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Rob Brown (VI), Dennis Quaid, Omar Benson Miller, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Charles S. Dutton ... see more see more... , Justin Martin , Geoff Stults , Clancy Brown , Joseph Mazurk

Finding Forrester star Rob Brown steps into the cleats of Heisman Trophy-winning gridiron giant Ernie Davis in director Gary Fleder's inspirational sports docudrama. As a young boy reared not far from... read more read more... the northern Pennsylvania state line, Davis dreamed of blasting through the end zone and scoring a triumphant touchdown while fans rose to their feet and cheered. When Davis later became a star running back for the Syracuse Orangemen, his dreams were finally on the way to becoming a reality. Under the wing of coach Ben Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid), it seemed as if there is nothing that could stop Davis from entering into the annals of sports history; even during an era in which the civil rights movement was just gaining momentum, this fledgling gridiron giant never once doubted his ability to rise to the top. When Davis was diagnosed with leukemia shortly after being drafted into the NFL, however, his will to survive soon eclipsed his dreams of success. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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74% liked it

818,041 ratings

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61% liked it

114 critics

PG, 2 hr. 10 min.

Directed by: Gary Fleder

Release Date: October 10, 2008

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DVD Release Date: January 20, 2009

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Flixster Reviews (6,943)

  • phubbs1
    February 9, 2012
    phubbs1
    Another well made true factual sporting film about an all star black American football star in the 50's/60's when racism was a very hot cookie in the States. The whole story, even though its true, isn't very original hehe they do tend to be all the same really,
    A poor boy having ... read morea hard time growing up as an outcast makes it good in the world of pro football due to his natural athletic abilities, wins over many peoples hearts and support but dies young from natural causes, missing his chance to really make his mark in the world.

    I have seen many good sporting films and they are always in the same vein, true or not, but they do seem to turn out well made and always make you feel good at the end or make you think, which is good. This film is no exception, its very very well made, looks really authentic capturing the era and problems of the time, has a great timeless soundtrack, little nuggets of real footage from the actual games and tugs at your heart strings throughout. It is predictable like all sport flicks but the fact its based on true events does make you ignore that, well you have to ignore that.

    The cast are all excellent, Quaid is good as the tough supportive coach and Brown is very good as Davis showing real love in his role, Dutton as Davis father is also very good in his short role adding real class to the whole film.

    I have to admit Americans sure know how to make a good sporting flick about their beloved national games, although Baseball doesn't fare as well as Football.
  • jonnyjason
    April 22, 2010
    jonnyjason
    Although 'The Express' doesn't live up to the standards of movies such as 'Remember the Titans' but it manages to keep viewers excited and thrilled. Its talented cast manages to pull of the inspirational characters.
  • bhobbs1985
    September 29, 2009
    bhobbs1985
    The Ernie Davis story; it's told from his child hood back in 1949 up until his death in 1964. For those who are sports fans, this movie is an instant classic in which I would put second only too "Remember The Titans", as we get an inside look at the child hood, life, and career o... read moref a true sports legend and those who surrounded him during his journey. It was amazinly done.

    For those who are not sportsmans - the movie has a solid plot with personal and life struggles,, it has an alright soundtrack (but ive seen better). Everyone knows that a great film needs a great soundtrack as it what truly brings some of the more emotional scenes alive; the movie however does lack that. It has top notch actors in Dennis Quaid and Rob Brown, and really just barley missed a beat. My only complaint is there is certain parts of the film that seem repeated, as if we seen this earlier in the film, but it happens rarley.

    In Conclusion I would say it's lack of soundtrack taking away from some of the better scenes that could be nothing short of amazing; and a storyline that sometimes seems repetive at points - it stands out as better than "Friday Night Lights", but not as quite up to par with Disneys "Remember The Titans".
  • deano
    July 26, 2009
    deano
    Another drama based on the true story about USA football, but mostly absolutely story of the first African-American player, Ernie Davis, to be awarded the Heisman Trophy, US college football's top honour. That also shows how Davis (Rob Brown), his team-mates and coach (Dennis Qua... read moreid) were affected by the burgeoning civil-rights movement.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    March 27, 2009
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "I won't tell him he'll be the next Ernie Davis, because there'll never be another Ernie Davis."

