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To fully understand what’s in store in the real-life football parable “When the Game Stands Tall,” it’s probably good to know that star Jim Caviezel’s most noteworthy film role was as Jesus in “The Passion of the Christ.”

Turns out his ability to preach and sway his disciples comes in pretty handy as Bob Ladouceur , the high-school coach behind the miraculous decade-plus, record-breaking streak of 151 wins achieved by the De La Salle Spartans of suburban Concord, Calif.

Stoic, soft-spoken and solemn—think the opposite of blustery Al Pacino in “Any Given Sunday ”—Coach Lad, as he is called, doesn’t so much give pep talks as deliver soul-enriching sermons. He underplays the importance of collecting trophies and beating opponents and instead promotes a sense of brotherhood, having your teammate’s back and pushing yourself to the limit and beyond to achieve your goals.

His approach to the game, one that he has given most of his life to, is perhaps best summed up in a quotation from Matthew 23:13 that is recited onscreen: “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled. And whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” In other words, it is not about you, it is about others.

All these sentiments are worthwhile, of course. And considering that De La Salle is a Catholic school and Coach Lad also was a religious studies teacher, they aren’t gratuitous. Still, most often in its early stages, the melodrama onscreen edges precipitously close to dissolving into a puddle of platitudinous pabulum served in the manner of a rote Sunday school lesson.

Part of the problem with this particular sports story is the difficulty of presenting De La Salle as an underdog. Which is why producer David Zelon (“ Soul Surfer ,” another Christian-influenced sports film) and director Thomas Carter (“ Coach Carter ”) decided to zone in on the year 2004, when the Spartans lost their focus after Coach Lad suffered a life-threatening heart attack (turns out he was a secret smoker—a reason for a PG rating) and one of the team’s brightest stars is killed in a random shooting (the other reason for a PG rating).

With their leader sidelined and a tragic act of violence resulting in a painful absence in the lineup, the streak soon is as broken as the players’ sense of dedication. After losing the first two games of the season, Coach Lad is given the OK to resume his duties. And we as moviegoers apparently have paid enough penance and watched enough hardships to finally earn the right to see some actual football being played.

Of course, coming back from a two-game slump doesn’t exactly qualify as a resurrection even though the filmmakers pull out every trick in the book to make it seem that way. The actual turning point that prevents “When the Game Stands Tall” from becoming totally insufferable arrives earlier when the kids go on a field trip to visit wounded veterans in a recovery facility. The nervous and ultimately heartfelt interaction between the fresh-faced actors and these wounded warriors who brave through their disabilities is the film’s first of too-few emotional touchdowns.

Certainly, it is preferable than hearing Coach Lad’s dutiful wife ( Laura Dern , who tries her best but is ill-served by the script) observe for the umpteenth time that his job causes him to neglect his real family. How neglectful is he? He doesn’t even know how to grill a burger. Some dad he is. Watching him toss the charred hockey pucks into the bushes? Priceless, but not all that funny.

There are roughly 10 too many scenes of workouts involving giant tires pulled down the field by rope wrapped around a player’s body to symbolize their renewed drive. But the game action is fairly well shot and edited (although those bone-cruncher sound effects that resound every time someone gets hit are a bit much). And the young actors, topped by Alexander Ludwig (tribute Cato in “ The Hunger Games ”) as an ace running back, occasionally flash a welcome spark of spontaneity and share a natural rapport together.

But Michael Chiklis doesn’t get to inject nearly enough humor as Coach Lad’s more demonstrative assistant. And Clancy Brown as Ludwig’s father is beyond redemption as the standard overbearing abusive parent who lives vicariously through his son’s victories.

The final acid test of whether “When the Game Stands Tall” stands up to some of the greatest sports films? I have tissues at the ready when I just think about "Brian’s Song" and " Rudy ," I’ve been known to shed a tear or two over " Field of Dreams " and I always bawl my eyes out during "The Blind Side" when it shows up on cable.

But this sucker for scoreboard sentiment was left dry-eyed this time. To be fair, there was a glitch at my screening of “When the Game Stands Tall” and the sound went out with seconds to go in the final game. But it’s doubtful that it would have made any difference, judging by what I could at least see. Just as any coach would tell you, it is not whether you win or lose, it is how you play the game. But even though "When the Game Stands Tall" comes alive occasionally, it is basically a dropped ball.

Susan Wloszczyna

Susan Wloszczyna spent much of her nearly thirty years at USA TODAY as a senior entertainment reporter. Now unchained from the grind of daily journalism, she is ready to view the world of movies with fresh eyes.

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When the Game Stands Tall (2014)

Rated PG for thematic material, a scene of violence, and brief smoking

115 minutes

Jim Caviezel as Bob Ladouceur

Alexander Ludwig as Chris Ryan

Michael Chiklis as Terry Eidson

Laura Dern as Bev Ladouceur

Clancy Brown as Mickey Ryan

Thomas Carter
Scott Marshall Smith

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Film Review: ‘When the Game Stands Tall’

Jim Caviezel trades Golgotha for the gridiron in a wan inspiration sports drama that reminds us winning isn't everything (but it sure is nice).

By Scott Foundas

Scott Foundas

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'When the Game Stands Tall' Review: Football Drama Long on Sermonizing

The religion of high-school football commingles with plain old-fashioned religion in “When the Game Stands Tall,” an inspirational sports drama (from Sony’s inhouse, faith-based label Affirm Films) that goes long on rectitudinous sermonizing but comes up short on gridiron thrills or genuine love for the game. Save for a couple of fine performances relegated to the sidelines, no one really brings their “A” game to this lazily executed late-summer programmer — a “Friday Night Lights” for the Sunday-school crowd graced by little of the storytelling craft and skillful emotional manipulation that have distinguished the recent wave of superior Disney sports pics. After an opening weekend that may see a bump from church-group sales, expect “Game” to do most of its rushing and passing on home screens.

Like most entries in this particular genre, “When the Game Stands Tall” traffics in the usual tropes of scrappy heroes and come-from-behind victories — except that, in this case, the underdogs are more like alpha dogs, and they don’t go from last to first so much as from first to second and back again. But then, there’s more to life than just winning — a mantra the movie announces with such frequency and fervor that if you don’t leave the theater with it ringing in your head, you should head straight for the nearest ear doctor. When our story begins in the fall of 2003, the De La Salle High School Spartans of tree-lined Concord, Calif., are coming to the end of yet another undefeated season that has left them with the longest unbroken winning streak — 151 games — in American sports history. But dark clouds loom on the horizon: A large chunk of the team’s starting lineup is due to graduate in the spring, and the underclassmen waiting to take their places seem to lack a certain team spirit.

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“The streak was never our goal,” says the Spartans’ mild-mannered coach Bob Ladouceur ( Jim Caviezel ), a religious studies teacher at this private Catholic enclave who preaches the gospel of good sportsmanship (with a bit of Luke and Matthew thrown in for good measure) and rarely opens his mouth without some similarly honeyed homily dropping out of it. It’s not giving much away to say that De La Salle’s streak does come to an ignominious end, but not before good Coach L. almost meets his maker due to a massive coronary (prefigured, in a mark of director Thomas Carter’s ham-fisted style, by multiple closeups of Ladouceur’s cigarette stash).

Five stents later, Ladouceur is good as new, but somehow the Spartans’ mojo isn’t quite working. Some of the cocky new players don’t seem to understand that there’s no “I” in “team,” and everyone is shattered when beloved linebacker Terrance T.K. Kelly (Stephan James) is killed in a random act of urban violence (foreshadowed by risibly cliche images of malt-liquor-swilling revelers bumping and grinding to Montell Jordan). Still, “When the Game Stands Tall” has already been on the screen for nearly an hour by the time the Spartans finally lose, during an away game against a national-championship Seattle team — the proverbial inciting incident that most screenplay manuals tell you to include no later than page 15.

A shot at redemption hovers in the form of a ballyhooed game against a Long Beach team with a 330-pound offensive tackle. But as this sluggish film winds its way toward that inevitable showdown, it generates little in the way of rooting interest. In adapting Neil Hayes’ nonfiction book, screenwriter Scott Marshall Smith (“Men of Honor”) and David Zelon (who receives a story credit with Smith) have painted nearly every character into a blandly stereotypical corner, whether it’s the golden-boy running back (Alexander Ludwig) with a hard-driving booster dad (a snarling, mustache-twirling Clancy Brown); Ladouceur’s own wide-receiver son (Matthew Daddario), on hand mainly to grouse things like, “When I needed a dad, I got a coach, and now when I need a coach, you want to be a dad”; and Ladouceur himself, the kind of secular saint who tosses lucrative college coaching offers into the trash bin as if they were yesterday’s fish wrap. (Doing by far the best work in the film, Michael Chiklis and Laura Dern manage to suggest glimmers of inner lives as, respectively, Ladouceur’s longtime assistant coach and acquiescent wife.)

