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"GLORY ROAD" (2006) (Josh Lucas, Derek Luke) (PG) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Moderate Mild Extreme Moderate Minor Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild None None None Minor Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Mild None Minor Heavy Moderate QUICK TAKE: Drama: A 1960s era coach tries to guide his team -- comprised of both white and black players -- through the season and playoffs, all while dealing with external and internal racism. PLOT: It's 1966 and Don Haskins (JOSH LUCAS) has just accepted the head basketball coaching position at Texas Western University in El Paso. Moving into the men's dorm with his wife Mary (EMILY DESCHANEL) and their three young kids, Coach Haskins sets out with assistant coach Moe Iba (EVAN JONES) to recruit players, but the top-flight white ones don't want to play for him or the school. Accordingly, they decide to recruit the best black players they can find around the country. That includes Bobby Joe Hill (DEREK LUKE), David Lattin (SCHIN A.S. KERR), Willie Worsley (SAM JONES III), Willie "Scoops" Cager (DAMAINE RADCLIFF), Nevil Shed (AL SHEARER), Harry Flournoy, Jr. (MECHAD BROOKS) and Orsten Artis (ALPHONSO McAULEY) who soon join white players Jerry Armstrong (AUSTIN NICHOLS), Togo Railey (KIP WEEKS), Dick Meyers (MITCH EAKINS), David Palacio (ALEJANDRO HERNANDEZ) and Louie Baudoin (JAMES OLIVARD). Team trainer Ross More (RED WEST) informs Coach Haskins of the unofficial rules about the number of black players who can be on the court at the same time during a game, and others are more racist in their reaction to the situation. Yet, Coach Haskins moves ahead, trying to break the players of their showboating tendencies and instill a sense of teamwork among the players. As the season proceeds and the team goes on an unlikely winning streak that might lead them into the playoffs where they could meet the Kentucky team led by legendary coach Adolph Rupp (JON VOIGHT), Coach Haskins tries to keep his team grounded and focused as they must deal with racism from both within and out. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're into basketball movies, are fans of someone in the cast or are interested in the historical aspect of the story, they just might. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG For racial issues including violence and epithets, and momentary language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: JOSH LUCAS plays the white coach who takes the position at Texas Western and chooses various black players when white ones won't join the same who are already on the team. Looking just for winners, he pays no attention to skin color, but must contend with racism from some of his players as well as outsiders. DEREK LUKE plays a player who's initially concerned he's going to be the token black player on the team. He then doubts their chances of succeeding, has a defiant attitude and repeatedly breaks Haskins' rules. DAMAINE RADCLIFF plays his teammate who turns out to have an enlarged heart that threatens both his career and life. AL SHEARER plays the forward who has to be pushed by the coach to play up to his potential. SCHIN A.S. KERR plays a black player with a tough attitude based on his past experiences, including dealing with racism. He isn't nice to his roommate, Shed. AUSTIN NICHOLS plays one of the white players who initially isn't sure what to make of the black players and occasionally clashes with them, but supports them in the end. SAM JONES III plays one of, if not the shortest player on the team with a wisecracking attitude. JON VOIGHT plays a legendary coach who looks down on the Miners before he must coach against them in the championship game. EVAN JONES plays Haskins' assistant coach who helps him recruit the players. RED WEST plays the team trainer who tries to inform Haskins that he's taking a risk starting so many black players on the team. EMILY DESCHANEL plays Don's wife who moves into the men's dorm with him and their family and isn't happy when they receive some racist hate mail. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this PG-rated drama. Profanity consists of a handful of minor expletives, while some colorful phrases are uttered, as is one brief bit of non-explicit, but sexual innuendo. Some players are seen shirtless, while one is seen in just a towel. Violence consists of some white men beating up a black player in a bathroom (with some mild blood results) and white spectators throwing things at black players, while there's contact between players during both practice and games. That and a player having what seems like a heart attack might be unsettling for some viewers. All sorts of racism is present (mostly from white characters, but also some from black players), while other bad attitudes also occur and various people drink in several scenes (some of the players seem hung-over the morning after a night of drinking). Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there's some bouncy handheld camerawork from time to time in the film (as well as some fast camera movement, etc.). ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Bobby Joe thinks he'd be the "token negro" on Coach Haskins' team. When Coach Haskins says that wouldn't be the case, Bobby Joe asks "What are you smoking?" but Coach Haskins says he isn't smoking anything. We see beer bottles around a pool hall and then see Coach Haskins drinking from one. Coach Haskins says that some of his rules are no booze and no girls during the season. Miscellaneous people drink at a party, where some of the players drink shots. It's somewhat implied that some of them are hung-over the next morning. Some of the players sneak out again to another party where they and others drink. We then see more drinking at the same party. Various wives have wine or drinks at a social event. We see some miscellaneous beer drinking while people watch a game on TV. BLOOD/GORE After Shed is knocked down during practice, there's some talk of him being bloody, but all we see when he returns to the court are some nose plugs in each nostril that appear reddish (presumably by blood). A player is told he's eating chitlins (pig intestines) at a party. Shed has some blood under his nose and some on his shirt after some men attack him. The black players return to their ransacked motel room to find the phrases "Niggers die" and "Coons go home" written in blood on the walls. David talks of an incident from his childhood where he "peed his pants" from a perilous/scary encounter with white guys. We see a man standing at a urinal, but don't see or hear the related activity. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE All sorts of characters have racist attitudes toward the black players and those associated with them, while some of the black players have the same back toward their white teammates and others (specific examples are included below). We hear Coach Haskins telling his players that they're playing like girls and then ask one if he should get a skirt for them, but then see that he's teaching a high school girls basketball team. A white man refers to "nigger ball," saying the black players can jump, but not lead and that they're not intelligent enough. One of the guys says that "Hola" means "Hello, Puerto Ricans." One of white players says (about the new black players) that he's never seen "one of them before" and one white guys asks if they're from Harlem (asked in a harmless if misinformed fashion). Some of the players break their coach's rules about going out and drinking (we see them sneaking out and then drinking at a party). Many white people stop what they're doing and stare as the black players enter the room. Some of the players have bad attitudes toward Coach Haskins and his methods of coaching. When Shed walks into their room and interrupts a phone call with a girl, David pushes him out of the room and up against a wall. He then makes him sleep out in the hall on the floor. About the black players on the team, a white administrator states that it looks like the Tuskegee Institute out there and then asks since when they became a "colored institute." Bobby Joe continues to break the coach's rules by dating Tina. Bobby Joe thinks there's no chance for the team (due to them having black players -- meaning how they'll be received by others). Some of the players sneak out again to another party where they and others drink. Various black people stare at one of the white players when he arrives at a party along with some of the black players. One of the school's white supporters is upset by the number of black players on the team. When they're later winning, however, he's now more tolerant. Two white guys hit Shed in the men's room, repeatedly bash him against the wall and then dunk his head in the toilet. We then see some blood under his nose and some on his shirt following the attack. Some black players refer to white people as "crackers." Coach Haskins' wife is upset by a hate letter they received calling them "nigger lovers" and apparently being threatening enough to make them worry about their kids' safety. A white reporter asks if the "negro player" can handle the pressure of big games. Some racist white spectators throw stuff at the black players as they enter an auditorium, with one pouring a cup of something on one, followed by some floor to stands struggling (mainly arm contact). The black players return to their ransacked motel room to find the phrases "Niggers die" and "Coons go home" written in blood on the walls. Some of the black players, including Bobby Joe, take out their anger and frustration on their white teammates about racist incidents not related to those white players. One white wife refers to Coach Haskins as the "horrible man" who's coaching the "coloreds" (not realizing that Mary is his wife). Some white men refer to the black players as "niggers" and "black trash." Although he doesn't come out and directly say it, Coach Rupp seems to have a racist attitude toward Coach Haskins and his mixed race team. White spectators wave Confederate flags at the championship game (to spite the black players). FRIGHTENING SCENES Two white guys hit Shed in the men's room, repeatedly bash him against