In 1965, TC Williams High school opened in Alexandria, Virginia. Though it wasn’t the average high school back in the 1960’s; they brought integration into the picture. Originally there were two different schools where people of color would attend. This was until they opened that high school and brought them together. That is where the true story, “Remember the Titans,” is based off of. The Titans are a football team with all white high school boys, and they have everything planned out for their season. This is until their school gets mixed with the school of color. Eventually, to have a successful team, they need to learn to work together with that racial mix being added. The director did a tremendous job bringing back to life how racial inequality affected so many lives during that time, but also showing how determination and leadership can make all the difference. A truly heartfelt and inspirational performance.
“Remember the Titans” is, in my opinion, one of the best examples of how working together and getting along can be very difficult, but worth it. Racial inequality was such a hard topic in the day and age of this movie. Imagine having to get on a bus for a very long car ride with a stranger; not to mention, that person being someone seen as revolting by others in the community. That is what these highschool boys had to go through. So were they happy about that? The answer is heck to the no, but they had to learn to get over that assumption and learn for themselves if the skin color stereotype was really true. There is plenty of football going on, but it is way more than just high school football. It is about respecting everyone no matter their size, shape or color. That would be difficult, especially growing up in the times of such racial inequality and having parents that have raised them to think that way. Respect is one of the ways that helped them get along better, but also by incorporating music, leadership and determination.
There are many problems that go on in this movie, and they are all very difficult to get through. The coaches and players are determined to work hard and get through it. I am not saying it is all sunshine and happy rainbows and that the whole football team gets along all the time. There are multiple instances where they may say the wrong things and then big fights arise, but they have great leaders, like the captains, to help them get through those differences and get it into their heads that skin color does not define the person. Determination also comes out onto the football field. During games they need to have each others backs, no matter what the crowd or the other team may be saying.
“Attitude reflects leadership, captain.” This is something said by Julius Campbell (Wood Harris) and it really reflects how leadership is so important in success. If everyone in the world had the same opinion about integration then we could still be in separate schools: maybe there would not have been a problem with it to start. There were many different views on whether it was a good or bad thing; some leading to violence. If any supremacist in this film didn’t have a positive attitude towards that there is no way that football team could ever work out or even have the movie made. So by having a good attitude and being determined to get along made all the difference.
For me it is such an inspirational performance and story to be telling, yet also very underrated. I have told people I am doing a review about the movie “Remember the Titans” and 8/10 have no clue what it is. It amazes me how such a important message can be so looked over. Yes, it is a pretty old movie made in 2002; which, is a little before I was born. Personally I don’t see that as being a big red flag and a reason not to watch it. Think of the movie “The Titanic,” which was made in 1997. That is even older yet seems to be more known. It is based on a true story, and tragic, but so was “Remember the Titans.” Everytime I watch this movie I tear up because it’s so hard to watch the struggles and decisions being made and not being able to do anything about it. There may be violence and tragedy but the way that these people deal with all of that it is just mind blowing. Now I say tragic and violence quite a bit and that may be a little off putting but that is what makes the message that this movie wants to send out even more empowering.
Racial inequality is still a problem today. Some may say it has gotten better in some ways but as much as we hate to admit it it is still going on. What everyone could learn from “Remember the Titans” is that there is a way to get through it; it just requires work. I think it shows that black and white differences are just stereotypes. By staying determined, achieving anything, no matter the difficulty, is possible. If those boys didn’t put aside their differences and work together then they would have never accomplished all that they did including accomplishing something very important to all of them. “People say it can’t work, black and white. But before we reach for hate, always always remember the titans.”