    A drama based on the life of college football hero Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy.

    REVIEW
    The Express is the true story... read more of Ernie Davis, the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy and what he went through in the late 50's and early 60's at Syracuse U following in the footsteps of Jim Brown. Most of us have never heard of him, and I didn't know his story until this movie was released. However after you watch this movie, you will wish that you had known whom he was and wonder why it took so long to tell his story. The movie stars Dennis Quaid, Charles S. Dutton, Omar Benson Miller and Rob Brown as Ernie Davis. Rob Brown is the young actor who also appeared in a couple basketball movies and that dancing movie with Antonio Banderas. The dialog between Brown and Quaid is very well handed, showcasing some intense talents by the two co-stars. With most of the movie taking place in the turbulent 50's, expect some racial tension, but at the same time also delivers an inspirational message about following your dreams and seizing the day.
  • xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    March 18, 2009
    xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    Great movie and very moving, I haven't seen a more touching movie about football since Remember the Titans! Awesome film you have to see it. A drama based on the life of college football hero Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy.
  • kpn666
    January 11, 2009
    kpn666
    I like inspiring stories. And yeah, Im not a big fan of American football, but this movie isn't just about football, its about racism, bias and prejudice.

    And really, how one young man can be the best he can be, an capture the imagination of an entire nation and even its Presid... read moreent, inspire and influence so many young people to this day, and in his young life, be regarded as a decent, honest and moral person, someone to look up to, someone to emulate and follow by example.

    This movie is a shot of history in the early and short life of Davis, his career in college football and his relationships with his coach and football legend Jim Brown, and how he and everyone around him fought to overcome the adversity and racial bias in the US to be recognised.

    The movie moves along well, especially from the interesting start as a boy, to his growth as a teen and then watching his life unfold and his becoming of a legend.

    The young stars in this movie are very good, the football action great, just as good as the Longest Yard. Though people will happy to see heavyweight Dennis Quaid as the coach divided between his love for the game and the bias inherent within himselfand Charles Dutton as the inspirational father figure to Davis.

    The movie is well shot, most of it authentic for the period though you might notice a few things that looked kinda out of time in the background... lets say a bright colored t-shrit or two in the crowd. But its more amusing than degenerative.

    Anyways, my favorutie is Quaid, the army drill sergant / head coach who make slife hell for his players, but is a great and innovate coach who led his team to an undefeated season against the best to become the National champions. Rude, grumpy, biased and with the characteristics of a raging bull, he is great to watch on screen.

    If you like to be inspired, watch this one.
  • gator681
    October 12, 2008
    gator681
    [font=Century Gothic]In "The Express," it is 1958 and football head coach Ben Schwartzwalder(Dennis Quaid) of Syracuse University is in a bit of a pickle, having his best player, Jim Brown(Darrin Dewitt Henson), depart to play for the Cleveland Browns. He quickly dismisses a few... read more candidates before coming back to Ernie Davis(Rob Brown), who is playing in his proverbial back yard in Elmira. But since Davis has the same dark skin color as Brown, he thinks he may be in store for another argumentative player but this does not stop Schwartzwalder from bringing along his former star player on a recruiting visit to a player who is already fielding interest from 50 different colleges including Notre Dame...[/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][font=Century Gothic]Since this is a football movie, then there must be a big game and none could be bigger than the 1960 Cotton Bowl between Syracuse and the University of Texas, deep in the hostile and segregated South. So, no matter what racism Davis had experienced in the North, it was nothing compared to what happened in Texas on a daily basis.[/font]