the wall and then dunk his head in the toilet. We then see some blood under his nose and some on his shirt following the attack. Other incidents of racial conflict (on and off the court) might be unsettling for some viewers as well. Scoops appears to be having a heart attack on the court (not during a game), but we later hear that he has an enlarged heart that causes the coach to bench him for his safety. The black players return to their ransacked motel room to find the phrases "Niggers die" and "Coons go home" written in blood on the walls. GUNS/WEAPONS We briefly see TV news footage from Vietnam showing helicopters and soldiers carrying rifles (seen from a distance -- both the TV and the footage on it). IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR The theater showing our screening of this film had some audio problems, so the following should be considered a minimum. That said, we heard the following phrases: "You guys are playing like girls," "Do you want me to get you a skirt?" "That's bull..." "Midget," "Big-toothed clown," "Knuckleheads," "You son of a gun," "Bro," "Chump," "Big ox," "Fool," "Busting/busted my butt," "Run (or ran) our asses ragged," "Shut up," "Hell no," "Sure as hell," "Welcome to the back of the bus, white boy," "Tired line of BS" (said just like that) and "I'll be all over your black butt." The following racist terms are used "Nigger," "Colored," "Cracker(s)," "Honkey," "Farm boy," "Green acres" and "Black trash." A player belches. One of the black players playfully mocks being a nerdy white guy. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY The theater showing our screening of this film had some audio problems, so the following should be considered a minimum. That said, we hear the following: At least 2 asses and 2 hells. SEX/NUDITY We see some period (1960s style) cleavage in a quick image. We see a nude male baby from the side for a bath, but don't see anything explicit. Coach Haskins' wife Mary looks back at a college basketball player who has just a towel around him (but we don't see anything). We see some shirtless basketball players playing on the street. We see Moe in just his boxers and t-shirt after he's apparently been stripped by players in New York (that act isn't seen and it's all played for laughs). We see more shirtless players. One player boasts to the others "It was a late night, if you know what I mean." As Mary sits on the bed, facing away from the camera (in a somewhat dimly lit bedroom), she pulls a robe up over her (meaning we either saw her bare back or her in a near flesh colored slip). We see more shirtless players. SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Coach Haskins' wife is upset by a hate letter they received calling them "nigger lovers" and apparently being threatening enough to make them worry about their kids' safety. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT The historical accuracy and/or artistic license taken with the real story. Racism. Coaching. Coach Haskins says he doesn't see color when it comes to picking players. Ross states that there aren't any "coloreds" playing Division 1 ball in the South. The fact that no one had ever started an entirely black team in the NCAA championship game before this. One man tells Coach Haskins that he acts like "negroes are the future of basketball." There's brief talk of the Black Panthers. Coach Haskins says that showboating equals insecurity. One of the white players asks some of the black ones if they prefer being called "black" or "colored." We briefly see TV news footage from Vietnam showing helicopters and soldiers carrying rifles (seen from a distance -- both the TV and the footage on it). Some of the black players, including Bobby Joe, take out their anger and frustration on their white teammates about racist incidents not related to those white players. Coach Haskins tells the players that their dignity is inside them and that no one can take that away if they don't give them the chance. VIOLENCE A basketball accidentally hits one of Coach Haskins' young boys in the face (he's okay). The white and black players (on the same team) get into an impromptu and racially divided "basketball" game in the cafeteria (using makeshift "balls" and "hoops"), ending with two players pushing each other until Ross separates them. A player knocks down a teammate during a scrimmage. Two players push each other and Coach Haskins separates them. When Shed walks into their room and interrupts a phone call with a girl, David pushes him out of the room and up against a wall. Two white guys hit Shed in the men's room, repeatedly bash him against the wall and then dunk his head in the toilet. We then see some blood under his nose and some on his shirt following the attack. Some racist white spectators throw stuff at the black players as they enter an auditorium, with one pouring a cup of something on one, followed by some floor to stands struggling (mainly arm contact). There's some physical contact during a game. A player is hurt during the game. Reviewed January 4, 2006 / Posted January 13, 2006

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