Remember the Titans
Dec. 9th, 2025 05:43 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
varidogRemember the Titans is a Disney produced feel-good film about integration in Alexandria, VA. It's based on history.
The film takes place in deep Virginia, in small town Alexandria, in 1971. Two schools integrate into one, and thus, two football teams must integrate into one. We see integration through the eyes of that football team.
The setting is a lie. Alexandria isn't a small town, it's a suburb, almost a city in its own right, next to DC. The predominant accent is mid-Atlantic. DC has it's own black dialect. Got it? There was no reason to make this a small town American film.
This is a by-the-book production. It proceeds mostly as you'd think. They didn't spend a dime more than required. Any special effects are limited to the setting. They certainly didn't film near DC. The overall photographic style is flat as a soap opera.
You've not heard of this film because there's no reason to have heard about this film.
Now that I've trashed it, I have my compliments.
They had to field a large cast for this film, which had to be expensive. Their budget went to people. Not only did they field a variety of white people, with varied white personalities, they fielded an array of black people, with varied black personalities. I think that this was their best decision.
The editing is solid, the pacing on par, and the soundtrack appropriate. The staging looked good and period, but didn't scream period, which was also good. The performances all deliver well enough, trending into the melodramatic, but not too far.
Overall, this is quite the competent B-grade film, it'll entertain you for two hours, it'll introduce students to racism and integration, and it will give you feel-good vibes.
The film takes place in deep Virginia, in small town Alexandria, in 1971. Two schools integrate into one, and thus, two football teams must integrate into one. We see integration through the eyes of that football team.
The setting is a lie. Alexandria isn't a small town, it's a suburb, almost a city in its own right, next to DC. The predominant accent is mid-Atlantic. DC has it's own black dialect. Got it? There was no reason to make this a small town American film.
This is a by-the-book production. It proceeds mostly as you'd think. They didn't spend a dime more than required. Any special effects are limited to the setting. They certainly didn't film near DC. The overall photographic style is flat as a soap opera.
You've not heard of this film because there's no reason to have heard about this film.
Now that I've trashed it, I have my compliments.
They had to field a large cast for this film, which had to be expensive. Their budget went to people. Not only did they field a variety of white people, with varied white personalities, they fielded an array of black people, with varied black personalities. I think that this was their best decision.
The editing is solid, the pacing on par, and the soundtrack appropriate. The staging looked good and period, but didn't scream period, which was also good. The performances all deliver well enough, trending into the melodramatic, but not too far.
Overall, this is quite the competent B-grade film, it'll entertain you for two hours, it'll introduce students to racism and integration, and it will give you feel-good vibes.
