Basic Plot: The account of a high school football coach and the developmentally challenged man he took under his wing. Inspired by a 1996 Sports Illustrated article.
Ourburst: Have your daredevil kids skip the opening credits; the movie begins with a ‘don’t try this at home’ moment. This film is formulaic and conventional. You’ll find no innovations in directing, storyline, or editing but they did a pretty good job considering they created a movie out of everyday life. The end result is that the quality of this film hinges solely on the acting ability of Cuba Gooding Jr, whose performance is unfortunately inconsistent. The overall impression is of mediocrity, with brief moments of genius-level acting ability.
— Fairly innocuous as a family movie, hinging on topics of prejudice, bullying, and how we treat the mentally disabled (and, to some extent, African-Americans) in our society.
Official Site: Radio
Original Article from Sports Illustrated: Someone to Lean On
Real Life vs. Reel Life: A Comparison of Factual Events to the Movie on ChasingTheFrog.com
