(woman) In Virginia. high-school football is a way of life.
It's bigger than Christmas Day.
My daddy coached in Alexandria. He worked so hard. my mama left him.
But I stayed with Coach. He needed me on that field.
Up until 197 1. in Alexandria there was no race mixing.
Then the school board forced us to integrate.
They combined the white school and the black school into one.
called T. C. Williams High School.
That summer. a black teenager was killed by a white store owner.
and the city was on the verge of exploding.
- You've caused enough damage. - This is my store.
Move left! Move left! Hut, hut!
(overlapping shouting)
Come on, Kurt. Don't let Ray back you down like that. You're twice his size!
Oh! What are they doing? If they keep on playing like that, we'll lose every game!
I didn't think that was so bad.
(broken glass)
That's good, Gerry. I can see you've been working.
Thanks a lot, Coach. Um, listen, with the schools integrating and all,
some of the guys are worried about losing their starting positions.
That's something that we're gonna have to figure out.
But you don't worry about that now, you just keep at it, all right?
Yes, Coach.
Guys! Guys! It's coming down.
It's coming down at the store!
They wanna burn the place up 'cause that colored kid got shot.
Come on, man, let's go.
- Hey! - Come on, guys!
Hey!
- Coach. - Just get Sheryl to the school now, Herb.
Burn it down! Burn it down!
- Whoo! - Hey, that's my car!
Get in the truck.
Gerry, Alan, Ray,
if you ever wanna play for me again, get in the truck, now.
You boys are gonna cool off, come to my office, help me finish packing my things.
Gerry, son, your heart's in the right place,
but you oughta know better than to embarrass the coach like that.
Hell, why don't you just kick 'em all off the team?
I don't wanna play with any of those black animals. What? I see him.
Who are you?
I'm Herman Boone. I'm the new assistant coach.
Well, from the looks of things I'd say we got about all the help we need around here.
Why ain't you outside there with all your little friends, hollering?
This was the time that was arranged for me to meet with Coach Yoast.
- I never miss an appointment. - Well, maybe, um...
Maybe you just better reschedule.
Coach Boone, the school board made the decision to put you on my staff.
- I did not hire you. - Well, I came up here to coach at G.W.
I didn't ask the schools to redistrict. I didn't ask to be assigned to your staff,
so I guess we're both in a situation we don't want to be in.
But I can guarantee you this, Coach.
I come to win.
Win? Coach Yoast has been nominated to the Virginia High School Hall of Fame.
15 winning seasons.
Well, I won a couple titles down in North Carolina.
That's double-A ball. This here's Virginia, we play triple-A.
What an opportunity for me then...
to learn...
...from the best.
(* ''I Heard it Through the Grapevine'' by Marvin Gaye)
- Are those people the movers? - No. Looks like they're moving in here.
Lord, how many of them are there?
Only takes one, then we're gonna be overrun by 'em.
Mommy, where you taking my teddy bear?
Come on, y'all. Oh, ho-ho.
Where is everybody? Nicky, yes.
Look there, here comes some more of 'em.
Well, that's Dr. Day, that negro from the school board. What's he doing here?
It's not fair, my daddy's head coach.
This is gonna be his Hall of Fame year. You're gonna take that away from him?
No one is trying to take away your daddy's future place in the Hall.
But the school board has decided that negro, Herman Boone,
is gonna be the head coach at T.C.
You can't just walk in here and take my daddy's job away!
That is enough, Sheryl. That's enough.
- Sheryl! - Oh!
It's all right. I feel the same way.
It's those agitators and race-mixers I feel like taking a swat at.
Troublemakers in the Berg are ready to put a torch to the city.
You want us to burn up like Watts?
Every head coach in the system is white. We had to give them something.
It's the world we live in, God help us all.
I believe in the seniority system, Dr. Day.
Coach Yoast has done a fine job with his program.
- Job should be his. - Under ordinary conditions it would be.
But we are living in an extraordinary time.
I left North Carolina because I was passed over for a job that I had rightfully earned.
Gave it to a white coach down there, couldn't even tie up his own football cleats.
Now you are asking me to do the same thing to this man? I can't do that.
(woman) Herman?
Folks in Carolina say you marched with Dr. King.
Say you stood toe-to-toe with the Klan.
- Said you're a race man. - That's right. I'm also a family man.
Coach Boone, black folks have never had anything in this city to call their own
except humiliation and despair.
Dr. Day, excuse me. Herman, I think that you better look outside.
( applause. cheering)
So you see, we need you, Coach Boone. Come on.
Coach Boone, I'm Charles Campbell. This here is my boy, Julius.
He can be the finest defensive end in the whole state if you push him to it.
- I heard a lot about your boy. - You're like a answer to our prayers.
Wait a minute, now. I'm not an answer to your prayers,
I'm not a savior or Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King or the Easter Bunny.
I'm a football coach, that's all. Just a football coach.
You're our coach. You're our coach!
(chanting) Boone! Boone! Boone! Boone! Boone!
(knocking)
What do you want?
- Is Coach Yoast here? - We're busy.
Interviewing for head-coaching jobs.
Got 11 offers and certainly no time for you.
Well, come on in. I've got an office out back.
