Glory Road

For Don Haskins, the dream was always about winning: winning with guts, heart and grit; winning with self-respect; and winning even when the odds were completely stacked against you. What Haskins didn't know in 1966--when he was just a small-town family man trying to make an indelible mark in his first job as a collegiate basketball coach--is that his underdog team's incredible victory would transcend sport and change not only his life and the lives of his players, but the country itself. Haskins and his scrappy Texas Western Miners were unwittingly about to revolutionize basketball and the American landscape. It was still a time of innocence in the United States, yet the country was on the verge of major social changes when Haskins decided to play an all-African-American opening lineup at the NCAA championships against the all-white juggernaut of the University of Kentucky Wildcats. Haskins did it to win. But his bold decision would help break down barriers of segregation that affected every segment of society and set a new course for the future as his team did the one thing they could to prove themselves to a watching world: the played their hearts out.

I'll admit it. After seeing a movie or two that I really didn't like, I do go for the sure thing that I know I'll enjoy. Glory Road is that type of movie. Honestly, we've seen this movie before many many many times. From Mighty Ducks to Hoosiers to Miracle to Glory Road, you have seen this movie lots of times. The utterly predictable storyline that all these movies follow of a down and out team getting a new head coach, the new coach recruits talented yet undisciplined players, he shows them discipline and they keep winning and winning until something happens and they lose a game, the coach inspires them and they win the big game. It's a tried and true sports movie formula that is in all its glory in this movie. Josh Lucas had a very admirable performance as the coach of Texas Western and Jon Voight is great as always as the coach of Kentucky. A great family movie with a predictable formula.

A PG rating and the obvious slant toward families keep the language to a minimum. No sex or nudity in this movie and a bit of violence mostly in the form of people getting beat up. All examples of racism are displayed as very wrong and ignorant. Parents should be ready to explain why a black player was attacked by white men as young children may not understand.

A great family movie with a great message. As the latest example of feel-good sports movies, Glory Road merits a visit.

4.0 out of 5