    "The Express" is an inspiring, if formulaic movie that rises above the routine only towards the end when everything comes full circle, even as attitudes have moved forward. Another factor in making this a better movie is Dennis Quaid's excellent performance as a coach whose beliefs are altered by his players to the point where the only important color on the field is orange. This is at a time when there were coaches who were hurt by their own bigotry in failing to recruit some of the best players in the country. Also, it is important to note how much the game has changed, since Davis played halfback on offensive, covered receivers on defense and returned kicks.(The film does not show him kicking fieldgoals but I would not be surprised. I also would have liked to have gotten more of a detailed personal background on him...) Not only the playing field was different, but the classrooms, as an African American student at Syracuse was a rare sight[/font][font=Century Gothic].[/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][/font]
  • jeffboam
    August 18, 2010
    jeffboam
    What surprised your reviewer the most about The Express was not how the well played ending still came as a shock even though its particulars were already known, but how this drama rose above the countless other race-related sports flicks. Indeed, such a film had pretty much the s... read moreame playing field to cover as Remember the Titans, Glory Road, and Pride?all recent flicks that are also based on real events. But it does so in an amazingly fresh fashion, doling out a story so emotionally stirring that it does not plod along like a Movie-of-the-Week but as an original underdog tale. And yes, there are times when it swoons a bit too much to its own dramatic strains, but such are the trappings of a true crowd-pleaser.

    In the PG-13-rated The Express, Syracuse running back Ernie Davis (Brown) overcomes adversity and racism to become the first African-American to receive the Heisman Trophy.

    Director Gary Fleder, who is known more for crafting thrillers (Kiss the Girls, Runaway Jury) than heart-tugging drama, paints the ?60s on an amazingly palpable palette. It helps that he has assembled a letter-prefect cast to pull it off. Brown embodies the winning personality of Davis to great effect. And though he is no stranger to sports dramas as a player (Everybody?s All American, The Rookie), Quaid assumes the humbling mantle of cantankerous coach like a true pro, giving the film many of its most memorable scenes. At times, the action- backed by a oftentimes overpowering soundtrack -comes off a tad over-dramatic. Regardless, The Express still packs a wallop.

    Bottom line: Touchdown.
  • SC007
    November 1, 2009
    SC007
    I thought the film was good. The performances especially by Brown, Quaid, Miller, and Dutton are very good. The film reminded me of a combo of films like Remember the Titans, Rudy, The Invincible, Men of Honor, and Ray. The only negative with the film is the pacing of the film, w... read morehich is completely off.

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Critic Reviews

Ben Mankiewicz
November 10, 2008
Ben Mankiewicz, At the Movies

Rob Brown did a nice job. Full Review

Ben Lyons
November 10, 2008
Ben Lyons, At the Movies

Football fan or not, definitely be sure to see it. Full Review

Michael Phillips
October 18, 2008
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

The film does the job, in its conventional way. But it's geared to throw the prime screen time in the direction of the guy playing the guy coaching the guy who's supposed to be running the movie. Full Review

Mike Clark
October 18, 2008
Mike Clark, USA Today

Despite appealing performances and kinetic football scenes, the storytelling is mostly conventional, except for two outstanding set pieces. Full Review

Peter Rainer
October 13, 2008
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

The Express may prove valuable to movie historians since it's a compendium of virtually every sports movie cliché ever contrived. Full Review

Peter Howell
October 10, 2008
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

Consider that a virtue in a movie content to teach familiar messages without overstating them. Full Review

Peter Hartlaub
October 10, 2008
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle

The player, coach and even the wise grandfather figure played by Charles S. Dutton have at least one more dimension than the typical sports-movie stereotypes. Full Review

John Anderson
October 10, 2008
John Anderson, Newsday

A far more intelligent movie than the ads might make it seem. Full Review

Joe Neumaier
October 10, 2008
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News

Sadly, however, this is all too familiar, which is something nobody could say about the real Ernie Davis. Full Review

A.O. Scott
October 10, 2008
A.O. Scott, New York Times

Packages a real-life story of athletic triumph and social progress into an accessible, rousing melodrama that is no less potent for being almost entirely predictable.

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