Show Express Express' A Moving Tale Ann Hornaday The Washington Post Have you heard of Ernie Davis If you have you'll love The Express a classical sports of the Syracuse running back who in 1961 became the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy And if you haven't well you'll love The Express too if only because Davis' Davis story is isso isso isso so worthy of attention and respect Born Bom in 1939 Davis was reared by his grandfather in a Pennsylvania coal town until the boy moved to Elmira NY to live with his mother and stepfather He quickly emerged as asan asan asan an athletic prodigy and andin andin andin in 1959 he was recruited by Syracuse University replacing Jim Brown who was on his way to becoming a superstar Cleveland Browns running back He even inherited Browns Brown's Syracuse jersey number 44 but no pressure Rob Brown portrays Davis with sympathy and restraint and director Gary Fleder does a good job conveying the myriad lines physical personal political Davis had to cross simply to be his best From the films film's opening sequence when young Ernie outruns a gang of racist t ih thugs in h P Pennsylvania I vania to the pivotal Cotton Bowl game against the University of Texas in 1960 The Express documents the indignities of being an African American first They range from epithets and outright violence on the field to hostile stares from Syracuse classmates As warm as Browns Brown's portrayal of Davis is its it's Dennis Quaid as Syracuse coach Ben who provides the movies movie's most fascinating figure became a reluctant pioneer for civil rights as his integrated team withstood epithets bottles and death threats while playing in the Deep South Fleder portrays the two mens men's complicated dynamic with observant humor and subtlety for forthe forthe forthe the most part avoiding the most bathetic sports-movie sports cliches Only one scene of someone crying in the rain Quaid with his hair cropped to a Kennedy- Kennedy era burr and his voice a gravelly bark personifies the raincoat-and-fedora raincoat coach whose political awakening is only ancillary to his deep competitiveness After he gives Davis what a teammate calls the white girl speech ie i.e. dont don't date them that same teammate explains that likes winning more than he dislikes Negroes But by the time the Orangemen square off against the Longhorns for that historic 1960 bowl game inner compass has moved Dont you let anyone steal history away from you he tells his team during a gruffly emotional halftime speech Spiked with stirring scenes such as these the games in The Express whose title derives from Davis' Davis nickname the Elmira Express take on even deeper meaning Filmed with pulverizing accuracy they bristle riot only with physical action but also historical and political symbolism If youve you've heard of Ernie Davis you know to pack your handkerchiefs for this film If you haven't heard of Ernie Davis pack a few more In either case do see seeThe seeThe The Express It finesses a cinematic hat trick Its It's entertaining deeply moving and genuinely important The Express II is rated PG for thematic content violence and racist profanity and brief sensuality |