Carter, a proficient journeyman director who did a modestly more energetic job with 2005’s high-school basketball drama “Coach Carter,” never seems to get inside the world of the movie. His football scenes lack any visceral, bone-crunching impact, and when he ventures off the field, the movie fails to foster the sense of family and community that drive the best sports dramas. Carter’s leafy NoCal suburbs and their adjacent war-torn ghettos have all the neighborhood feel of the Warner Bros. backlot.

Even a better director, though, might have been at a loss to solve a problem like Caviezel. When the real Ladouceur appears in documentary footage under the movie’s end credits, he seems a stern but folksy, avuncular figure, a bit like a more athletic Garrison Keillor. But Caviezel turns him into a dour ascetic who scarcely cracks a smile and suffers profoundly for each of his players who fails to grasp the true meaning of “Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” It’s a comically self-serious turn, but at least it’s interesting in a way that little else in “When the Game Stands Tall” manages to be. It is sometimes said that a great actor can take dross and make it sound like Shakespeare. Here, Caviezel takes “Hoosiers” and plays it as though he were still nailed to the cross.

Reviewed at Sony Pictures screening room, New York, Aug. 20, 2014. MPAA Rating: PG. Running time: 114 MIN.

Production: A Sony Pictures Entertainment release of a TriStar Pictures presentation in association with Affirm Films of a Mandalay Sports Media production. Produced by David Zelon. Executive producers, Cathy Schulman, David Tice, Thomas Carter. Co-producers, Neil Hayes, Adam Stone.
Crew: Directed by Thomas Carter. Screenplay, Scott Marshall Smith; story, Smith, David Zelon, based on the book by Neil Hayes. Camera (color), Michael Lohmann; editor, Scott Richter; music, John Paesano; music supervisors, Dave Jordan, Jo Jo Villanueva; production designer, Jaymes Hinkle; art director, Raymond Pumilia; set decorator, Kristen Bicksler; costume designer, Claire Breaux; sound (Dolby Digital/DTS/SDDS), Dan Izen; supervising sound editor, Steven Ticknor; re-recording mixers, Chris Carpenter, Jeff J. Haboush; visual effects supervisor/producer, Raymond McInture Jr.; visual effects, Pixel Magic; line producer, Kenneth Burke; associate producer, Nathon S. Lewis; assistant director, Mark Anthony Little; second unit director/stunt coordinator, Allan Graf; second unit camera, Shawn Maurer; casting, Victoria Thomas.
With: Jim Caviezel, Michael Chiklis, Alexander Ludwig, Clancy Brown, Laura Dern, Matthew Daddario, Joe Massingill, Jessie T. Usher, Richard Kohnke, Ser’Darius Blain, Stephan James.

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When the Game Stands Tall Reviews

For football fans the movie brings a famous story to life. For the rest of us it plays like an after school special with better production value.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Feb 1, 2021

One of the better inspirational sports stories to come along in recent years.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.0/4.0 | Sep 27, 2020

The finished product did not do enough to make me forget this is another typical sports film. It felt generic, recycled, and forgettable.

Full Review | Original Score: C- | Jul 20, 2020

Somewhere it's like a whole lot of people really liked this true story and tried really hard to make a movie out of it. The saddest part is that to me they totally failed at doing it and I think the real people in this story deserve way better.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/5 | Jan 11, 2020

It's an exceedingly passable product of a threadbare formula. It might even be enjoyable if Caviezel could muster the charisma necessary to carry the film.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5 | Apr 4, 2019

Much of the film follows the expected sports film arc, but the performances, including Laura Dern as Beverly Ladouceur, are so spot-on, it's an enjoyable ride despite its familiarity.

Full Review | Mar 1, 2019

None of [its] flaws are critical wounds to the film's overall feel, which, aside from some annoying product placement by way of the fine people at Dick's Sporting Goods, comes across as sincere.

Full Review | Nov 21, 2017

The moral that football isn't everything seems inherently irreconcilable with a football movie, though.

Full Review | Oct 8, 2015

Mixes bland dialogue, formulaic sports-movie plot points, and vague Christian teachings with some disturbingly naïve racial overtones. The story risks inducing concussion as it pounds and thumps its message home, over and over.

Full Review | Nov 17, 2014

We've seen the 'Full eyes, clear hearts, can't lose' ethic before on screen, and more winningly dramatized, but When the Game Stands Tall does a good, and family-friendly, job of encapsulating Ladouceur's 'winning' approach...

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Sep 20, 2014

... has its share of embellishments and formulaic tangents, and turns predictable in the second half, with a more traditional structure leading to an obligatory big-game finale.

Full Review | Sep 5, 2014

...almost as bad as that moment in cinematic history when the real Buzz Aldrin has a conversation with Optimus Prime. Should be retitled: When the Facts Don't Matter

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/10 | Sep 5, 2014

A strong contender for the worst football movie ever made...

Full Review | Original Score: .5/4 | Sep 1, 2014

Ultimately, though, it's as sappy and superficial as its title-it feels good on the surface, but it doesn't mean much at all.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Aug 27, 2014

This insipid, formulaic sports drama fumbles, even though it's filled with earnest intentions.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/10 | Aug 23, 2014

Despite having a unique message, When the Game Stands Tall is pretty boring stuff.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/10 | Aug 22, 2014

When the Game Stands Tall is an incomplete pass of a Sports-piration film.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Aug 22, 2014

Caviezel's performance is so low-key, it almost feels like he's standing on the sidelines of the movie in which he's supposed to be starring.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 22, 2014

When the Game Stands Tall is a mess of a film that gets lost in its inability to tell a single story.

Full Review | Original Score: 25/100 | Aug 22, 2014

Inspiring in a bland sort of way and doesn't come close to standing as tall as the title.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 22, 2014

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‘when the game stands tall’: film review.

This true-life sports drama starring Jim Caviezel recounts the remarkable winning streak of a California high school football team

By Stephen Farber

Stephen Farber

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'When the Game Stands Tall': Film Review

When the Game Stands Tall Still - H 2014

Inspirational sports movies always have audience appeal, but it’s hard to imagine a huge crowd turning out for the latest feel-good football drama, When the Game Stands Tall . This paint-by-numbers tale of a winning high school football team in northern California probably hopes to attract the back-to-school audience. But it’s too blandly acted and directed to make much of an impact.

An earlier football movie this year, the Kevin Costner – Ivan Reitman collaboration Draft Day , was somewhat underrated and also underperformed at the box office. This new picture has more gridiron action to please fans, but the script by Scott Marshall Smith is far more formulaic. Smith recounts the true story of the De La Salle Spartans, a team that had broken records by winning 151 consecutive games by the end of its 2003 season. But the story begins when some setbacks threaten their 2004 season. First, team coach Bob Ladouceur ( Jim Caviezel ) suffers a heart attack. Then an African-American team member ( Stephan James ) is murdered in a ruckus before he is about to head off to college. Reeling from these setbacks, the team loses its first two games of the new season before their spirit of brotherhood gets them back on track.

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DVD & Streaming

When the Game Stands Tall

Drama , Sports

Content Caution

In Theaters

August 22, 2014
Jim Caviezel as Bob Ladouceur; Laura Dern as Bev Ladouceur; Matthew Daddario as Danny Ladouceur; Michael Chiklis as Terry Eidson; Alexander Ludwig as Chris Ryan; Clancy Brown as Mickey Ryan; Ser'Darius Blain as Cam Colvin; Stephan James as T.K. Kelly; Joe Massingill as Beaser; Jessie Usher as Tayshon Lanear

Home Release Date

December 9, 2014
Thomas Carter

Distributor

TriStar Pictures

Movie Review

The Streak lasted for more than a decade, from 1992 until 2003.

Under the steady, disciplined and principled leadership of coach Bob Ladouceur, the football team at De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif., won 151 consecutive games. It was the longest winning streak by any sports team at any level in American history.

But no matter how disciplined and talented, no team wins forever. And when the Streak came crashing to an end during the first game of De La Salle’s 2004 season, Coach Lad (as his players call him) was right there to reinforce a timeless lesson: It doesn’t matter whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.

When the Game Stands Tall (based on the book by Neil Hayes) chronicles the De La Salle Spartans’ real-life journey from the heights of triumph to the depths of defeat. But it doesn’t stop there, as it expounds on the life lessons a caring coach taught a group of gritty gridiron kids along the way.

