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Trust Weighted
Really Great
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83Trust Points
BrianSez's Review
Summary - Great 4.0
Bob Ladouceur is the man, and ‘When the Game Stands Tall’ is all about Bob, and Bob is awesome. Taking a high school football team to a 151 winning streak naturally invokes suspicions, but this film really does give you a sense that focusing just as much on the person as well as the game bears fruit in the form of yards and touchdowns. As any good sports movie will provide, WTGST has plenty of hard-hitting football in high definition and keeps up with standard setting films in terms of generating good old ‘are they going to do it?’ tension. Top that off with a well done job in the casting department, and you have a sports-winner of a film — just in time for the 2014 season.
Acting - Very Good 3.5
Jim Caviezel is one of those work-horse actors you see everywhere on TV, but I can’t remember any big-screen leading roles. In WTGST, he does a great job of being coach, albeit in a very downplayed sort of way. I think that was the point, and it was well done.
Love Laura Dern – no major drama, just a supportive wife. Nice.
Standout young actors, including Alexander Ludwig – who I first noticed in the series ‘Vikings’ (which is awesome by the way), Matthew Daddario – who plays the conflicted son, and Stephan James – who plays the “It’s all about me” player.
Male Stars - Very Good 3.5
Female Stars - Very Good 3.5
Female Costars - Very Good 3.5
Male Costars - Very Good 3.5
Film - Great 4.0
Follows the formula, but who cares – you’ll love it!