Spring Break
The Daily Orange'The Express' opens nationwide, receives criticism
Abstract:
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The nationwide release of "The Express" this weekend was not well received in West Virginia.
Officials across the Mountain State condemned the film, which depicts the life of legendary Syracuse University tailback Ernie Davis, for its portrayal of West Virginia University football fans....
- Displaying 1 - 11 of 11
Marc Le Vine
posted 10/13/08 @ 9:15 AM EST
The best part about the film was that Coach Robinson was not coaching these games!
This was a very good film. I took my son and his fiance to see it last night and was so proud to see our alma mater up on the Big Screen. After all, how many other colleges have had the honor of being so highly touted, as a football program, on the big screen.
Of course, there were a few historical aspects of the film that few of us are proud of - though SU was portrayed as slightly more racially tolerent than many of the other teams we played in those days - especially those in the deep south.
Don't miss this film. Be very proud that Jim Brown, Ernie Davis and Floyd Little played for the Cuse!! I can't wait to purchase the DVD when it is released. I just wish I could have it now and watch it after every game we lose throughot the rest of the season.
There was a time when SU played inspiring, hard nosed football. That time will come again!!
This was a very good film. I took my son and his fiance to see it last night and was so proud to see our alma mater up on the Big Screen. After all, how many other colleges have had the honor of being so highly touted, as a football program, on the big screen.
Of course, there were a few historical aspects of the film that few of us are proud of - though SU was portrayed as slightly more racially tolerent than many of the other teams we played in those days - especially those in the deep south.
Don't miss this film. Be very proud that Jim Brown, Ernie Davis and Floyd Little played for the Cuse!! I can't wait to purchase the DVD when it is released. I just wish I could have it now and watch it after every game we lose throughot the rest of the season.
There was a time when SU played inspiring, hard nosed football. That time will come again!!
Mike Connell
posted 10/13/08 @ 11:39 AM EST
The filmmakers concocted a racial incident -- made it up completely -- in order to condemn racism. That's about as cynical as you can get.
How can the NAACP or anyone who believes in fairness not condemn this movie? By standing silent, they are in effect saying there is no difference between true acts of racism and concocted acts. They are ignoring a blood libel against a community that did nothing to deserve it.
When the little boy kept crying wolf, the people eventually quit believing him. If Hollywood keeps crying racism -- when in fact it's a demonstrable and damnable lie, a feeble joke -- then when should the world quit believing any story that claims racism?
How can the NAACP or anyone who believes in fairness not condemn this movie? By standing silent, they are in effect saying there is no difference between true acts of racism and concocted acts. They are ignoring a blood libel against a community that did nothing to deserve it.
When the little boy kept crying wolf, the people eventually quit believing him. If Hollywood keeps crying racism -- when in fact it's a demonstrable and damnable lie, a feeble joke -- then when should the world quit believing any story that claims racism?
Andrew
posted 10/13/08 @ 3:38 PM EST
Almost 20 years ago in the Tom Cruise film BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, director Oliver Stone depicted an anti-war rally on the SU campus turning into a violent police-protestor melee. That never happened either, and a lot of SU people were po'ed about it.
-- Andrew Milner, '90
-- Andrew Milner, '90
Bruce Skewes
posted 10/13/08 @ 7:12 PM EST
Originally posted byIt's a shame the film has those inaccuracies; I wonder why when the true story is so compelling on its own. As for Oliver Stone, he and Michael Moore couldn't tell the truth if their lives depended on it.Andrew
Almost 20 years ago in the Tom Cruise film BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, director Oliver Stone depicted an anti-war rally on the SU campus turning into a violent police-protestor melee. That never happened either, and a lot of SU people were po'ed about it.
-- Andrew Milner, '90
John Hemmer, '63
posted 10/19/08 @ 11:26 PM EST
Originally posted byAndrew
Almost 20 years ago in the Tom Cruise film BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, director Oliver Stone depicted an anti-war rally on the SU campus turning into a violent police-protestor melee. That never happened either, and a lot of SU people were po'ed about it.