Positive Elements

As the film opens, the Spartans are on the brink of their 12th championship. After winning it handily, key players and best friends Cam Colvin and T.K. Kelly encourage the juniors on the team to step up into leadership even as the departing seniors entertain offers from Division 1 college teams. Cam himself, though, is barely hanging on, having recently lost his father, facing the possibility of losing his mother too, and wondering how he’s going to care for his little brother, Jamal. T.K. and Coach Lad push him to persevere, and Cam does exactly that. Further, with both Cam and T.K., we see how football (and the friendships and discipline required to play it well) is key to helping them escape troubled inner-city backgrounds.

The juniors who receive the mantle—and the responsibility—of the Streak face a variety of obstacles. Hotshot wide receiver and cornerback (some team members play offense and defense) Tayshon Lanear is more focused on personal glory than team unity, and he has a lot to learn about keeping his ego in check. Star running back Chris Ryan is on the verge of setting the state touchdown record, but he has to cope with an abusive father spurring him on as the man lives vicariously through his son. Danny Ladouceur struggles with being the coach’s son. Danny’s a talented receiver who keeps dropping easy passes. But he also struggles with wanting more of his dad’s attention off the field.

It’s when Coach Lad has a heart attack and nearly dies that he realizes he has indeed sacrificed his family for football. And when his doctor forbids him to coach as he recovers, he recommits to being a good father … right before his son’s senior season. For Danny, it’s not enough. All these years when I needed a father, I only had a coach, he says. “Now I need a coach, and all I’ve got is a lame dad.” Together, though, father and son strive to work through this difficult role-shifting dynamic. To a lesser extent, we see Bob and his wife, Bev, work through the reality that 25 years of coaching has taken a toll on their marriage.

Before the Spartans’ 12th championship, a reporter asks Coach Lad how he feels about his team’s winning record. His two-sentence response encapsulates his entire ethos: “Winning a lot of football games is doable. Teaching kids there’s more to life? That’s hard.”

For Bob Ladouceur, who is a Christian, coaching and teaching at this all-boys Catholic academy in Northern California, football is a means to an end: preparing young men to be dependable, reliable contributors to their friends, family and community once their football days are over. With the help of assistant coach Terry Eidson, Coach Lad reinforces a list of virtues at every practice, in every game: commitment, compassion, brotherhood, grace and faith. “We’re not asking you to be perfect on every play,” he tells his team as they evaluate how well they’ve accomplished their weekly performance goals. “We’re asking you to give a perfect effort from snap to whistle.” For this coach, then, the goal is always giving your best, on the field, of course, but especially in life. As for brotherhood, Coach Lad says it’s “based in love—and love means you can count on me in good times and bad.”

After the team’s first big misstep in 152 games, Both Coach Lad and Coach Eidson try to put the heartbreaking loss in perspective. “Don’t let a game define who you are,” Eidson tells the boys. “Let the way you live do that.” Coach Lad challenges the entitlement mindset in his players, telling them that they want “a ring and a throne” without earning the victories that bequeath those honors.

After two consecutive losses, the team begins steamrolling opponents again, prompting fans to resurrect talk of a new streak. Coach Lad resists, even as some of his players succumb to the idea. In the end, there’s still more for them to learn about teamwork and what matters most. By the closing credits, the Spartans see that hard work, teamwork and sacrifice really do matter more than winning championships, with one player in particular making a sacrificial gesture during a key game that demonstrates he’s learned Coach Lad’s lessons.

When a Spartan is murdered, the team is forced to come together to evaluate what matters most in life. Coach Lad says at one point, “Family isn’t just blood relatives, it’s anyone who loves you unconditionally.” To further give them perspective, the coach organizes a trip to the local Veterans Administration hospital, where they meet and talk to wounded soldiers going through rehab after losing limbs. It’s a sobering, inspiring moment for the team. When Tayshon tells one amputee he’s lucky he got out, the soldier replies that he would go back into combat for his fellow soldiers in a second and says that on the battlefield, brotherhood and solidarity with fellow soldiers is all that matters.

Spiritual Elements

A devout Catholic, Bob Ladouceur leads his team in the Lord’s Prayer before games. Several scenes incorporate specific passages of Scripture. “James 4:10” is seen on someone’s gravestone. And we hear Luke 6:38: “Give, and it will be given to you. With the measure you use, it will be measured against you.” When Bob asks his guys (in class) what the verse means, one says that it means you reap what you sow.

Tayshon, however, doesn’t buy it, saying that his aunt was a good Christian woman who still struggled mightily. In contrast, Cam says he’s keeping the faith despite his father’s death and mother’s health problems. In private, though, we see Cam questioning his faith and struggling to hold on as his difficulties mount, especially when his close friend is murdered.

At the funeral for that player, Coach Lad says, “People always ask me what it’s like to never lose. Today I am lost.” He goes on to say, “Lord, I am struggling. I want to understand why.” He says it’s not his place to question God’s benevolent judgment, then concludes, “For reasons we are not privy to, God wanted [him] home.”

Coach Lad confronts Chris Ryan’s narcissistic father, who wants his son to get the touchdown record at all costs. The coach tells the father about a paper Chris wrote on Matthew 23:12, which reads, “Those who exalt themselves will be humbled; those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Mr. Ryan can’t comprehend why anyone would willingly humble themselves, but it’s clear later that Chris has taken that message to heart.

Sexual Content

Chris kisses his girlfriend. Tayshon suggestively says to a teammate, Beaser, about the guy’s girlfriend, “Tell me that you’re jumping all over that!” to which Beaser replies, “No. We’re waiting.” He goes on to say that they both took a purity pledge. Tayshon mocks his friend’s abstinence, joking, “What’s the name of the cult you’re in?” Beaser earnestly tells him he goes to a Baptist church.

Bob and his wife affectionately kiss and are shown in bed together (with Bev wearing a conservative nightgown).

Violent Content

Almost shockingly loud, wince-inducing, crunching hits on the gridiron fill the movie and bruise up the players. An on-field fight escalates briefly before being broken up by referees. Two teammates get into a scuffle.

The murdered Spartan is shot in his car as he waits to give a friend a ride. We hear four gunshots and see his body on the ground.

Chris’ father repeatedly grabs him and manhandles him, even punching him in the stomach once. At the VA hospital, we see scores of soldiers who had lost limbs and been deformed by the war wounds they’d suffered.

Crude or Profane Language

Three or four exclamations of “oh my god” and at least one “jeez.” “What the …” trails off and isn’t finished, as does “You can kiss my …” Several players jokingly refer to others as “hos.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

We see (from the outside) a wild party where young people are clearly drinking (though none of the main characters actively participate). On the phone, a player asks somebody at the party, “You high, dawg?”

Coach Lad is shown smoking; immediately after lighting up, however, he has a heart attack, with the filmmakers obviously suggesting that his bad habit has contributed to that medical emergency. (Several of the coach’s students are shocked to find out he’s had a hidden smoking habit.)

Other Negative Elements

While the guys are at the VA hospital, the movie makes a bit of a joke out of a player spilling a bag of urine on himself.

I’m going to cut to the touchdown pass here: If you’re looking for an entertaining, inspiring and engaging sports movie, When the Game Stands Tall certainly competes in that category.

And it’s even a notch above many other sports movies in the way that it’s not just about teamwork and sacrifice on the way to victory. It’s not just about overcoming big obstacles on the field. Those Rocky -esque elements are in there, of course. But, more significantly, we also witness a coach’s deep conviction that the football field is the perfect training ground for shaping young men of character, conviction and faith who will then be better prepared to make a deep, positive impact on others wherever they go—on or off the field. It’s Bob Ladouceur’s determination to nurture character that makes his teams so good, more than his considerable skill as a football coach.

From the first snap, then, When the Game Stands Tall offers a powerful reminder of what the best kind of coach looks like in action. He’s not perfect, of course. But we see Coach Lad nevertheless striving to give the very thing he charges his team to give: a perfect effort. And you might say the same for this film. It’s not perfect. But the effort it gives is gridiron worthy.

Adam R. Holz

After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.

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When the Game Stands Tall (2014)

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When the Game Stands Tall Is Good at Football, Bad at Drama

As Joan Osborne might have put it: What if God was a high-school football coach? In this fact-based tale of the trials and tribulations of Northern California’s De La Salle Spartans football team, which had its historic 151-win streak suddenly and tragically interrupted in 2004, Jim Caviezel plays Bob Ladouceur, the coach of infinite patience, wisdom, and caring, who, despite having a heart attack, still managed to guide his emotional players to victory and maturity amid upheaval and self-doubt. “Winning a lot of games is doable,” he says early on. “Teaching kids there’s more to life, that’s hard.” How does he do it? He has team meetings where he encourages his kids to stand up and read out their “commitment cards,” in which they talk about what they want to achieve, both athletically and personally. He teaches religion classes, and asks his players to learn humility (De La Salle is a private Catholic academy.) He makes his players walk out onto the field holding hands, which freaks out opposing teams.

