depth to a character that could have easily turned stereotypically stale.
Omar Benson Miller as Jack Buckley or J.B., Davis’ football friend, was also entertaining as the comic relief/wise elder. He guided the story exactly where it needed to go.
Even though the film came dangerously close to becoming a complete stereotype, it included dates and timelines that gave the film a documentary feel, which separated it from many of its counterparts.
Unfortunately, with a running time of over two hours, the movie sometimes felt as if it was dragging a bit. Several scenes could have easily been cut to keep the film moving at a faster pace.
All in all, “The Express” is a solid movie that’s well worth the price of admission. It is definitely one of the better inspirational sports dramas I’ve seen in a while and serves as a great tribute to Ernie Davis.
