I'm not a big athlete, I don't follow any sports and I'm not a "sports guy" but I love a good sports movie. Some of my favourite movies are sports films because they tend to be full of emotion and drama and intensity. Think of all the classic films that revolve around sports in some way. There is something heroic and inspiring about sports films. So when I originally saw the trailer for When The Game Stands Tall I was practically foaming at the mouth. It had all the earmarks of being one of those uplifting, tear inducing films that leave you cheering. For one reason or another I kept putting off watching it, and putting it off and putting it off and finally...MONTHS later, I watched it. Probably it was partially marred by my expectations. That was inevitable. Not that this was a bad movie at all but it didn't set itself above or beyond any other film that has come before it. Some of the performances were very stiff and while I have absolutely no problem with a spiritual film or a Christian message, I think they let it lead the film rather than making it a part of the story and building around those morals. The film is incredibly predictable and doesn't even try to set itself apart.Jim Caviezel is an excellent actor. We've seen him done some solid roles but this is not one. He is so stiff in this role. I don't know if he's purposely playing the role moody and broody but he barely shows emotion even when he's giving passionate speeches. He seems downright hard and it makes it tough for us as viewers to relate to him and see him as a hero to the kids. He didn't play this role well at all. Michael Chiklis was good but severely underused as the assistant coach. Laura Dern is also very underused as Caviezel's wife. They could have focused on how his career has affected his marriage but she overacts the scenes she is in and that isn't many. The kids are decent but nobody stands out and that is a big problem too. Alexander Ludwig should be the focus but he isn't strong enough to carry the part and he ends up being just okay. Clancy Brown, Matthew Daddario, Joe Massingill, Jessie Usher and Stephan James give some of the more notable performances and they are all good but a movie like this could have given the opportunity for great performances but no one does.Director Thomas Carter comes from Television and he struggles to really pull this cast together to tell a good story in the window of a feature film. The script just feels clumsy but the morals are certainly there, the story is effective enough and families and young athletes can watch this and get something from it. It would probably be more effective to read about the real coach and real story but this is a good place to start. I certainly don't mean to bash the movie but I had such high expectations because this is really an easy genre to nail. The recipe is clearly cut by many films before it and I'm pretty easy to impress even if it is being predictable. This one was mostly forgettable and I will forever remember waiting so long for it to be just okay. 7/10

It is a fact that the De Lasalle high school football team of Concord, California went undefeated for seasons after season. They set a modern day sports record of 151 victories in a row. It was generally acknowledged that they didn't always have the best raw talent, but through proper coaching and fostering love and teamwork among all the players, they were able to rise to the task, week after week, year after year.This movie is mostly the story of the coach, Jim Caviezel as Bob Ladouceur. Of his approach to prepare the teenagers for life, to become good and dependable adults. He was asked about "the streak" and his answer was "It was never about the streak." This is a well-made movie with a good message. Yes, it is a bit sappy at times, and the overbearing dad who insisted that his son break the touchdown record was a bit over-emphasized. But on balance it is a good role for Caviezel and you can't argue with the message.

I grew up in Concord,Ca and what we always felt was unfair is De La Salle is a Private, Catholic High School thus is able to "recruit students"(Basically uber- talented footballers as dumb as rocks) from anywhere in the country because they are not bound by the same restrictions as public High Schools who require students to reside within their designated boundaries. Of course once they begin winning games the School poaches the talent from public High Schools thus creating this superhuman team of talented players. What i find even more offensive is they film the movie in Louisiana, 2500 miles away from where it should have been made which only adds to the unrealistic aspect of the so called "Human dramas" which seem to unfold during the characters portrayals.

"The streak was never our goal." Bob Ladouceur (Caviezel) is the head coach of the De La Salle Spartans, a high school team from California that has won 151 straight games. When they lose the 152nd things start to fall apart. Faced with tragedy on and off the field Coach Ladouceur must find a way to get the team to play together and grow as men. Sports movies are one of my favorite movie genres so I was really looking forward to this. I had high expectations going into this and that may be why I was a little disappointed. The movie was good and worth seeing but I really felt no connection with the players or the coaches. I just wasn't inspired like I was hoping I would be. Movies like Remember The Titans, Coach Carter and Glory Road are some of the recent ones that really gripped me and made me root for the team. There was something missing in this one because I wasn't rooting for anyone. The acting is good and the 2nd half of the movie really picked up though. I loved the ending and thought it was perfect but other than that I have to admit that I haven't been disappointed in a movie like I was in this in a long time. Overall, I'm sure many people will enjoy this but I was very disappointed. I'm not sure what was missing but I wasn't gripped like I wanted to be. I give this a low B.