In other words, coach isn’t channeling Knute Rockne; he’s channeling a higher power. This is Caviezel, after all, the nobly suffering Jesus of The Passion of the Christ , but perhaps even more important, the quiet, caring battlefield angel of Terrence Malick’s The Thin Red Line , his breakthrough role. The effortless spirituality that Malick captured in Caviezel is once again evident in When the Game Stands Tall . But here, it’s become inert, unchanging — not unlike the overly reverential film around it. Despite some obligatory talk about Ladouceur’s not always being there for his kids and his wife (played by Laura Dern, here also reduced to a worshipful gaze), this is a character who is mostly infallible. His initial challenges — not just the heart attack, but also the shocking murder of a star player who was headed to college — come off as temporary blips, the spiritual questioning they prompt all too brief. As De La Salle’s team recovers from its early-season losses, the film makes its way through the season, giving us glimpses of Coach Ladouceur’s inspirational speeches: He always knows the right things to say, the right advice to give. In one of the film’s more engaging scenes, he takes his players to a Veteran’s Administration Medical Center, where they can interact with patients who’ve lost limbs and are struggling to just live ordinary lives — so that these kids can understand the true nature of loss. The lesson is learned, but the drama’s not there. Nothing has really built up to this moment, and nothing builds from it. That’s not entirely true. When the Game Stands Tall does build to some excellent football scenes, particularly near the end, as the Spartans face off against some intimidating rivals, including one team considered bigger and better than they are. Full of feats of physical heroism — a testament, in the film’s vision, to the players’ dedication to one another, instead of to the game or to their own glory — these scenes involve us in ways that much of the rest of the film refuses to. The movie knows it, too. That’s probably why it tries to give us some additional drama via the starting running back’s (Alexander Ludwig) conflicted relationship to his overzealous, gung-ho father (Clancy Brown). It’s a conflict that feels welded on, and never really registers as a real threat, because the father isn’t representative of anything: He’s a straw man — a lone jerk in a world that’s uniformly supportive of these players and this team. If movies have taught us one thing, it’s that inspiration and victory, particularly in sports, is often cathartic, built out of mistakes and pain. That’s the movie version, of course, not the real-life version. When Al Pacino gives that remarkable “ Life’s a game of inches ” speech in (the totally fictional) Any Given Sunday , it becomes a confessional — he voices both his own and his players’ need for redemption. Yes, it’s a cliché, but it’s a good cliché: Without it, all you have is a manual. The real-life story behind When the Game Stands Tall sounds amazing. But for all its exciting sports scenes, the movie version falls flat as drama.

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When the game stands tall - movie review.

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When the Game Stands Tall - Movie Review

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When the Game Stands Tall , the “true” story of a California high school football team that ripped a streak of 151 straight victories and 12 State Championships, has a tough struggle to overcome. One much tougher than typically encountered by the sports drama. And as director Thomas Carter (Coach Carter) paints his picture, it becomes increasingly clear he’s not sure how to overcome that struggle.

But not all the blame belongs on Carter. His accomplice in deficiency is screenwriter Scott Marshall Smith whose script is never able to overcome the detriment of not being the typical scratch-and-claw-your-way-to-the-top underdog story. Sure, not every sports drama has to be about the guy at the bottom, but the team at the heart of his story started at the top. When the movie opens, they’ve been dominating California football for more than a decade with commanding double-digit wins, putting Carter and Smith at a serious disadvantage in figuring out to win an audience’s sympathy for a team that’s been rolling in success year after year.

So, when De La Salle’s football team, coached by humble but modestly inspiring Bob Ladouceur (a stoic Jim Caviezel), loses the first two games of its 2006 season, can an audience be inspired to root for a team that’s not really a long shot? Is there inspiration to be mined from the story of a team that hits a few minor bumps on its way back to yet another State Championship? If not, then what’s left to tell?

The answer is nothing. That’s why Carter and Smith place as the object of their story, Coach Ladouceur himself, who – as depicted – might very well be the most boring person in the world. Other than his record-shattering renown at the tiny Catholic high school just outside Oakland, there’s nothing remarkable about the guy. And something tells me the real-life Ladouceur is fine with that. His calm, milquetoast demeanor and the way he’s able to inspire a bunch of mediocre athletes to achieve greatness with low-key speeches about commitment, brotherhood, and overcoming adversity just doesn’t do much for pulling the same inspiration from an audience. As a result, When the Game Stands Tall is a terribly uninteresting movie.

But it’s a slightly different story when the action shifts to the athletes and to the playing field. After graduating a swollen class of talented seniors, many of whom signed intents for major college football programs, Coach Ladouceur finds his new team left with a fractious bunch of incoming seniors who show little concern for teamwork and coming together as a unit - the opposite of everything a Ladouceur-coached team represents. Their star running back Chris Ryan (Alexander Ludwig) is on the verge of breaking the state rushing record, but his overbearing father (Clancy Brown) encourages him to focus on individual, rather than team, glory. The tragic fate of a senior star wide receiver creates an even wider rift in the team, and Ladouceur’s son - who finally becomes a senior and expects more playing time – is devastated by his father’s heart attack.

On the field, Carter shines with his hard-hitting, gritty sports action that, despite a propensity to feature devastatingly brutal hits that would put even the fittest of NFL athletes in a wheelchair for life, is both tense and exciting. An all-too-brief scene involving an off-season UIL coach’s meeting is the closest we get to a revealing look at character personalities when a De La Salle assistant coach (played by an unrecognizable Michael Chiklis) faces accusations from league rivals of year-after-year cheating to stack the team.

That’s what When the Game Stands Tall needs more of - human personality. Perhaps a behind-the-curtains glance into the coach’s personal life would lend a more credible understanding of what makes the guy tick. We’re thrown hints of phony insight from his low-key speeches that barely rise above a whisper; and a very brief theological classroom discussion lends some stimulating insight as well. But the fact remains, we learned more about the real Coach Bob Ladouceur from his brief 10-second real-life snippet that rolled alongside the film’s ending credits. But even then, he just doesn’t seem all that interesting. And that’s not a knock on the man as much as it is a slam to basing a movie on an uninteresting person.

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MPAA Rating: PG for thematic material, a scene of violence, and brief smoking Runtime: 115 mins Director : Thomas Carter Writer : Scott Marshall Smith Cast: Jim Caviezel, Alexander Ludwig, Michael Chiklis Genre : Sports | Drama Tagline: When the game stands tall. Memorable Movie Quote: " We were never just about winning." Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing Official Site: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/whenthegamestandstall/ Release Date: August 22, 2014 DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: No details available. Synopsis : The journey of legendary football coach Bob Ladouceur (Jim Caviezel), who took the De La Salle High School Spartans from obscurity to a winning streak that that has never been shattered.

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When the Game Stands Tall

Dove Review

“When the Game Stands Tall” can be described with one word: Inspiring! It tells the true story of the De La Salle Spartans high school football team, which set a 151-game winning streak record. Football Coach Bob Ladouceur’s philosophy was always, “We don’t expect you to play perfect, but to give a perfect effort.” Coach Bob (Jim Caviezel) emphasizes team play and stands up to a dad who is only concerned about his son breaking a touchdown record, not with the team effort.

The movie’s themes include forgiveness, brotherhood, and teamwork over individual goals, as well as one’s walk with God. The focus is on God being with us during difficult times. Coach Bob attempts to comfort a father and mother following the sudden loss of their son. The coach has a close call of his own in the course of the film. In an inspiring scene he takes his football players to a hospital where they see rehabbing athletes, some with prosthetic limbs, and they learn to appreciate what they have. The team also sees the great effort it takes for the patients to go forward, and how they meet their challenges head on.

We are pleased to award this movie our Faith Friendly Seal for ages twelve plus, due to brief use of language and a couple of innuendos. The film clearly shows what God can do when a person honors Him.

Dove Rating Details

Young man is shot as he sits in his car, but scene is not graphic; guys shove each other; rough football playing on the field on a few occasions; dad grabs his son twice in the film and punches him in the stomach once, but he is stopped.

Boys tease another with an innuendo, but the boy makes it clear he and his girlfriend took a purity pledge; a comment about taking what you need; a couple kisses.

G/OMG-4; father cries out the name of Jesus Christ in prayer as he sees his son's dead body and then says, "No!"; D-1; a "Kiss my-" (not finished comment)-1; Butt-1; son calls his dad lame but they get past the incident and become closer; "Screw you" comment.

Smoking; an "Are you high?" comment; young people at a party with red cups and there may be underage drinking.

Shirtless men.