-- Andrew Milner, '90
It is too bad the police did not bash a few heads in. in 1970, My wife, 8 month pregnant with my daughter was driving back form a doctors appointment with my 2 1/2 year ok Autistic son. She was trapped in her car with my son who was screaming for over an hour by the draft doging graduate students living off government fellowships and food stamps paid for my my hard earned tax dollars, while had their selfish protest. I have no use for them or that traitor John Kerry.
MPH
posted 10/14/08 @ 6:53 AM EST
Get over it, it's a movie. It's creative license. Why was the game at night? Why was the game at WV? Because for the movie's purposes, it was more dramatic. Get over yourselves.
Bruce Skewes
posted 10/14/08 @ 8:55 AM EST
Originally posted byWell, that's the stupid quote of the year. The movie does not present itself as fiction; it presents itself as an accurate depiction of history/biography. There are no disclaimers. I guess it's okay with you, but where do we draw the line?MPH
Get over it, it's a movie. It's creative license. Why was the game at night? Why was the game at WV? Because for the movie's purposes, it was more dramatic. Get over yourselves.
MF
posted 10/20/08 @ 10:59 AM EST
Originally posted byMPH
Get over it, it's a movie. It's creative license. Why was the game at night? Why was the game at WV? Because for the movie's purposes, it was more dramatic. Get over yourselves.
Please, WVU got in trouble just LAST YEAR for hanging nooses outside of black professor's doors. Like it was any BETTER back then.
ryan
posted 10/14/08 @ 10:42 AM EST
The film only showed game action from his sophomore year. That does not mean that in his Jr and Sr year all the race issues went away. The writers had to fit all the issues from his career into one season.
Jim Brown helped write the script and described a lot of what happened to him the year before Davis got there. Those scenes are based on factual events. If you dont think that there were racists at WVU, you may want to take that up with Mr Brown personally.
Just because it didnt happen that season, does not mean it didnt happen.
Jim Brown helped write the script and described a lot of what happened to him the year before Davis got there. Those scenes are based on factual events. If you dont think that there were racists at WVU, you may want to take that up with Mr Brown personally.
Just because it didnt happen that season, does not mean it didnt happen.
Marc LeVine
posted 10/21/08 @ 11:44 AM EST
Unfortunately, the movie did not do very well at the box office on opening weekend, earning a paltry $4+ million. That's not a good omen for its theatre staying power. In fact, by Monday the newspaper and TV ads for the film were pulled. So, it will soon be a theatre memory and off to video.
Too bad. It got tons of advance billing. Much more than many other recent releases. But, once again, it just goes to prove that the majority of young theatre goers (the biggest ticket audience) could care less about sports legends that they didn't grow up watching. And, though Davis was certainly a great one, I'm not sure the media had done a great job keeping his memory alive all of these years. Probably, because he never played a single down in the NFL.
Once again, that's too bad, because Ernie Davis had an even more important story to tell about the civil rights movement.
Movie audiences need to be paying more attention to this movie. It offers so much about the young and talented man, his times and his strength in the face of many obstacles - almost all of which he beat.
Too bad. It got tons of advance billing. Much more than many other recent releases. But, once again, it just goes to prove that the majority of young theatre goers (the biggest ticket audience) could care less about sports legends that they didn't grow up watching. And, though Davis was certainly a great one, I'm not sure the media had done a great job keeping his memory alive all of these years. Probably, because he never played a single down in the NFL.
Once again, that's too bad, because Ernie Davis had an even more important story to tell about the civil rights movement.
Movie audiences need to be paying more attention to this movie. It offers so much about the young and talented man, his times and his strength in the face of many obstacles - almost all of which he beat.
- Displaying 1 - 11 of 11
Mark R. Sukoenig, OD
posted 10/13/08 @ 6:43 AM EST