Glory Road

I love watching movies that is a feel good story and true.

I'm amazed by everything that people expect out of movies, including this one: one reviewer wants it to be a college "Hoosiers," another wants more character development, another thinks it deviates from the true story too much, and on and on it goes in spite of the fact that this movie is great entertainment.First of all, if someone wants to watch "Hoosiers," then by all means watch it. It's probably the greatest sports movie of all time, and it's a must-see in our home at least once a year (especially since my wife grew up on a farm in Indiana). Yes, "Hoosiers" has a great story. It's about far more than an underdog team that wins a championship; it's about small-town life, redemption, and Indiana's state obsession with basketball. "Glory Road" isn't trying to be an NCAA-level "Hoosiers."Secondly, characters are developed. The primary character is Coach Don Haskins, and we see his progression from a high school girl's basketball coach to coach of small-time college team that only wants him as a babysitter for the athletic dorm to a coach determined to make that small-time program a winner in spite of itself, and who gets whomever he can to play for him, to a coach who finally realizes the implications of what he has done by recruiting and playing so many black players. Haskins was no civil-rights crusader, as the accompanying documentaries on the DVD make clear (Haskins himself says that he was simply starting his best players), but he did come to realize the impact that his decision to start so many black players was having not only on basketball but on a lot of people's opinions of blacks (maybe only in the athletic arena, but it was a start). It's true that we don't get to know all of the players quite so well, but we certainly see the progression of point guard Bobby Joe Hill and the toughening of Neville Shed as well as the development of some of the others. Had all of the characters been developed in greater detail, I'm sure many people would be criticizing the movie for being too character-driven and not having enough basketball action. It's impossible to please everyone.Lastly, as to the movie not being entirely faithful to the real story, let's remember once more that movies are entertainment. "Based on a true story" means just that, and it's the case with all fact-based movies. If the filmmakers had wanted to make a documentary, then they would have done so, but they wanted to make an entertaining film. They did a fantastic job of recreating 1960's American society, and they never deviated from the truth in such a way that they distorted or tainted the story. Even though the film itself is not a documentary, the great thing is that there are some bonus documentaries from which you can get the real-life facts if that is what you are more interested in; this is the case with most DVD's that are based on true stories, so the viewer gets the best of both worlds.If every movie had everything that every viewer wanted, then we'd always be sitting in the theater or in front of our TV's for 6-hour marathons. If you want just the facts, then watch A&E, the History Channel, and PBS; they all run great documentaries. "Glory Road" is simply a highly entertaining film about a disparate and unlikely group of players who came together under the tutelage of an underrated coach to accomplish a wonderful feat during a time of great upheaval in our country's history. If that's not entertainment, then what is? Don't nitpick. Watch it and enjoy!

True story! Great story and well played! Loved it!

"Cinematic liberties" aside, this was an excellent retelling of the hugely important Texas Western (UTEP) championship season of 1966 that shattered the color barrier in collegiate sports. Though it does exaggerate and embellish a tad, the movie stays true to the theme, which was the end to segregation in college basketball. The four star rating, rather than a perfect five, was for the DVD release itself. Allow me to elaborate...I was eagerly anticipating this DVD, hoping that Disney would take advantage of all the great extra material they could have included on this release. I was very disappointed. For example, there were only four deleted scenes, when there was so much more footage that could have been salvaged (I was very fortunate to have been an extra in the movie, and saw lots of unused scenes shot that I think would have added to the film). I also feel that, while there is a short segment of interviews with the players and coaches of the time on the disc, it barely scratches the surface of these amazing individuals, and more in-depth biographies of and insights from them could have been included. On a side note, the Alicia Keys "music video" on the disc is nothing more than a two minute clip discussing the inspiration for the song, and it cuts off right in the middle of the song itself (??). And finally, I could not figure out why the excellent movie trailer, which is usually a staple on a DVD today, was not on the disc.Another travesty was the omission of the scenes featuring Herman Carr, an African-American boyhood friend of Don Haskins' who was mostly responsible (according to Haskins himself) for Haskins' racial color-blindness. Playing basketball against Carr helped make Haskins the type of player, coach, and unbiased individual he was, and Haskins has said in interviews that those scenes definitely should have been left in the final cut. (Yet nary a deleted scene was included...)And the most obvious omission had to be the lack of any footage at all of the actual 1966 championship game. I know that if they had tried, the movie execs could have obtained a copy of the game (heck, I own VHS copy myself) and given it a digital makeover so today's generation could see it for themselves. After all, I'm fairly certain that anyone who watches this movie would have a great interest in seeing THE ACTUAL GAME that changed basketball forever.I really love the movie, but it is my sincere hope that "Glory Road" receives the same treatment as previous Bruckheimer films and gets re-released as a multi-disc Special Edition that includes some of the features that this one was lacking. Maybe if enough people write Disney, they'll get the message.Other than that, it's a wonderful movie. See it if you haven't!!ADDED 9/24/08: In case you have not heard, our beloved Don "The Bear" Haskins passed away last Sunday, September 7 of heart failure at age 78. Here's hoping they re-release a deluxe version with a special tribute to one of the greatest coaches- and human beings- the world has ever known. Rest in peace, Coach. We will miss you forever.

hello, this movie shows the good with the bad. there were places all over the usa that were not friendly to people that were non whites. it is a sad part of our usa history. this was in the late 1960's and the society was developing, but still stood in the dark ages. the barrier was broken in sports and has changed the face of just about any activity today. this movie was disheartening as one keeps seeing inequalities all over the usa. similar to yesterday's history in the eastern usa. we are all citizens of the usa and need to get along as it should be. this movie played a large part in breaking the barrier and showing people that it can happen for the betterment of mankind. a great. but sad, sports movie and usa history

This is a great story. I grew to love the team and wished that I good meet them. So good!Good for family too.

Great story, great cast, excellent movie for the basketball fan.

The second greatest sports movie, Remember The Titans is of course the best! Josh Lucas shines as one of the first Civil Rights leaders in America. Derek Luke was incredible and Mr. Red West (I have so much love for Elvis' best right hand man, the one who actually cared about the King of Rock and Roll) was outstanding. I've watched the movie about 20 times and everytime I get another message. ALL of the actors were talented, and amazing. Mr. John Voigt captured Rupp correctly my favorite line was, "go out there and make me a prophet." I recommend this movie for ALL human beings, the message is as relevant today, maybe more than ever. Coach Haskins I hope you are enjoying your well deserved rest and thank you for listening to the voice of The Lord.

Maravillosa historia, reflexion para toda la vida,

Un Must intramontabile per gli appassionati di basket e non. Probabilmente uno dei film sulla storia dello sport più belli di sempre. Peccato non ci sia in blu ray.

E' un film che scorre molto bene. Tratta temi molto attuali come il razzismo e l'integrazione delle minoranze. Fa vedere come lo sport sia un grande mezzo per unire ed abbattere le barriere. Molto adatto/istruttivo per i ragazzi.

Non solo per appassionati di basket NCAA, le tematiche razziali trattate nel film lo rendono attualissimo (qui si parla del 1966)

Film istruttivo, tutti dovrebbero vederlo. Il razzismo è una brutta bestia. Servizio Amazon incredibile: ordinato sabato pomeriggio ricevuto domenica mattina alle 10.30.