Tension between husband and wife; young man losing his mother to cancer and wonders if God cares; young man wonders if he's cursed because of losing people he has loved; man has a heart attack and his wife has their son call 911; parents lose a son and grieve; player with an overbearing dad says he hates him; player almost throws up due to nerves.

More Information

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‘When the Game Stands Tall,’ movie review

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A football gridiron may be rectangular, but this family movie sure is square.

This fact-based tale is about the Richmond, Calif., Spartans. When first glimpsed, they have the longest winning streak in high school football — 151 games — but they don’t realize that it’s tearing them apart.

Despite the best efforts of Coach Ladoucer (Jim Caviezel) and his assistant (Michael Chiklis, doing his best Jason Alexander impression), this successful team rising from a struggling blue-collar town has become complacent. They expect success, but have forgotten that excellence means more than trophies.

Jim Caviezel and Alexander Ludwig (r.) in 'When the Game Stands Tall'

Actual trouble arrives when “Coach Lad” suffers a heart attack and a recent grad is shot in a mixup on the wrong side of town. As a new season starts, the Spartans lose the first game — and, it seems, the magic touch. But it may come with a silver lining. Only by not caring about victory can they be true champions.

If this logic seems a bit muddled, the movie disguises it by keeping things moving at running-back speed. There’s an endless barrage of motivational buzzwords and training montages. When Coach Lad isn’t pelting the team with platitudes, he’s leading them in Bible study or taking them to a VA hospital to learn the true meaning of sacrifice.

Jim Caviezel (center right), and Michael Chiklis (center left) are coaches in 'When the Game Stands Tall.'

Caviezel (“The Passion of the Christ”) interestingly chooses to portray his humble, self-sacrificing leader of boys-to-men in a quiet key. So instead of rousing speeches, we get incomplete passes.

But “Hoosiers” this ain’t. The redemptive final game has some nice plays and bone-crunching sound effects, but no grit. Ultimately, it’s a ho-hum, bromide-filled production undeserving of a victory dance.

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WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL

"those who humble themselves will be exalted".

What You Need To Know:

(CCC, BBB, H, L, V, N, A, DD, M) Very strong Christian, biblical, moral worldview with openly stated themes about humility and the importance of more than just winning, frequent reference to Bible verses and teamwork, the players often pray the Lord’s Prayer before games, a Christian funeral at a church; three minor obscenities and one questionable profanity, a person feeling nervous kneels in front of a toilet though no vomit is shown; general football violence with players being tackled and hit on the field, this sometimes leads to mild injuries like a bloody nose, some shoving not related to game play, a character is shot off screen (but no blood); no sexual immorality but a husband and wife kiss sometimes, teenagers sometimes kiss, and a boy says he took a purity pledge; upper male nudity; a brief party scene depicts young people with red solo cups; one main character is shown smoking once, and this incident leads to a heart attack, plus no drug use depicted but one character asks another if he is high; and, one father is verbally and sometimes physically abusive to his son.

More Detail:

WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL tells the true story of a high school football team that had a 151 game winning streak under coach Bob Ladouceur.

The opening montage informs viewers of how the De La Salle Spartans, a high school football team, has remained undefeated for many years through hard work and discipline. Though the coach has worked hard to get the team where it is, his goal has never been to keep the streak alive. Instead, he wants to make sure that his players grow into men with integrity and character.

After yet another successful undefeated season, the pressure is high for Coach Bob and his team. When Bob has a heart attack, it becomes apparent that the stress has taken a toll on not only him, but also his family, whom he’s neglected.

To make things more difficult, one of Coach Ladouceur’s most promising graduates, a man who has learned to be a good, godly man and who has just received a full-ride scholarship to play division one football, is gunned down tragically on the streets. After this incredibly dramatic event, all of the football team is shaken up, especially Coach Bob. This causes the rest of the team to lose sight of the coach’s main purpose not to win but to grow into God-honoring men. Their 151 winning streak is lost on the first game of the season.

With a tough schedule ahead and a town that’s disappointed in them, the team has to learn to rely on each other and reevaluate why they play the game.

WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL has a strong second half that ends on an inspiring, tear-jerking note. Though the acting is good, much of the story is disjointed, mostly in the first half. At times, it feels as if the characters have too many goals, and it’s hard to discern where the movie is going. This doesn’t take away much from the entertainment value, but the emotional impact of the story could have been much stronger. The football games are riveting and well shot and the characters are genuine.

All through the movie, it’s clear that Coach Ladouceur has been teaching the boys on his team the importance of humility. In one very touching scene, he brings his dejected and downcast team to a wounded veterans hospital to learn about serving others instead of serving yourself. The biblical themes are extremely apparent in WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL. It’s encouraging to see such a positive representation of the Christian faith, especially among young people. Ladouceur and his family had a realistic family dynamic, and the conflict that comes with it. However, the subplot that was supposed to tackle the ever-relevant issue of fatherhood and work/life balance was left underdeveloped and unresolved.

Overall, WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL is a movie that bucks against a culture that’s all about glorifying one’s ego and seeking personal pleasure. Instead of pursuing individual accomplishments and individual fame, the movie promotes an ideal of pursing the exaltation of others. It overtly highlights Matthew 23:12 (“Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, but those who humble themselves will be exalted”) as an example for living. WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL is a moving story for families with older children and teenagers that inspires love and humility.

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When the game stands tall.

Parents say (6)
Kids say (7)

Based on 6 parent reviews

I loved this movie!

This is a movie about a coach that doesn’t care about football or money…I didn’t think that was possible! He truly cares about kids, and teaching them to become adults with integrity and purpose. He teaches goal setting. The part that is not highlighted in the movie is that this is an all boys Catholic school. The part that is included is the praying before games, the lessons from the Bible , and the difficult conversations about how horrible things happen to good people. This movie has great messages, role models and a real look at falling down hard and getting back up. Yes, there is a murder. The shots are heard, but are not shown on the screen. The young man is shown lying in the street after the police arrive. It is a part of the true story, and is done in the 1940’s style. No gore, no sensationalizing. just so sad, and important to the story. This is a great tween/teen movie with a lot of opportunities for family discussion.

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Amazing story. excellent message. great for family, teen movie that is actually ok for teens to see, an empowering movie when the game stands tall, not a football movie.

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ABOUT When the Game Stands Tall

Inspired by the remarkable true story of the De La Salle Spartans and visionary Coach Bob Ladouceur (Jim Caviezel), who led a struggling high school football team to 12 undefeated seasons, the longest winning streak in American sports history, through his unyielding focus on character-building, faith, responsibility and commitment. In doing so, he created one of the country’s greatest football dynasties.

Special Features

Director's Commentary
Undefeated: Making "When the Game Stands Tall"

BLU-RAY™ EXCLUSIVES

Select scenes commentary with Coach Bob Ladouceur
Deleted and Extended Scenes
Gridiron Action: Filming the Football Scenes
The Heart and Soul of a Program: Bob Ladouceur

Jim Caviezel, Michael Chiklis, Alexander Ludwig, Clancy Brown and Laura Dern

Thomas Carter

David Zelon

FOR THEMATIC MATERIAL, A SCENE OF VIOLENCE, AND BRIEF SMOKING

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When the Game Stands Tall Parent Guide

For the first 45 minutes of this biographical movie, the script bobbles around before getting to game time. if you can be patient, the rest is remarkably inspiring..

The football team at De La Salle High School in California had nothing to boast about until they hired coach Bob Ladouceur (played by Jim Caviezel), who leads the Spartans on a record breaking winning streak. This movie is based on a true story.

Release date August 22, 2014

Run Time: 115 minutes

Official Movie Site

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by kerry bennett.

Every team would rather win than lose. But nobody wants to be the team that brings a winning streak to an end—especially one that has lasted for 151 games.

From 1992-2004 the De La Salle High School Spartans won every football game they played under the tutelage of Coach Bob Ladouceur (Jim Caviezel) and his assistant Terry Eidson (Michael Chiklis). Ladourceur’s record still stands as the all-time winning coach in California’s high school football arena. Those are stats that could easily go to one’s head. Yet when one team member announces he would rather die on the field than let his team down, Coach Ladourceur’s says the better choice might be collapse on the field—since it is only high school football. To his credit, Bob is man who is more interested in teaching boys to be honorable and accountable men than bringing home trophies.

For the first 45 minutes of this biographical movie, the script bobbles around setting up scenes, introducing several story lines and marching out a whole squad of characters before it finally gets to game time. If you can be patient, the rest of the film is remarkably inspiring.

That first lost is devastating—for the team and for their fans as well. Unfortunately it brings out the ugly in a lot of them, including one father who takes the loss as a personal affront to him. Still Bob, who also teaches at the private Catholic school, appears unscathed. When his team fumbles to a second loss, he takes the opportunity to help the players put it in perspective before they face off against the number one team in the country.

