Review: The Express

The Express
3.5 Lloyds – Cautionary Family-Friendly
PG-13 thematic material and language involving racism, and for brief sensuality.

Based on a true story, Rob Brown plays the role of college football hero Ernie Davis. Nicknamed the “Elmira” Express, the movie The Express follows the life of the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy. The Express also depicts Davis’ fight for equality and respect, which forever changed the face of American sports. Raised in poverty in a Pennsylvania coal-mining town, Davis became one of the greatest running backs in college football history. Under the guidance of legendary Syracuse coach Ben Schwartzwalder, played by Dennis Quaid, he became a hero who superseded Jim Brown’s achievements and set records that still stand to this day.

I must admit, I had no idea The Express would be such an inspiring movie. I went to the flick figuring this would simply be another one of those based-on-true-story-sports-type-movies. Predictable, but merely the same old story, based on a different sport.

After slightly more than 2 hours, I emerged from the theater with a much different concept of what The Express was all about.

“But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” (1 Corinthians 15:10)

Many people have what they call a life verse. If anything, throughout the life of Ernie Davis, his passion, purpose, destiny, character and determination came from the words of the above verse. Ernie Davis had much to overcome in life. We really discover two anchors in this movie which become the driving force behind all Ernie Davis did;

1. If you’re going to run, run with a sense of purpose.
2. Grace is never bestowed in vain.

These anchors provide the bookends for The Express. We see Davis running as a kid and stuttering through the Corinthians verse at the beginning of the movie. Then we discover him running to the end of the race called life, holding on to the fact it’s the grace inside of him which enables him to continue the race, no matter what. As the growing civil rights movement divided the country in the ’60s, Davis became a symbol for achievement that transcended race. Refusing to flinch from others’ prejudices, he achieved all his goals-until he faced a challenge that would make most men crumble. He joined the ranks of black pioneers by teaching a generation tolerance, and inspiring a movement that smashed barriers on and off the field.

As already mentioned, I did not expect to find much different in this sports movie. “Yet another sports flick,” I thought to myself. But, since this based on true story movie is about the famed football player from Elmira, New York, I was interested because Elmira is right in my own backyard. Much to my surprise, when we entered the theater we found ourselves screening the movie with Al Mallette’s son and his family. Mallette, was the sports writer for the Elmira Star-Gazette in the 1960’s, and he’s the one who nicknamed Ernie Davis, the Elmira Express. It was fun watching the family react as they saw their father, and grandfather, come to life on the big screen in a movie.

Overall, it’s true, The Express is like any other based on true story sports movie. It’s pretty much to football, what the 2006 movie Glory Road is to basketball. Both are movies set in a turbulant time in U.S. history grappling with racial integration. We find in The Express the same aspects found in Glory Road. A college sports team, a coach, and a nation, working through the fact that all men are created equal. However, one key difference revolves around the fact that while Glory Road shows the struggles of a nation working through integration, The Express reveals a sense of purpose, passion and destiny of those who helped transform and begin to erase the lines of segregation.

The Express clocks in at a little better than two hours. That’s a long time to sit through a movie, especially if you’re not to sure about sports flicks. However, The Express moves quickly and does not linger on football games. While there are a number of football game scenes, they don’t seem drawn out and boring. The action is quick, and the overall focus is strong. There’s a delicate balance between the turmoil of the time, and comic relief sprinkled throughout the movie to keep you chuckling from time to time too.

Perhaps Al Mallette’s son summed it up best when the movie finished. He said to me, “It’s a good movie. It’s a Hollywood movie which took some liberties, but overall it’s a good movie.” He also pointed out that his 85 year old Dad who’s still living in Elmira said, “Ernie would have never talked back to the coach like that.” But then again, that’s Hollywood liberty.

I must admit I’m surprised The Express didn’t do better for it’s opening weekend box office take. It came in 6th pulling in slightly more than $4 million dollars. Maybe people just aren’t interested in seeing movies right now in the face of the economic turmoil we find ourselves in. But, if you like sports, and if you like college football, you will enjoy this movie. Along the way you will also learn a few things about determination, purpose, destiny and character.

Enjoy the show!
Dr. Rus