Film Review: The Express

Director: Gary Fleder

Released in 2008, it covers a lot of the same ground as the recently released 42 about Jackie Robinson being the first African-American to play in the Major League of Baseball. Here we follow Ernie Davis as he becomes the first African-American to win the Heisman trophy (the top honour for a player in college football), the issues faced in the late 1940's are very similar, unfortunately I saw 42 before The Express but the similarities in story are uncanny and make me look back on 42 in an unfavorable light for striking such a similar tone and plot to this. To add to this Chadwick Boseman even plays Floyd Little at the end of the movie who Ernie Davis speaks to recruit him for Syracuse like Jim Brown did for him.

Ernie Davis (Rob Brown) grew up in Pennsylvania during the time of race segregation but impresses at high school football in Elmira, he is chased by many colleges to play football for them but is convinced to join Syracuse with Coach Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid) as they bring legend Jim Brown (Darrin Dewitt Henson) to talk to him. At Syracuse he slowly adjusts to life at college and becomes a star player before becoming winning the Heisman.

Ernie Davis with Coach Schwartzwalder

The film hits the usual expected notes during the film of triumphing over oppression whether it be due to race or a hostile away crowd and officials that give decisions against them, it really turns this into an underdog film for both Ernie Davis and Syracuse Orange with constant references to the fact they've never won a National title. Unfortunately this approach to the film means its incredibly flawed due to historical inaccuracies, chief among which was the abuse suffered by Ernie and the team in a game at West Virginia which did not happen and embellishments over the events of the Cotton Bowl game against Texas.

The acting is capable within the film, Rob Brown takes on the role model for black athletes everywhere in the limelight of a team pushing for a perfect season and a national title. That aside the film is quite formulaic in the triumph over adversity but does have a twist at the end for anybody who doesn't have any prior knowledge of the life of Ernie Brown.

2/4 Formulaic Sports drama about a great player