Review of When the Game Stands Tall (2014) by Patrick L — 19 Aug 2015

"This movie doesn't stand tall as an inspirational sports movie".

DVD Movie Review: When the Game Stands Tall.

Date Viewed: December 9 2014.

Directed By Thomas Carter (Coach Carter).

Written By Scott Marshall Smith.

Starring: Jim Caviezel, Michael Chiklis, Laura Dern, Alexander Ludwig, Gavin Casalegno,.

Ser'Darius Blain, Stephan James, Matthew Daddario, Joe Massingill, Clancy Brown,.

Matthew Frias, Chase Boltin, Jessie Usher,.

LaJessie Smith, Richard Kohnke, Adella Gautier and Terence Rosemore.

This movie doesn't stand tall as an inspirational sports movie. "When the Game Stands Tall" is overly sentimental and it has every sports movie cliche in the book, it has arguments, uninspired speeches, the angry father to the star running back and the legendary coach who is the last hope of getting his team back on track. "When the Game Stands Tall" is based on the true story of Bob Ladouceur and his De La Salle High School football team. Why was he so special? He led the team to a 151-game winning streak from 1992-2003.

Did I mention that De La Salle High School is a Catholic school. That's right folks, this movie has Christian themes in it, OH GOD!

Bob Ladouceur (Jim Caviezel) is not just a legendary football coach, he's also a great family man. He has a beautiful wife played by Laura Dern and two sons, his eldest son Danny (Matthew Daddario) plays on the team too. When one of Ladouceur's star players gets killed by a gang member at a party, the team is in a freefall. De La Salle has it's first loss in eleven years but Ladouceur is determined to get his team back on track.

Soon, we get the worst cliche in sports movies, the angry dad. He's played by Clancy Brown and he wants his son, Chris Ryan (played by Alexander Ludwig, who is the star running back) to succeed as a star football player. We also get Michael Chiklis as an assistant coach and Laura Dern as Ladouceur's wife. Director Thomas Carter (Coach Carter) and screenwriter Scott Marshall Smith have made a bland Christian movie that tries to disguise itself as an inspirational football movie. "When the Game Stands Tall" is no "Rudy", it's not even "Draft Day".

A documentary about California coach Bob Ladouceur and his De La Salle football team could've been interesting but as a movie, not so much. It fails to kick the ball.