Look, I can't even spell diplomacy and I'm sorry about the way things went down,
but make no mistake, I am qualified to be this school's head coach.
Well, sure, you've been in, what, four or five programs in the past ten years?
- With four or five championships. - This isn't about me.
- I'm worried about my boys. - I ain't gonna cook 'em and eat 'em.
The best player will play. Color won't matter.
From the looks of our little situation we got us here, I'd say it's about all that does.
Yeah, you're right. We in a tough spot, Coach. You, me, the whole city.
I think that it would go a long way to smooth things over if you would stay.
Work on the staff, be a defensive coordinator. Assistant head coach.
- Work under you? - If that's the way you see it.
Good night, Coach.
It's been a rare privilege to have lived here as long as I have, coaching your boys.
- I'll be taking the year off... -( man) No.
...after which I'll be moving to Loudon
and taking the head-coaching job at Loudon High.
- (boy) Don't go, Coach! - I say boycott T.C. Williams.
Tell 'em, Fred.
Our boys aren't playing for some Coach Coon.
Coach, he stole your job. I'm not playing for him.
I started a petition and I'm sitting this season out.
Only place you're gonna sit is right back in that chair, Gerry. I appreciate it, though.
- Boycott T.C.! Boycott the school! - Stop this, Fred.
You know none of these boys can afford to go to some other district just to play ball.
They sit this one out, they put their futures on the line.
Coach, I'm out too. I'm not playing for no thief.
Don't do this. Don't make this any harder for me than it already is.
- Coach, if you go, I go. -(boy #2) I only play for you, Coach Yoast.
- (boy #3) Don't go, Coach. -(boy #4) You can't leave us.
(chanting) Coach Yoast! Coach Yoast! Coach Yoast! Coach Yoast! Couch Yoast!
I've coached most of these boys since they were your age.
I've seen 'em grow up in front of my eyes. Almost like they were my own kids.
Almost.
This is a heck of a time to be abandoning them to look out for themselves, ain't it?
So, what are you gonna do?
We gonna play some ball, y'all.
Black inside, black inside, black inside. Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh!
Hey, yo, Petey. How many yards you figure you gonna get this season, bro?
You know I ain't one to brag, Big Blue, but I figure on at least a thousand.
''I ain't one to brag.''
Didn't I tell you how them white boys weren't gonna play for no brother?
Well, who needs 'em, baby? From now on,
the Titans is gonna be powered by soul power, bro.
* He said soul power
(whistle)
Shut up.
(player) Wait. Shh!
Put your hand down.
- You smilin'? - Yes.
- Yes, sir. - Yes, sir.
- Why are you smiling? - 'Cause I love football. Football is fun.
- Fun, sir. - Fun, sir.
- It's fun? - Yes.
- You sure? - I think...
Now you're thinking. First you smile, then you're thinkin'?
- You think football is still fun? - Uh... yes.
- Sir. - Yes. No...
- No? - ...sir, sir. Uh...
- Well, it was fun. - Not anymore, though, is it?
- Is it? - Not right now.
No, it's not fun anymore. Not even a little bit.
Uh... no.
- Make up your mind. Think. - No, no.
Since you thinkin' now. Go on, think. Is it fun?
- No, sir. - No?
- No, sir. - Absolutely not?
- Zero fun, sir. - All right. Listen up. I'm Coach Boone.
I'm gonna tell you all about how much ''fun'' you gonna have this season.
We leave for camp, Gettysburg College, August 15th, 7:29am.
If you report at 7:30, you will not be playing football this season, you will be watching.
You will wear a jacket, shirt and tie.
If you don't have one, buy one. Can't afford one, then borrow one from your old man.
If you don't have an old man, then find a drunk, trade him for his.
'Cause I can guarantee you there isn't a bum on the street
that looks as raggedy and ridiculous as what I'm looking at right now.
This is no democracy.
It is a dictatorship.
I am the law.
If you survive camp, you will be on the team.
If you survive.
- Check 'em in, Coach. - Checkin' 'em in.
I'm Coach Hinds, your offensive line coach.
Yell out your name and positions, starting from the right.
Petey Jones, running back. The running back, y'all.
Whatever, Petey! Get outta here.
- Jerry Harris, quarterback. - Hallelujah! Hallelujah, Rev.
- Rev? - It's just a nickname.
And who in the name of heaven might you be?
I'm Louie Lastik, offensive lineman.
Naval family, just moved here from Bayonne.
Someone said football, so I come runnin'. What's going on, everybody?
( door opens)
With him calling the shots, ain't none of us gonna see nothin' but the bench this year.
He ain't callin' the shots. You'll play.
You have just disrupted my first team meeting in an unacceptable fashion.
This is my team now. Either you're with that or you're not.
I'm here, ain't I? Let's talk football.
- Let's talk football. - I run the defense...
As a part of my team strategy.
I have never seen an assistant coach's name in the newspaper for losing a game.
I want a job for Coach Tyrell. He's been with me for ten years,
I won't leave him out in the cold. You don't get me without him.
You're overcooking my grits, Coach. All right.
I will allow Coach Tyrell to coach a special team.
But I will have my eye on him...
...and you.
(* ''Express Yourself'' by Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band)
Good morning, good morning, Coaches. How are you?
- Good morning to you. - Looks good today, doesn't it?
Just wanted to let you know what the offense is doing.
- That's an awful skinny playbook, ain't it? - Well, I run six plays, split veer.
It's like Novocain. Just give it time. Always works.
See you on the bus.
Be patient, Bill. Your time will come.
- Herman, here we go. - Here we go.
How can I help you boys?
I'm Gerry Bertier, the only all-American you got on this team.
You want any of us to play for you,
you reserve half the open positions for Hammond players.
Half the offense, half the special teams.
We don't need any of your people on defense. We're already set.
- Uh-huh. Don't need none of my people. - Mm-hm.
What'd you say your name was? Uh, Jerry?
Gerry.
No, you must have said Jerry, like Lewis. Which would make you Dean Martin, right?
Ladies and gentlemen, I've got an announcement to make.
We got Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin going to camp with us here this year.
Jerry tells the jokes, Dean sings the songs and gets the girl.
Let's give 'em a round of applause.
Where's your folks, Gerry? Parents, are they here?
Where are they?
- That's my mother. - That's your mama?
- Mm-hm. - Very nice.
Take a good look at her.
'Cause once you get on that bus, you ain't got no mama no more.
You got your brothers on the team, and you got your daddy.
Now you know who your daddy is, don't you?
Gerry, if you want to play on this football team, you answer me when I ask you:
Who is your daddy?
Who's your daddy, Gerry?
Who's your daddy?
- You. - Uh-huh. And whose team is this?
Is this your team? Or is this your daddy's team?
- Yours. - Mm-hm. Get on the bus.
Put your jacket on first, and get on the bus.
Uh, Dean.
Fix that tie, son.
All right, listen up, listen up. I want everybody off the bus.
Let's go. Follow me, everybody. Let's go. Right now.
- (player) Why we gotta get off the bus? -(player #2) What are they doin', man?
All right, everybody off the bus.
Listen up. I don't care if you're black, green, blue, white or orange,
I want all of my defensive players on this side,
all players going out for offense over here. Right now.
Let's move. Let's move, let's move, let's move!
You and you, offensive bus, sit together.
You and you, defensive bus, sit together. Get comfortable, too.
Because the person that I have you sitting next to
is the same one that you'll be rooming with for the duration of this camp.
* 'Cause, baby, there ain't no mountain high enough
* Ain't no valley low enough
- * Ain't... - Blue, shut up.
I don't want to see your smilin' and shufflin' minstrel-show singing on this bus.
You, too.
Got that right.
You can shut up, too.
(* ''Spirit in the Sky'' by Norman Greenbaum)
* When die and they lay me to resttt
That's my bed.
* Gonna go to the place that's the best
* When I lay me ddown tto die
And that's his bed.
* Going up to the spirit in the sky
* That's where I'm gonna go when I die
I ain't looking at that for two weeks, man. Take it down.
You can close your eyes for two weeks for all I care.
Why don't you look at your wall and I'll look at mine.
I'll look wherever I want to, and I don't want to be looking at that for two weeks.
Then you better use your x-ray vision, Superman,
and look right through it, 'cause it ain't coming down.
Fight!
Hey, hey, hey, fight! Who is it?
Bunch of tough guys.
You look like a bunch of fifth-grade sissies after a cat fight.
You got anger. That's good. You're gonna need it, son.
You got aggression, that's even better. You're gonna need that, too.
But any little two-year-old child can throw a fit.
Football is about controlling that anger.
Harnessing that aggression into a team effort to achieve perfection.
Some coaches, they cut a player if they think he's not up to snuff.
Or they think he's hurting the team.
This is a public-school program.
I will never ever cut a player who comes out to play for me.
But when you put that uniform on, that Titan uniform, you better come to work.
We will be perfect...
...in every aspect of the game. You drop a pass, you run a mile.
You miss a blocking assignment, you run a mile.
You fumble the football,
and I will break my foot off in your John Brown hindparts.
And then you will run a mile. Perfection.
Let's go to work.
Hit! Hit!
Come on, move. Move, move, move those feet.
Get up, boy! Get up! Get up! Get up! Get up! Get up! Get up!
Keep that head up. Keep those heads up!
Keep those feet moving!
(Boone) Everything we gonna do is change. We are change.
We gonna change the way we run. We gonna change the way we eat.
We gonna change the way we block!
We gonna change the way we tackle!
- We gonna change the way we win! - Defense is desire.
- Fire and desire. - Defense, go! Come on!
Get up. Get outta here. Go run. Go!
(grunting)
(grunts)
Keep those legs moving!
Keep moving! Keep moving!
Keep that ball with you till you get out of the briar patch.
Show me, son! Show me, 'Bama! Show me, 'Bama!
Jump on that ball carrier like a starving man on a Christmas ham.
- Hut! - To the left! Move your feet!
Fumble, fumble, fumble!
What is wrong with you?! Why are you fumbling my football?
- My blockers were... - Your blockers?
Your blockers ain't got nothing to do with you holding the ball!
Did your blockers fumble the football or did you fumble the football?
- I did, sir. - All right. How many feet are in a mile?
- How many feet are in a mile?! - I don't...
5,280 feet.
You pick this ball up, you run every one of 'em!
You're killing me, Petey! You're killing me!
That man is in far over his head.
You're gonna have to cover for him on defense, Coach.
And 44 stack, 50 monster, pin 40. Just can't allow those other teams to score.
No, we can't. But I'm not exactly talking about football.
Bill? Um...
Arlene's outside. She's waiting to pick up Sheryl.
Don't keep your mother waiting.
- You want to talk to me, Coach? - I know you were at that riot in town.
That boy who was killed at the store, he was an acquaintance of yours?
- He was a friend. - I still don't condone civil disobedience.
If I was head coach, you probably would not be on this team.
But I like your hustle on that field, the way you attack the ball, finish the play.
You're a worker. I'm gonna pencil you in as starting strong-side defensive end.
- OK. - Julius?
I know friends don't come easy.
(girl) Gerry. you know where I am?
Do I know where you are? You're at home, I called you.
You want to know what I'm wearin'?
(giggling)
Oh! Don't do this right now.
Hey, man, what is this, Wild Kingdom?
Shut up, y'all!
Mating habits of the mountain gorilla? We all gotta use the phone!
- I gotta go. - Well, not till you say it.
No, no, no. Don't make me do this right now.
Gerry, you say it or I'm not hanging up the phone.
Say it right now .
- We're all waiting for you. - Sometime today, huh?
- I love you, sugar. - Ah-ha-ha! ''I love you, sugar''!
(overlapping shouts)
Get him! Get him! Get him! Get him!
What are y'all doing? 44 stack. You're supposed to know your jobs.
Campbell, you're playing selfish showoff football. Hold your man down!
Don't you single me out like that. What, you think I'm stupid or something?
Listen, I'm the team captain and I don't need you up in my face all the time!
(player) We're here to play football, y'all. Let's play football.
( sighs)
- Doc. - I got it.
Y'all didn't come out here to practice, 'cause champions pay the price.
Lookin' like a bunch of bums out here.
What you doing, man?
Eating lunch.
I see you eating lunch. But why you eating over here?
Why don't you go on over there, eat with your people?
Man, I don't have any people. I'm with everybody, Julius.
Yeah, he's just a light-skinned brother.
Yeah, and I'm a dark-skinned cracker.
(laughter)
Come on, Julius. He's just another blessed child in God's loving family.
(Blue hums ''Amazing Grace'')
Come on, Blue, let me...
(both hum)
(Rev) Lord, we come before you today
and ask you to soften big Julius Campbell's heart.
Look at that traitor.
And Rev? He better be praying I block for his black behind.
Yeah, but Ray, if you don't block, you're not gonna start.
I'll start. Then I'll just bide my time.
I got some plays we won the city title with last year.
Got some trick plays and stuff that might fire up the boys' imaginations a little bit.
Trick plays?
I think unless the boys start having a little fun
they're not gonna put points up on that board for you.
You worry about your defense. Let me worry about the offense.
All right.
Lastik!
I want you to tell me something about one of your black teammates.
Sir, yes, sir! I'm roomin' with Blue, sir!
And I notice that he wears leopard-spotted underwears! Bikini-style, sir!
OK, maybe somebody who's not your roommate.
Sir, I eat lunch with Rev. That's Jerry Harris, sir!
People call him Rev 'cause he's always praying
and he won't abide a foul tongue, sir!
And what is the Rev gonna do after high school?
I don't know. Go to college and all that, I guess.
What about you? You gonna go to college?
Oh, not me, Coach. I ain't a brainiac like Rev.
- You think you got a future in football? - Oh, heck, no.
I figure if I gotta be in school, I might as well hit some people while I'm at it.
All right, I like that. A self-aware man. I like that.
But if you don't go to college, it's not gonna be because you're not qualified.
So I want you to bring me your test scores at the end of every week,
- and we'll go over them together. OK? - OK.
- We'll keep that between you and me. - OK.
So, what kind of music does the Rev like?
Oh, me and Rev both dig on The Temptations.
- Oh, yeah? - * I know you wanna leave me
* But I refuse to let you go
* If I got to pray, plead for your sympathy
* I don't mind 'cause you mean that much to me
- * Ain't too proud to beg... - OK, all right. Stop begging.
Anybody else?
No volunteers?
Campbell?
Bertier?
No, huh?
Each one of you will spend time every day with a teammate of a different race.
You will learn about him and his family. His likes, his dislikes.
You will report back to me until you meet every one of your teammates.
Until that time, we go to three-a-day practices.
You continue to ignore each other, we'll go to four-a-day practices.
Now is there any part of this that you don't understand?
* I've got a tiger by the tail. just wait and see
It's cool, right? It's got you rockin', right?
Yeah, it's cool.
Let's see. What's your daddy's name? I mean, you do have a daddy, right?
Look, I have a father and his name is Eric.
And what's he do? Oh, wait. He does have a job, right?
Two minutes to go in the game. The other team is out there, they're tired.
Fourth quarter. Fourth quarter. Fourth quarter.
OK. Here's comes the best part. Here it comes.
(* ''Let's Hang On'' by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons)
* Let's hang on to what we've got
Nobody from my family ever went to no college.
- I'll tutor you, Louie. I told you that. - I'm white trash!
I ain't gonna get no C-plus grades. I'm just down-home, no-good,
never-going-to-no-college, white trash, man! All right?
* They're gonna put me in the movies
* They're gonna make a big star...
Yes, this one. I mean, I don't even have to ask, but I will.
What do you think of this one?
Does the term cruel and unusual punishment mean anything to you?
Cowards won't block!
Cowards won't tackle!
Cowards won't go after fumbles.
(Blue) Coach, we need a water break. We been out here all day.
- What did you say? - I said we need a water break.
You need a water break. Water is for cowards.
Water makes you weak.
Water is for washing blood off that uniform, and you don't get no blood on my uniform!
- Boy, you must be outside your mind! - Hm.
We are going to do updowns until Blue is no longer tired and thirsty!
(toots whistle)
Coach!
There's a fine line between tough and crazy, and you're flirting with it.
(toots whistle)
( double toot)
All right, get some water.
(player) Water! Water! Water!
I'll take that.
- Hey, wait your turn, boy! - Who you calling a boy, cracker?
Quit it, jerks!
Come on! You're all acting like a bunch of sissies!
Quit it!
All right, man, listen. I'm Gerry, you're Julius.
Let's get some particulars and just get this over with, all right?
- Particulars? - Yeah.
No matter what I tell you, you ain't gonna never know nothing about me.
Listen, I ain't running anymore of these three-a-days, OK?
What I got to say you really don't want to hear,
'cause honesty ain't too high up on your people's priority list, right?
Honesty? You want honesty?
All right, honestly, I think you're nothing.
Nothing but a pure waste of God-given talent.
You don't listen to nobody, man. Not even Doc or Boone!
Shiver-push on the line every time, man. You blow right past 'em!
Push 'em! Pull 'em! Do something!
You can't run over everybody in this league.
And every time you do, you leave one of your teammates hanging out to dry.
- Me in particular! - Why should I give a hoot about you, huh?
Or anybody else out there? You want to talk about a waste?
- You're the captain, right? - Right.
- Captain's supposed to be the leader? - Right.
- You got a job? - I have a job.
- You been doing your job? - I've been doing my job.
Then why don't you tell your white buddies to block for Rev better,
'cause they have not blocked for him worth a plugged nickel and you know it!
Nobody plays! Yourself included!
I'm supposed to wear myself out for the ''team''? What team?
No. No, what I'm gonna do is, I'm gonna look out for myself and I'm gonna get mine.
See, man? That's the worst attitude I ever heard.
Attitude reflects leadership, Captain.
(horn blaring)
Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go!
Wake up, gentlemen, it's late. It's 3am in the morning.
All right, listen up.
You will follow Doc, myself and the other coaches.
We're gonna take a little run through the woods.
If you get lost along the way, don't bother coming back to camp.
Just hitchhike your hindparts on home. Any questions?
Coach, this is a high-school football team. We're not in the Marines here.
Let's go.
(* ''A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall'' by Leon Russell)
* Tell me. where have you been
* My blue eyed son?
* Where have you been. my darling young one?
* I've stumbled up on the side of twelve misty mountains
* I've walked and I've crawled over six crooked highways
* And it's hard... Yes. it's hard...
Oh, no, no. Come on, man, can't take no rest.
Can't take no rest.
* A hard rain's
* A-gonna fall
Anybody know what this place is?
This is Gettysburg.
This is where they fought the Battle of Gettysburg.
50,000 men died right here on this field.
Fighting the same fight that we're still fighting amongst ourselves...
...today.
This green field right here was painted red.
Bubbling with the blood of young boys.
Smoke...
...and hot lead pouring right through their bodies.
Listen to their souls, man.
''I killed my brother with malice in my heart.''
''Hatred destroyed my family.''
You listen.
And you take a lesson from the dead.
If we don't come together...
...right now on this hallowed ground...
...then we, too, will be destroyed.
Just like they were.
I don't care if you like each other or not.
But you will respect each other. And maybe...
...I don't know, maybe you will
...learn to play this game like men.
(players yelling. grunting)
(whistle blast)
All right.
We'll be out here all night, till we get this thing right. Let's go.
On the ball, Rev.
Come on, everybody. Let's get it right!
Ready!
Set!
- Let's go! - Hut!
What was that, Ray? Whatever it is, it ain't blocking!
- Give me a break, Gerry. - You want a break? I'll give you a break.
Wait a minute. Wait, wait. Let them handle this.
...to Rev once, just one time,
I swear to God, I'm gonna hit you so hard, by the time you come to,
ooh, boy, you're gonna need a new haircut. You understand me?
Ha-ha! Let's play, fellas.
On the ball. Let's run it again.
Ready!
- (player #1 ) Stay on him, now! -(player #2) All right.
Set!
Hut!
- Get up. - Get off me!
Whoo! You all right, Big Petey?
- You all right? - You really stuck him, Campbell!
- Yeah, I love me a little contact, Petey! - This is left side!
- Strong side! - Left side!
- Strong side! - Aah!
(* ''Spill the Wine'' by Eric Burden and War)
- (chanting) What makes the team? - Defense!
- What do we play? - Defense!
* I was once out strolling one very hot summer's day
* When I thought I'd lay myself down to rest
- Hey, fellas. Look at that fruitcake. -(wolf whistles)
Gerry, just keep your mouth shut and get back on that field.
Coach Boone, I'm Colonel Bass.
I transferred here from Huntington Beach, California.
This is my son Ronnie, and he's a quarterback.
How you doing, Ronnie? This is Coach Yoast.
- My pleasure. - Colonel.
We're pretty set at the quarterback, Colonel.
But if the boy's any good, you may want to check out Wilson or Hamilton.
Well, I, uh, I met Coach Taylor. He won't let blacks play on his team.
The way I see it, if these boys can fight a war together,
they can play football together. Now, he's a pretty good runner.
* Spill the wine and take that pearl
Yeah, a fruitcake, huh?
- I think we can find a place for your boy. - Mm-hm.
With one or two conditions.
Hey, Sunshine. Sunshine?
- Hey, Sun. - Sunshine.
All that rubbin' ain't gonna make them golden locks grow back no faster now.
You know that, right?
* Sunshine, sunshine, sunshine
- Sunshine, huh? - Sunshine, yeah!
That's cool. I can dig it.
( Sunshine) Come on, now. Don't leave me hanging, bro. Come on.
- Hey, he got a little soul power. - Look at this man here.
He called me bro!
Hey, yo, man, hey. I liked him better with the long hair, bro.
Reminded me of Bertier's mama.
What? What?
How do you know what Bertier's mama looks like?
Brother, don't you know me and Bertier's mama went out on the town last night!
- What are you sa...? - Hold on, listen now.
Blue, why you talking about Bertier's mama like that?
See, now you making me angry, man.
Look like I ain't gonna be able to take your mama to the prom no more.
What you laughing at, Jerry Buck?
You need to tell your mama to shave them old legs of hers, bro.
And, Julius, when she's done, maybe your mama can borrow the razor
and shave that old nasty back of hers, bro.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Wait, wait, wait.
You mad 'cause she lookin' like the Wolf Man.
Hey, hey, Lastik, man. What happened to you?
Man, I just gave your mama a piggyback ride and she weighs twice as much as I do.
- That ain't funny. - That's a mama joke!
(* ''Ain't No Mountain High Enough'' By Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell)
* Listen, baby
* Ain't no mountain high, ain't no valley low
* Ain't no river wide enough, baby
* If you need me, call me
* No matter where you are, no matter how far
* No, no, darlin'
* Just call my name, I'll be there in a hurry
* You don't have to worry
* 'Cause, baby, there ain't no mountain high enough
- So, Julius, I was thinking that we... - He's in the shower.
- What do you want, man? - You know what I want.
( all) Whoa!
Hey, Bertier!
Get off! Get off!
You have no idea who you messed with, man!
There's too much male bonding going on in here for me.
- I'm out. You dig? - All right!
What is going on here?
He kissed me, man!
(laughter)
* Ain't no mountain high enough
* Ain't no valley low enough
* Ain't no river wide enough
* To keep me from getting to you, baby
- Ronnie Bass. - Yes, sir.
I like that haircut. Get in there and show me what you got. Option left.
(player) Let's go, baby. Rookie quarterback.
(coach) Left. Left! Left!
Set! Hut!
Ball! Ball! Ball!
Hard step, read the tackle.
- Got to see the pitch, all right? - Yes, sir.
Now, you can throw it a mile, but you can't pitch it three yards.
Got to see it. If you don't read it, you weep. Rev!
Yes, sir.
- Show him how. - Yes, sir.
Yeah, I'll take it, man.
- Hey, can you slide a bit, Gerry? - Hey, Ray, this is defensive table.
- Hi, Petey. - Yo, man.
Hey, Sunshine.
It's not like I care or nothing, but you know, just being your roommate and all,
you was just messing with Bertier, right? You was just messing with his mind, right?
- You're not really...? - What are you talking about, Petey?
Look, man, it don't matter to me. You know, if, you know, if...
I just got to know, you know?
If it don't matter, what's the big deal?
- I got to know. - Know what?
You know what I gotta know. Don't mess with my mind!
Look like Coach been keeping Petey out in the sun for too long, bro.
- Coach. - Hey, sweetie.
Mother's outside. She wants to talk to you.
OK.
Coach Boone?
You did a good job up here. You ran a tough camp from what I can see.
Well, I'm very happy to have the approval of a five-year-old.
I'm nine and a half, thank you very much.
Why don't you give this little girl some pretty dolls or something, Coach?
I tried. She loves football.
Arlene?
Sheryl told me about what happened, about your job and all.
I mean, everything that they might not have put in the papers.
- I'm sorry. - Thank you.
Life's full of surprises, I guess.
I guess.
Thanks for letting me have her this week. I know that you didn't have to,
and I just wanted to thank you, that's all.
You're still her mother.
Nothing that's happened between us is gonna change that.
Mike and I are heading up north for...
...for awhile.
Oh, yeah, Sheryl told me.
Well, she's all yours. But then again, she always was.
- What are you?! -( all) Mobile! Agile! Hostile!
- What is pain? - French bread!
- What is fatigue? - Army clothes!
- Will you ever quit? - No!
We want some mo'! We want some mo'!
- We want some mo'! - Turn in!
(chanting) Hah, hah, hah, hah...
Let me ask you something, Mr. Campbell.
- Uh-huh. - What kind of power you got?
Oh, man, you know I got some soul power.
What kind of power you got?
What kind of question is that? I got soul power!
- Yes, you do! - Right on!
Let me ask you something now, Mr. Bertier.
- Yes. - How strong are you?
- I'm too strong! - What?
- I'm too strong! - Oh, how strong?
- Too strong! - Oh, right on, baby!
- I want a victory! - No, I want victory!
- I want a victory! - No, I want a victory!
You all want victory?
* Goodbye
* Na na na na, hey, hey, hey
- * Goodbye - Let me hear you!
Let me hear you! Up in the front! Up in the front! Whole school!
What'd they do up there? Brainwash 'em?
They must be high on something.
- Hi, Mom. - Oh, welcome home.
Dad.
- How you doing, sweetheart? - We missed you so much.
Hey, man. Like, are we cool?
Yeah, we're cool.
- Mrs. Boone, nice to meet you. - You, too.
Yeah, this is little Karen. This is Nicky. Nicky, that's Sheryl.
Why do you dress so weird?
- Ow! - Look who's talking.
Ow.
Well, we're just all getting along, aren't we?
(* ''Time Has Come'' by Joseph and Willie Chambers)
What you doing in my school, boy?
Man, this stuff is messed up.
Anything serious happen, and they shut the school down,
and our season goes down the drain. This here's real messed up.
But there are a lot of pretty women here.
- Hey. - Look at 'em, Gerry.
- They hate us. - Nah.
Just a bad day. Things'll cool down.
No, Gerry. They're always gonna hate us.
We don't need you here either, hippie boy.
You hear what he said?
- Hey, man. - Hey, Julius.
- Man, it's crazy out here, man. - Yeah, well, what did you expect?
I don't know. I ain't quite expect it to be like this.
Ah, sorry. Julius, this is Emma.
Camp over now, huh? Back to the real world, Bertier.
This is what they integrating us for?
We'd have been better off staying where we were.
Mmm.
Yeah, this is my sanctuary. Right here.
All this hatred and turmoil swirling around us, but this... this is always right.
Struggle.
Survival.
Victory and defeat.
It's just a game, Doc, but...
...I love it.
Coach, I'm afraid I've put you into a no-win situation.
I just found out the board didn't even think you'd make it out of camp.
And now that you have, I've learned that at the first sign of trouble...
Trouble? What kind of trouble?
Lose a game... they'll fire you.
And turn it back over to Yoast.
One game. Just like that?
- Mm-hm. - What about my family?
We just got here. They just expect me to pick up and move?
- What about my girls? - I don't know what to say.
I'm sorry, Coach.
Pump, pump, pump it up!
Pump that Titan spirit up!
Look at 'em.
They come here to watch the game and they still don't want no part of us.
Give us more!
Everybody on their feet. On your feet, on your feet. Let's go, let's go.
Listen up. I'm not gonna talk to you tonight about winning and losing.
You're already winners, 'cause you didn't kill each other up at camp.
Tonight we got Hayfield.
Like all the other schools in this conference, they're all white.
They don't have to worry about race. We do.
But we're better for it, men.
Let me tell you something. You don't let anything,
nothing, come between us.
Nothing tears us apart.
Greek mythology, the Titans were greater even than the gods.
They ruled their universe with absolute power.
Well, that football field out there tonight, that's our universe.
Let's rule it like Titans.
(crowd cheers)
( announcer) So the Titans defense takes the field for the first time
against the Hayfield Hawks. led by quarterback Daniel O'Connell
on the Hawks' 32-yard line.
Aww!
We're moving like molasses out there, for crying out loud! I mean, come on!
- Mama? - Hm?
- Are all white girls that crazy? - What?
You guys can do better than that.
Huddle up. Fellas, huddle up.
Bosley? Where's Alan? Alan, you've got to stick your man!
- They're gonna score on us all night... - He's too fast, Gerry. I can't stick with him.
Let's go, let's go, let's move.
22! Hut! Hut!
( announcer) Touchdown Hawks!
- Shape up that defense, Yoast. - You just worry about your offense.
They score again, I'm taking over.
Hut! Hut!
Petey, get over here! What are you doing, son?
You missed the block by a mile. You didn't even have the football to fumble this time.
There's no excuse. No excuse!
You want to play football or not?
Do you want to play football? Boy, get over there on the bench.
- Herb, take over for me. - You got it.
Petey! You all right?
- I was a two-year starter at G.W. - Mm.
All this yelling he's doing, it don't do nothing but make me play worse.
- I can't play for this man. - You come play linebacker for me.
23's killing us. I want you to get out there. I want you to cover him for me.
- You want me to go in now? - Yeah.
I can't! I haven't practiced with the defense. I can't.
That doesn't matter. I just want you to get out there. I want you to cover 23.
