Mel Videto
When the Game Stands Tall was enticing, exciting, and a thrill to watch. The film depicts the story of legendary football coach, Bob Ladouceur, and the De La Salle high school football team, The Spartans. When a 151 winning streak, accomplished over the course of twelve years, is broken, the team must recover and make a comeback. Based on a true story, the movie was an excellent adaptation of true events and delves deep into the relationships between the players. It sheds light not only on how important football can be to some people, but also how the sport is not just a simple, toss-the-ball game. This movie shows just exactly how close a team must be to succeed. Personally, before I watched the movie, I had absolutely no interest in football. However, after viewing it, I came to have more of an understanding of how close-knit the team must be, not only to each other but also to the coach. The film emphasizes a lot on how family and friends are more important than winning.
From a more technical perspective, the movie has several memorable shots as well as impressive action sequences. During many of the actual games, the point of view is very internal and allowed me to feel as if I were right there on the field. I enjoy a movie that makes you feel involved. The filming of the games was extremely interesting and had terrific suspense. I was constantly on the edge of my seat wondering if De La Salle would win. Overall, the movie was touching, thrilling, and showed how companionship and the love of a sport matters more than the number on the scoreboard.