From a statistical perspective, Bob’s career record (399-25-3 at his retirement in 2013) is extraordinary by any measure. Yet what is even more impressive is his leadership as members of his team face the death of one of their own, deal with an abusive parent and learn to share their emotions. Bob is a man who expects not a perfect performance, but a perfect effort. He is a man who asks his players to make commitments to improve and then holds them responsible. He is a man who does more than coach football. He builds boys into a band of brothers.

About author

Kerry Bennett

When the game stands tall rating & content info.

Why is When the Game Stands Tall rated PG? When the Game Stands Tall is rated PG by the MPAA for thematic material, a scene of violence, and brief smoking.

Violence: C+ A character is targeted and shot to death at close range. A father yells at and pushes his son around. Some on-field sports violence is shown.

Sexual Content: A- Brief kissing and embracing is shown.

Language: B The script contains only a handful of profanities.

Alcohol / Drug Use: B A man smokes on a couple of occasions. Characters are shown at a house party.

Page last updated July 17, 2017

When the Game Stands Tall Parents' Guide

How does the coach promote a “team over individual” attitude in his players? While that attitude is important, what individual efforts do the players have to make for the success of their team? One of the players is on track to break a record. Can a team be successful as a unit and still try to help single players achieve records?

What reaction do the players and fans have to the team’s loss? Is this sort of setback necessarily a bad thing? Can we choose how we react to life’s experiences—whether we see them as good or bad? What lessons can players learn from losing? How does it test characteristics like resilience and fortitude?

A character (set in 2004) mentions that with the Internet any kid can be a star. How has our ability to broadcast our individual successes allowed us to present ourselves to the world? The character in this movie sees this as having some negative connotations. Would you agree?

Why was the coach in this movie encouraging these football players to share their emotions? What effect did this activity have on his team? Why do you think this was the case? Do you feel it’s wrong for men to reveal their feelings? Why do you think some of us have come to accept a double standard for men and women speaking from the heart?

This movie tells the story from the view of the Spartans. Here’s how the game played out from the perspective of the Long Beach Poly team.

Learn more about the real Bob Ladouceur , and the De La Salle High Spartans .

The most recent home video release of When the Game Stands Tall movie is December 9, 2014. Here are some details…

Related news about When the Game Stands Tall

Home Video Releases for December 9

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Clockwise from left: Tom Hanks, Rosie O’Donnell and Madonna in A League of Their Own (1992), Robert De Niro in Raging Bull (1980), Bend It Like Beckham (2002), Hoop Dreams (1994), Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait (2006).

Game, set and match: the 20 best sports movies

As Luca Guadagnino’s acclaimed tennis film Challengers makes its case for sporting immortality, critic Guy Lodge chooses 20 of the genre’s undisputed heavyweights

Challengers reviewed by Wendy Ide

A nalogies of life as sport have been exhausted by every PE teacher in existence. In the movies, however, they’re eternally renewable. Take Challengers , Luca Guadagnino’s sleek, sexy, sweat-drenched new film, which hits every metaphor you might expect in its story of three tennis pros locked in a tense love triangle: games are won and lost, points scored, doubles partners swapped, and so on. Shot and paced with the ricocheting energy of a great tennis match, it’s a sports movie that, like many a classic of the genre, understands the parallels between sport and cinema as two great crowd-pleasing pastimes.

Challengers from left, Mike Faist, Zendaya and Josh O’Connor

The sports movie is pretty much as old as movies themselves: for early silent-cinema pioneers at the turn of the 20th century, the movement and momentum of a baseball game or a boxing match made them as dynamic a subject as any for the camera. Charlie Chaplin’s very first appearance as the Little Tramp, in the short Kid Auto Races at Venice , cast him as a disruptive spectator at a racing-car derby. Classic templates for the genre emerged quickly: the Oscar-winning 1931 hit The Champ nailed a structure for the underdog sporting weepie that shaped everything from Rocky to The Wrestler , while the 1944 Elizabeth Taylor vehicle National Velvet minted a million further feelgood stories of plucky athletes defying the odds. (It’s far harder to involve audiences in stories of an athlete who’s born a winner.)

Today, the genre continues to thrive, in forms both familiar and more boundary-pushing, from King Richard to The Iron Claw . One of the year’s highest-grossing films so far worldwide is the Chinese smash comedy YOLO , about a downtrodden woman who finds a new lease of life in boxing; it hits every cliche in the book, but proves they still work with audiences. Less expectedly, Rose Glass’s forthcoming neo-noir Love Lies Bleeding (out next week) finds thrilling erotic energy and macabre wish-fulfilment in the niche world of 1980s bodybuilding. You needn’t have any interest in the sport at hand to get caught up in it on film: the best examples of the genre will make you feel the burn.

Bend It Like Beckham

(2002, director Gurinder Chadha)

The world’s most popular sport has a surprisingly spotty record at the movies, but football films work best the more unassuming they are, which is why Gurinder Chadha’s scrappy teen comedy is such an enduring crowdpleaser. The winning story of a British Punjabi girl defying her disapproving parents to pursue her dreams on the pitch, it was a welcome reminder of the sport’s culture-crossing appeal. Best for: Showing girls that football isn’t a man’s world.

Bull Durham

(198 8, Ron Shelton)

Baseball may be the most all-American sport there is, conjuring images of wholesome, Norman Rockwell-esque masculinity, but it never looks very sexy , does it? Maybe it’s the kit – like very tight but oddly unflattering pyjamas. Anyway, this steamy, sweaty, grownup romcom is a glorious exception, powered by the bristling chemistry between Kevin Costner’s veteran minor-league catcher and Susan Sarandon’s dedicated baseball groupie, who shows new players the ropes in her own special way. Director Ron Shelton specialises in sports movies – he also made the zingy White Men Can’t Jump and re-teamed with Costner for the improbably charming golf comedy Tin Cup – but this, his first time at bat, remains his best. Best for: Those who like sport as foreplay.

Gregory’s Girl

(1981, Bill Forsyth)

Another disarming, British coming-of-age film built around football, though the beautiful game in this case is less important to its young, awkward characters than a different kind of scoring. Gawky Scottish 16-year-old Gregory (John Gordon Sinclair) is demoted on the football team and hot for his female replacement Dorothy (Dee Hepburn) – he’s a rare model of masculine humility in the genre, on the pitch and off. Best for: Teenage boys with a bout of puppy love.

Hoop Dreams

(199 4, Steve James)

Steve James’s extraordinary documentary portrait of two black Chicago teenagers trying to make their way into professional basketball via the high school leagues was shot over five years, winnowing 250 hours of footage down to one enthralling three-hour epic. It’s one of cinema’s great studies of sport as a vessel of hope: tough futures await its embattled subjects if they don’t make an impression in these few, tender years, as personal and financial setbacks keep making things harder. The challenges of being young, gifted and black in America have rarely been so expansively mapped out on screen. Best for: Demonstrating the intersection of sport and social issues.

John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection

(2018, Julien Faraut)

The greatest of all tennis films might just be this underseen documentary. Ostensibly about the famously hotheaded John McEnroe, Julien Faraut’s film rejects dull bio-doc treatment for a thrillingly and suitably experimental study of movement, space and time. Intricately scrutinising a wealth of 16mm footage from McEnroe’s 1984 French Open final, it draws a fevered parallel between cinema and sport, appealing to nerds of multiple persuasions. Best for: Tennis fans convinced of their sport’s ultimate refinement.

(2001, Ashutosh Gowariker)

Test cricket, that most luxuriously time-consuming of all sports, gets a suitably sprawling valentine in this near four-hour Bollywood epic, which examines late-Victorian colonial tensions in a central Indian village through the prism of one crucial cricket match. Challenged by a haughty British army officer to the game, with their tax debt on the line, the oppressed locals begin to learn the unfamiliar sport and – well, what do you think happens? Contrived to the last, with everyone’s fate hanging on the very last ball, it’s also utterly irresistible, fired by the blazing charisma of Indian superstar Aamir Khan, and sweeping, old-school film craft. Best for: A rousing triumph of good over evil.

A League of Their Own

(1992, Penny Marshall )

“There’s no crying in baseball!” Blame early-90s misogyny or critical anti-Madonna bias, but Penny Marshall’s buoyant girl-power baseball comedy was treated as little more than agreeable fluff on its release. But it’s aged very well indeed: a warmly classical family entertainment in which the empowering gender messaging doesn’t swamp the spry good spirits of it all. Madonna’s pretty good in it too. Best for: The Venn diagram overlap of baseball and Madonna fans. Or anyone, really.

