Film Review: Undefeated

Director: Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Martin

After winning an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, this film has gone from strength to strength which involved the film being released outside of America despite being based around American Football which is still a minority sport in many countries. With the increased popularity in countries like England and Germany I'm glad to see the film was released at many cinemas over here.

The story follows the Manassas Tigers High School Football team who have never won a playoff game in over 100 years and failed to win a game for 17 straight seasons before Coach Bill Courtney took over with new ideas and most importantly a new attitude. Despite being a volunteer and working hard to the detriment of his business and family he teaches the players discipline and pride both on the field and off the field which has to be admired.

Coach Bill Courtney encouraging a player

One thing this movie does prove is that the hit TV series Friday Night Lights was actually incredibly accurate with it's storylines of trouble and hardship in small town Texas. Coach Bill Courtney is Coach Eric Taylor from the series except for the fact Courtney does this in his spare time and isn't paid but that side the love they have for the players is touching.

The film focuses a lot on the coach which takes away from some of the stories of the players as only 3 players are looked at extensively. But the film truly shows how hard it is for kids to get a good education in small town Tennessee which is shameful and is happening all over America. You are left in no doubt that without Coach Bill teaching them football then many of these players wouldn't even be at school anymore, the image of every pupil going through metal detectors and being patted down on the way into school is something that continues to go round in my mind.

3.5/4 Superbly touching documentary even for people who don't like American Football