Remember the Titans (2000)

Directed by: Boaz Yakin

Starring: Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Wood Harris, Ryan Hurst, Kip Pardue, Kate Bosworth, and Hayden Panettiere

In 1971, the recently desegregated T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia shakes things up by hiring African-American football coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) to replace their beloved current head coach Bill Yoast (Will Patton).  In addition, the school enrolls a number of black students to play alongside the white players.  It’s needless to say, but riots and protests ensue in this racially charged environment.  Boone offers Yoast the assistant coach position.  Yoast initially refuses but accepts the offer when the white players threaten to boycott and jeopardize their own prospects of getting athletic scholarships for college.  As Boone and Yoast slowly get acclimated with one another, they must put their differences aside in order to bring a team and school together despite the most extreme racial tensions. 

Remember the Titans is one of the best sports movies of all time.  Outside of the fact that Yakin skillfully addresses the prominent racial issues of the time, it’s a damn good football movie, especially for a Disney film.  Denzel Washington’s portrayal of Herman Boone was phenomenal.  We also see a lot of young up-and-coming talent, including Ryan Gosling and Hayden Panettiere.  If you love a good sports flick and haven’t seen Remember the Titans, there’s something wrong with you.