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Coach Bill Courtney, Montrail "Money" Brown, O.C. Brown, Chavis Daniels

Set in the inner-city of Memphis, Undefeated chronicles the Manassas Tigers' 2009 football season, on and off-the-field, as they strive to win the first playoff game in the high school's 110-year hist... read more read more...ory. A perennial whipping boy, in recent decades Manassas had gone so far as to sell their home games to the highest bidder, but that all changed in the spring of 2004 when Bill Courtney, a former high school football coach turned lumber salesman, volunteered to lend a hand. -- (C) Weinstein

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89% liked it

3,266 ratings

Critics

96% liked it

94 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 50 min.

Directed by: Daniel Lindsay, T.J. Martin

Release Date: February 17, 2012

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DVD Release Date: February 19, 2013

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Flixster Reviews (170)


  • March 23, 2013
    Check in 3/28 at themoviefreakblog.com for my review.
  • March 5, 2013
    With a name like Undefeated, one would think that The Weinstein Company's new sports documentary would be like so many other tear-jerker sports documentaries and sports-centric big screen dramas that have been created throughout Hollywood's modern era. But the reality of Undefea... read moreted is that while it does bare some semblance to other fictitious football dramas and sports documentaries, this documentary stand out in that it is actually less about football than it is about the struggle of a group of young men to overcome the challenges of their surroundings and escape those environs. It just so happens that the main means of escaping all of that is through football.

    What is most impressive about Undefeated is that while it is a documentary film, the progression of the story makes it feel just like it was a scripted work. That's thanks to equally solid editing and cinematography. Rather than simply being another par for course documentary, what audiences get in this program is more of a fly on the wall point of view. There is no interaction with the camera throughout the story. And the first person testimonials of sorts are kept to an extreme minimum. Yes, there are times when audiences are offered Courtney's personal thoughts on his journey with his players. But those "testimonials" are more along the lines of voice-overs than someone sitting in front of the camera, talking to viewers. That angle gives the story an extra amount of emotional depth. That depth will pull viewers in even more and keep them engaged throughout the course of the story's near two-hour run time. And in being so emotionally invested in the story, no viewer will be left dry-eyed by its final moments. Even the strongest of male audiences will be moved by the story's final closure and its epilogue included in the end credits. And that's okay. That emotional openness just shows character, which as coach Courtney notes is revealed through football.

    The shooting and the editing go a long way toward making Undefeated a moving story for all audiences. But what would the shooting be without the story itself? Yes, it bears some semblance to so many big budget sports based dramas. But as audiences will see in this story, it is its own original story. For starters, Coach Courtney (who looks a little bit like comedian Louie Anderson) isn't one of Hollywood's beautiful people. He is an ordinary person who leads this group of roughnecks for absolutely no pay. He is a volunteer coach. How often have audiences ever seen such a story on the big screen? And he shows his love and respect for the young men he leads not by some script loaded with flourishing soliloquies and moments of epiphany. Rather, he shows them a mix of tough love and respect. That mix is used as many of these young men have no male role model in their lives. This is very much a reality in everyday life. Courtney himself admits to having grown up without a father. That makes his determination to make these young men into respectable individuals and athletes that much stronger. And it's because of this that audiences will easily find themselves rooting both for Courtney and for the group of young men whom he leads into battle every Friday night on the high school gridiron.

    Those on-field battles help key players O.C., Money, and Chavis become better. They also help the whole team become a stronger unit and become one of the best teams that Manassas has ever had. Of course it all leads up to a rather unexpected ending, which won't be revealed here. But even with that ending, it is the personal wins of O.C., Money, and Chavis and the entire team that makes the title of this documentary so fitting. It's that understanding that leaves Undefeated a rare touchdown of a sports documentary that audiences will want to watch over and over again.
  • March 29, 2012
    good documentary! having played football on different levels, I really related to this film however having played football will not aid you in getting this film. it's about obstacles in life & how one deals with them....& overcome them, I loved this movie
  • March 5, 2012
    very good doc, keeps it at a human level, street level, showing us how things really are, which i always like, i liked all the players/coaches and really wanted to see them succeed

Critic Reviews


Tom Huddleston
July 31, 2012
Tom Huddleston, Time Out

'Undefeated' is no 'Hoop Dreams', but it's sturdily built and worthwhile. Full Review

Moira MacDonald
March 29, 2012
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

It's a surprisingly moving, emotional film, even for those who (like me) know little of football; by its end, you just might be blinking away a few tears. Full Review

Colin Covert
March 20, 2012
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Volunteer high school coach Bill Courtney says, "Football doesn't build character. Football reveals character." The triumphant sports documentary "Undefeated" proves that it does both. Full Review

Lisa Kennedy
March 16, 2012
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

[A] winning documentary. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
March 16, 2012
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

[A] stirring, emotional portrait of a high school football team in the impoverished neighborhood of North Memphis, Tenn. Full Review

Tom Long
March 16, 2012
Tom Long, Detroit News

It's a bit too long and a bit too vague at times, but this is a film about dedication, progress and the bond of human effort. It just also happens to include football. Full Review

Wesley Morris
March 15, 2012
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe

"Undefeated'' needs less of what we know we've seen (the football stuff) and more of the players' and coaches' lives, which even if we feel we've seen, we haven't. Full Review

Bill Goodykoontz
March 15, 2012
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic

What makes this a terrific film is how much we care about the players. Full Review

J. R. Jones
March 8, 2012
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

Courtney really does believe all that stuff about adversity and character, and the film is moving for its modest tale of boys learning to act like men. Full Review

Liam Lacey
March 2, 2012
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

This film is distinctly minor league. But it does provide the thumbs-up emotional lift of a bumper-sticker message on game day. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Undefeated Trivia


  • What movie did Rock Hudson star in with John Wayne?  Answer »
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  • Jon Favreau played me in a movie, I'm the only undefeated heavy weight boxer with a record of 50-0?  Answer »
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