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

(1962, Tony Richardson)

The title of Tony Richardson’s hard, sharp 1962 slap of new British realism entered the general sporting lexicon (it was based on Alan Sillitoe’s 1959 book), capturing as it does the romance and severity of a most solitary sport – surely more people have quoted it than have seen the film. But it remains a beauty: a testament to the head-clearing virtues of athletics, and the occasional power of losing. Best for: The serious, solitary film watcher.

Rugby players in wheelchairs in Murderball

(2005 , Dana Adam Shapiro and Henry Alex Rubin )

The world of disabled sports hasn’t yet had its crowning mainstream moment in the movies, but this propulsive, Oscar-nominated documentary by Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro was an arthouse hit – one that could easily have been fashioned into a fictional crowdpleaser. Centred on the very tough guys who play wheelchair rugby, and playing up the rivalry between the US and Canadian teams ahead of the Paralympic Games, it’s less fixated on sob stories than on the kinetic dynamics of the sport itself, amplified by a pummelling metal soundtrack, and the formidable capabilities of its players on and off the court. (It may be rugby, but it’s played on basketball facilities.) Best for: Smashing the ableism of the athletic world.

Football-mad Iranian women disguise themselves as men in Offside.

(2006 , Jafar Panahi )

To most football fans, a 2006 World Cup qualifying match between Iran and Bahrain wouldn’t have been much of an event, but in Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi’s sly, humane comedy, it’s the object of a bravely defiant quest. Forbidden by gender law from entering a football stadium, a group of young, football-mad Iranian women disguise themselves as men in the hope of watching their national team play. What ensues isn’t just a political screed – though it makes a pointed case for not judging Iran by its systemic inequalities – but a thoughtful, playful essay on degrees of spectatorship, and how sporting patriotism can unify some populations and exclude others. Best for: An unlikely fusion of sport, comedy and politics.

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Over the Limit

(2017, Marta Prus )

This bruising documentary by Polish director Marta Prus hasn’t been widely seen, but it’s unforgettable once you do: candidly documenting the abusive training endured by a Russian rhythmic gymnast on the road to the Olympics, it maintains a nervy tension between the pristine physical beauty of her athleticism and the ugly mental warfare behind it. Best for: Edge-of-your-seat viewing of a different kind.

Personal Best

(1982, Robert Towne)

An exceptionally rare Hollywood sports drama focused on queer characters, Robert Towne’s taut, tender film about two female track-and-field athletes whose romance complicates their Olympic training was a box office flop back in 1982. It now stands as a commendably ahead-of-its-time study of sexual fluidity, and while some may decry its male gaze given the subject, the film has a keen, close eye for the wear and tear of the professional athletic body, given added authenticity by the casting of real-life hurdling champion Patrice Donnelly in a lead role. Best for: Any LGBTQ+ sports fans who feel unseen.

Raging Bull

(1980, Martin Scorsese)

The boxing drama is such a vast genre unto itself that I had to curb its presence on this list, but there was no leaving out the harsh poetry of Martin Scorsese’s Jake LaMotta biopic, with its transformational, Oscar-winning Robert De Niro turn as the troubled middleweight champ. A second Oscar went to Thelma Schoonmaker’s editing, the quick, jabbing rhythms of which changed how boxing was shown on film. Best for: Anyone who’s wanted to feel like they’re in the ring.

(1976 , John G Avildsen )

Likewise, there had to be room for the most beloved underdog story in film history: Sylvester Stallone’s bloated ego and sundry cheesy sequels may have tainted its legacy, but the 1976 original still has honest soul to it, and a gotta-lose-to-win ending that puts a lump in the throat. Best for: Those tired of celebrating the winners.

Ayrton Senna cracks open the champagne in Senna

(2010, Asif Kapadia)

Anyone who witnessed champion Formula One driver Ayrton Senna’s tragic death in real time during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix is likely still haunted by the memory. Eschewing standard-issue talking heads and voiceover, Asif Kapadia’s elegiac documentary reconjures the memory, but not luridly so, instead seeking the soul of a man who thrived on speed and risk. Brilliantly assembled archival footage, meanwhile, presents the sport itself so viscerally that we understand the obsession for ourselves. Best for: Racing fans in need of a reality check.

Small, Slow But Steady

( 2023 , Shô Miyake)

One of last year’s overlooked gems, Japanese director Shô Miyake’s stoically moving character study semi-fictionalises a memoir by deaf female boxer Keiko Ogasawara – the kind of story that could easily be told as a mawkish tearjerker. Instead, Miyake and star Yukino Kishii exercise terse restraint, as the film expands its view to include a whole hard-up, hard-working independent boxing community in modern Tokyo. Best for: A shot of the everyday in a genre given to the exceptional.

(2008, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck )

Baseball embodies the American dream for an immigrant Dominican pitcher determined to make it in the US minor leagues: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s lyrical, compassionate indie is both a closeup individual portrait of desperate determination and an illuminating view of national sporting systems that can’t accommodate everyone’s ambition. Best for: Spotlighting the individual struggles in team sports.

This Sporting Life

(1963, Lindsay Anderson)

The battering, ravaging crash and crunch of male bodies in rugby league has never been quite so vividly depicted as in Lindsay Anderson’s rough-and-ready kitchen sink drama. Starring an extraordinary Richard Harris as a Yorkshire coalminer and rugger bugger who can’t shed his combative on-the-pitch demeanour in his domestic life, it’s not much of an advertisement for sport’s redemptive powers, but its portrayal of mutually aggravating physical and mental injuries hits hard. Best for: A cold slap of working-class sporting reality.

Tokyo Olympiad

(1965 , Kon Ichikawa )

Akira Kurosawa was initially hired by the Japanese government to document the 1964 Tokyo Olympics on film; when he bowed out, meditative formalist Kon Ichikawa stepped in. His serene, process-driven ode to motion and spectatorship wasn’t the rousing patriotic propaganda the government had in mind, and it was severely recut, but the 165-minute original is a thing of grace and beauty. Best for: Getting yourself amped up for this year’s Games.

Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait

( 2006 , Douglas Gordon )

Seventeen synchronised cameras follow French midfielder Zinédine Zidane over the course of one La Liga match: the surrounding game fades into the background as we zero on one player’s inch-by-inch movement. Football has never been this balletic. Best for: The simple spectacle of a body in motion.

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The Fall Guy review: Ryan Gosling is at his goofiest in action-comedy

He’s just a stuntman-turned-hero.

preview for Ryan Gosling, Winston Duke & David Leitch | The Fall Guy

Now, all that is just "sexy bacon bits" (to use the movie's own terms) surrounding the meat of David Leitch's ultimate goal, which is to create a heartfelt love letter to stunt work in Hollywood. Stuntmen are often invisible figures for audiences, but in this story they get to be the heroes as their essential work is explored and celebrated.

Their unbeatable champion is Ryan Gosling , who, following Barbie 's box-office hit last year, proves once again he was made for comedy. There is some Kenergy running through his character's veins, as his mix of endearing cluelessness and killer fighting moves completely steals the show.

Related: Best Movies of 2024 - Most anticipated films of the year

The story, based on the Lee Majors-starring '80s television show, follows stuntman Colt Seavers (Gosling) as he decides to go back to work a year after a tragic injury on set.

The reason is Jody Moreno ( Emily Blunt ), a former lover who is about to make her debut as a filmmaker with global star Tom Ryder ( Aaron Taylor-Johnson ). According to Ryder's manager Gail Meyer ( Hannah Waddingham ), Jodie is in need of the star's former stuntman.

Although he seems content working as a parking guy in some random restaurant in Los Angeles, Colt faces his fears in order to pick up where he left off. Unfortunately, Jody is not so keen on resuming whatever it is they had: she is still hurt by how Colt shut her out completely after his injury.

All is not lost though — as the star of the movie mysteriously disappears, Colt is tasked to find him and save Jody's film. It's an opportunity to make it up to her, and to prove he can be the hero offscreen too.

Gosling is what makes everything click in this movie, as his good vibes with Emily Blunt make every explosion worthwhile. Blunt, radically changing register after her role in Oscar -winner Oppenheimer , is clearly having fun every step of the way. This Barbenheimer union feels fated.

The Fall Guy has the right amount of action, comedy and romance, a winning formula that never wavers despite an overcomplicated plot and some tone-deaf jokes (like one mentioning Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's divorce). Drew Pearce's script is not perfect, but Gosling and Blunt make up for any missteps.

What the story nails is that classic screwball-comedy feeling, which sees the main couple constantly bantering until their feelings are too strong to hide.

Not that Colt Seavers is hiding anything — in one of the funniest scenes, Gosling cries while singing All Too Well by Taylor Swift in a car, and it's only the actor's irresistible charisma that prevents the moment from being cringey.

Filled with all kinds of movie quotes (from Fast & Furious and Lord of the Rings to Notting Hill ) and offering a peek at how blockbusters are made, The Fall Guy is made for movie fans.

As a former stuntman himself, Leitch feels the right pick to lead this tribute, which portrays stunt work with incredible care and admiration. While drawing bits from his previous work, from Deadpool 2 's narrative voiceover to Bullet Train 's upbeat action sequences, he lets the stunts speak for themselves.

Shout out to the first sequence, a long "oner" (a scene with no cuts) that takes us through a movie set alongside Ryan Gosling and ends up with an impressive stunt performed by Gosling himself.

Of course a movie celebrating stunt work would include large amounts of practical effects instead of heavy CGI settings, and it's a joy to see.

The Fall Guy is released in UK cinemas on May 2.

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Deputy Movies Editor, Digital Spy Mireia (she/her) has been working as a movie and TV journalist for over seven years, mostly for the Spanish magazine Fotogramas .

Her work has been published in other outlets such as Esquire and Elle in Spain, and WeLoveCinema in the UK.

She is also a published author, having written the essay Biblioteca Studio Ghibli: Nicky, la aprendiz de bruja about Hayao Miyazaki's Kiki's Delivery Service . During her years as a freelance journalist and film critic, Mireia has covered festivals around the world, and has interviewed high-profile talents such as Kristen Stewart, Ryan Gosling, Jake Gyllenhaal and many more. She's also taken part in juries such as the FIPRESCI jury at Venice Film Festival and the short film jury at Kingston International Film Festival in London. Now based in the UK, Mireia joined Digital Spy in June 2023 as Deputy Movies Editor.

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When the Game Stands Tall movie review (2014)
When the Game Stands Tall. To fully understand what's in store in the real-life football parable "When the Game Stands Tall," it's probably good to know that star Jim Caviezel's most noteworthy film role was as Jesus in "The Passion of the Christ.". Turns out his ability to preach and sway his disciples comes in pretty handy as ...
When the Game Stands Tall
Rated: 2/4 Aug 22, 2014 Full Review Bilge Ebiri New York Magazine/Vulture The real-life story behind When the Game Stands Tall sounds amazing. But for all its exciting sports scenes, the movie ...
When the Game Stands Tall (2014)
When the Game Stands Tall: Directed by Thomas Carter. With Jim Caviezel, Michael Chiklis, Alexander Ludwig, Clancy Brown. The journey of legendary football coach Bob Ladouceur, who took the De La Salle High School Spartans from obscurity to a 151-game winning streak that shattered all records for any American sport.
When the Game Stands Tall
When the Game Stands Tall is a 2014 American sports drama film directed by Thomas Carter. ... On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 41 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Box office. In its opening weekend the film grossed $8,381,509 in 2,673 theaters, ranking at #5.
Film Review: 'When the Game Stands Tall'
The religion of high-school football commingles with old-fashioned religion in "When the Game Stands Tall," an inspirational sports drama long on sermonizing and short on gridiron thrills.
When the Game Stands Tall
When the Game Stands Tall is an incomplete pass of a Sports-piration film. Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Aug 22, 2014. Neil Pond American Profile. Caviezel's performance is so low-key, it ...
'When the Game Stands Tall': Film Review
Director of photography: Michael Lohmann. Production designer: Jaymes Hinkle. Costume designer: Claire Breaux. Editor: Scott Richter. Music: John Paesano. Rated PG, 115 minutes. This true-life ...
When the Game Stands Tall
Inspired by a true story, When the Game Stands Tall brings to life the incredible winning streak of the De La Salle High School football team: 151 straight victories over 12 years. Along the way, Coach Bob Ladouceur (Jim Caviezel) has always emphasized purpose and significance rather than streaks and titles. But when real-life adversity leaves the team reeling, the Spartans must decide if the ...
When the Game Stands Tall
From the first snap, then, When the Game Stands Tall offers a powerful reminder of what the best kind of coach looks like in action. From the first snap, then, When the Game Stands Tall offers a powerful reminder of what the best kind of coach looks like in action. ... Movie Review. The Streak lasted for more than a decade, from 1992 until 2003.
When the Game Stands Tall (2014)
When the Game Stands Tall is about coach Bob Ladouceur and his values. Bob Ladouceur turned down bigger offers to coach high school and build people. The movie has religious values about the measures we give is the measures we receive. Team over individuals, depending on each other, commitment, and selflessness over selfishness.
When the Game Stands Tall Is Good at Football, Bad at Drama
The real-life story behind When the Game Stands Tall sounds amazing. But for all its exciting sports scenes, the movie version falls flat as drama. But for all its exciting sports scenes, the ...
When the Game Stands Tall Movie Review
This movie has great messages, role models and a real look at falling down hard and getting back up. Yes, there is a murder. The shots are heard, but are not shown on the screen. The young man is shown lying in the street after the police arrive. It is a part of the true story, and is done in the 1940's style.
Review: When The Game Stands Tall
Review: When The Game Stands Tall. ... the team triumphed in 151 straight games. The movie opens with the last of these before turning its gaze on the 2004 team. Thanks in part to the other coaches in a fed-up (and beat-up) conference, the Spartans are more or less forced to branch out and face infinitely tougher teams, and consequently drop ...
When the Game Stands Tall critic reviews
Metacritic aggregates music, game, tv, and movie reviews from the leading critics. Only Metacritic.com uses METASCORES, which let you know at a glance how each item was reviewed. ... When the Game Stands Tall Critic Reviews. Add My Rating Critic Reviews User Reviews Cast & Crew Details 41. Metascore Mixed or Average positive. 3 (13%) mixed. 15 ...
When the Game Stands Tall
[tab title="Movie Review"] {googleAds} When the Game Stands Tall, the "true" story of a California high school football team that ripped a streak of 151 straight victories and 12 State Championships, has a tough struggle to overcome. One much tougher than typically encountered by the sports drama.
'When the Game Stands Tall' movie review: Disjointed script fumbles
Michael Chiklis and Jim Caviezel play a pair of high school football coaches with a decidedly different approach to the game in the New Orleans-shot sports drama 'When the Game Stands Tall ...
When the Game Stands Tall
When the Game Stands Tall. Inspired by a true story, "When the Game Stands Tall" recounts the remarkable journey of legendary football coach Bob Ladouceur (Jim Caviezel), who took the De La Salle High School Spartans from obscurity to a 151-game winning streak that shattered all records for any American sport. Watch Trailer. 11. Negative Rating.
When The Game Stands Tall (Starring Jim Caviezel) Movie Review
When The Game Stands Tall starring Jim Caviezel, Michael Chiklis, and Alexander Ludwig is reviewed by Matt Atchity (Editor-in-chief Rottentomatoes.com) and C...
'When the Game Stands Tall,' movie review
A football gridiron may be rectangular, but this family movie sure is square. This fact-based tale is about the Richmond, Calif., Spartans. When first glimpsed, they have the longest winning streak…
WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL
The acting in WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL is top notch. Many of the young men who star in the movie are sure to have bright futures. The story is both compelling and realistic, though the first half starts off weak and disjointed. Overall, WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL is a movie that goes against a culture that is all about personal fulfillment.
Parent reviews for When the Game Stands Tall
LauraBear Parent. September 29, 2014. age 9+. Amazing story. Excellent message. Great for family! This film tells an amazing story about De La Salle High School's legacy and the coach behind it all. It has plenty of action and emotions. The message is about commitment, honor, faith and love.
When the Game Stands Tall
ABOUTWhen the Game Stands Tall. Inspired by the remarkable true story of the De La Salle Spartans and visionary Coach Bob Ladouceur (Jim Caviezel), who led a struggling high school football team to 12 undefeated seasons, the longest winning streak in American sports history, through his unyielding focus on character-building, faith ...
When the Game Stands Tall Movie Review for Parents
When the Game Stands Tall Rating & Content Info . Why is When the Game Stands Tall rated PG? When the Game Stands Tall is rated PG by the MPAA for thematic material, a scene of violence, and brief smoking.. Overall: A. Violence: C+ A character is targeted and shot to death at close range. A father yells at and pushes his son around. Some on-field sports violence is shown.
Game, set and match: the 20 best sports movies
The sports movie is pretty much as old as movies themselves: for early silent-cinema pioneers at the turn of the 20th century, the movement and momentum of a baseball game or a boxing match made ...
The Fall Guy review: Ryan Gosling is at his goofiest in new movie
Of course a movie celebrating stunt work would include large amounts of practical effects instead of heavy CGI settings, and it's a joy to see. The Fall Guy is released in UK cinemas on May 2 ...

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Reviewed at Sony Pictures screening room, New York, Aug. 20, 2014. MPAA Rating: PG. Running time: 114 MIN.

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