That's all you have to do. We'll talk about the rest after we put this one away.
You think Yoast is trying to let them score on purpose?
- What? - Do you?
Oh, come on, Herman.
OK, let's go.
What is Petey doing in there?
Looks like Yoast is trying him out on defense.
He's taking Alan out. Yoast!
Herman, Herman, Herman. Come on. Let's see.
See what happens. It might be all right.
- Yoast! - It's OK. You're OK.
Yoast!
Don't you take out my son!
He's getting beat like he stole something, Mr. Bosley.
You just stay out of it, girl!
He's just getting beat! That's all I'm saying.
Yoast!
Hut! Hut!
(* ''Superstar Remember Where You Got Where You Are'' by The Temptations)
Down! Set! Hut!
Hut! Hut! Hut!
Go, defense!
Set! Hut!
Yeah!
( announcer) Touchdown! Game. Titans!
Yeah!
The Titans are here, y'all, and we ain't going nowhere!
Yo, you got to be loud all the time, man? Virginia can hear you, baby.
- Don't forget about your fumble. - First of all, the hand.
Second of all, who won the game?
- My dad is... - Don't worry about it.
It's not your fault. They like to show off and that's what they do.
Wait, wait, wait. ''They''?
- Yeah, what? - I heard you say ''they.''
Yeah, they. Them. Them over there.
But what you mean by ''they''? You talking about Pete.
You're you and I'm me.
(car honks)
(girl) Gerry.
(boy) Hey, Gerry. Hop in, buddy.
We're heading over to the hill, Gerry. Everyone's gonna be there.
Why don't you hang out down here with us? We're, you know...
What are you trying to do, Gerry?
Listen, when something unexpected comes,
you just got to pick it up and run with it.
I'm not running in the same direction as you are, Gerry.
Come with us.
Look, standing up for what you believe in, it's all well and good.
But you got your priorities real mixed up this time.
Are you coming or not, man?
Here he goes.
- Come on, man. - No, man.
What? It's on me, man. We party on. Let's go.
Look here, man. All right? This here's Virginia, all right?
- They got problems with, you know... - They don't want us in there, man.
Man, that's history, bro. It's on me. Come on.
We're full tonight, boys.
What? There's tables all over the place. What are you talking about?
Well, this is my establishment.
I reserve the right to refuse service to anybody.
Yeah, that means you too, hippie boy.
Now, y'all want something to eat, you can take these boys out back
and pick it up from the kitchen.
- What'd I tell you, man? - Yo, come on, Petey, man.
Petey, I didn't know, man.
I told you! What you mean, you didn't know?
- What, you think I was playing with you? - Man, he didn't know, Petey.
Blue, he don't want to know!
You pull some crap like that, you'd better be able to back it up.
Man, let's go, man. Why don't you cool out? Cool out!
- Let's go, Rev. - Man, let's go.
What happened? What happened?
- This man acting the fool tonight, man. -(Blue) Petey.
Man, don't even talk to that man, man. He acting all crazy and stuff, man.
- It don't even make no sense. - Petey.
He know the man's from out of town.
Five times. Five times, player of the week.
He's not some walk-on scrub, Yoast. The boy's a player. He's a star!
And he busted his butt for you! This is all your doing. You blacks.
That is enough. It's my call.
Now, listen, you just go on home now, Fred,
before you do something that you're gonna regret.
Yeah, well, guess we won't be seeing much of him, huh?
I will. He's on the deacon board with me.
- All right, listen, about Petey. - No thanks required, Coach.
Thanks?
You challenged my authority in front of the entire football team, Coach.
Now, you think you're doing these boys a favor, taking 'em aside
every time I come down on 'em. Protecting 'em from Big Bad Boone.
You're cutting my legs from under me.
Some of the boys just don't respond well to public criticism.
I tell them what they need to know, but I don't humiliate them in front of the team.
Which boys are you talking about? Which ones you talking about?
I come down on Bertier, I don't see you coddle him.
Come down on Sunshine, don't see you grab his hand, take him off to the side.
Which boys are you talking about?
Now, I may be a mean cuss, but I'm the same mean cuss
with everybody out there on that football field.
The world don't give a damn about how sensitive these kids are,
especially the young black kids.
You ain't doing these kids a favor by patronizing 'em.
You're crippling 'em. You're crippling them for life.
- Gerry, what are you doing? - I'm going down to the Berg.
- The Berg? - Yup.
- What are you doing at the Berg? - I'm gonna play basketball with Julius.
Then we're gonna come back here for dinner.
- Gerry, if your father was still alive... - Ma. Would... Just give him a chance.
Just get to know him. Listen to him for two seconds.
I don't want to get to know him.
You are coming to church with your mother.
Right! Right! Right!
- He's mine! - Hut!
- You blew your assignment! - I'm covering for you.
- Don't get in my face. - Yo, cool out. Cool out.
Where you at? What planet you on tonight?
It's fine, man. I knew you was gonna stand me up.
I figured you weren't gonna make it out to the Berg. No way.
I knew you was all talk. But now you making us look bad out there on the field.
Don't talk to me, man. You ain't got nothing to say to me.
- Why the clouds, