Movie Synopsis
Academy Award® winner Denzel Washington shines in REMEMBER THE TITANS. Based on real events, this remarkable story celebrates how a town torn apart by friction and mistrust comes together in triumphant harmony. After leading his team to fifteen winning seasons, beloved football coach Bill Yoast (Will Patton) is demoted and replaced by tough, opinionated Herman Boone (Washington). How these two men overcome their differences and turn a group of hostile young men into champions is a remarkable portrait of courage and perseverance. You and your family will never forget the Titans!
Discussion Questions
- Coach Boone demands perfection of his team (“drop a pass, run a mile, miss a tackle, run a mile”). Is this an example of positive coaching?
- How can sports bring some people of different backgrounds and beliefs together, as illustrated in the movie? How can it drive a wedge between others?
- What was the most difficult thing for the players to adjust to? (Think not just on the football field, but at home as well).
- Describe some sacrifices made by both coaches as well as Gerry Bertier and Julius Campbell. Why were they willing to make these sacrifices?
- What elements of injustice and inequality shown in the movie are still relevant today? How can coaches, parents, and mentors use sports to help overcome them?
What Parents Need To Know
Parents need to know that Remember the Titans tells the inspirational true story about the struggles and victories of a newly-integrated high school football team in 1971 Alexandria, Virginia. As such, the film reflects the divisive nature of the times -- the film begins with a near-riot scene between African-Americans and whites on the street separated by the police as bottles and windows break. The racial tensions of the town -- segregation in restaurants, racial slurs, fist fights in the high school -- are shown to highlight the backdrop in which the Titans must learn to get along and play together as a team. The movie includes racist comments and situations and some locker room insults. A major character is critically injured in a car accident. When the boys refer to a long-haired teammate as a "fruitcake," he responds by kissing one of them on the mouth. There are some scuffles and threats of more serious violence. Ultimately, Remember the Titans is a deeply moving film about the courage of individuals and the power of sports to transcend perceived and ingrained differences.
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Our partner, Positive Coaching Alliance, provides a collection of movie discussion guides, which aim to help you make the most out of movie viewing with your team or child. Movies provide many of "teachable moments" parents can share with their young athletes helping them be successful, contributing members of society.
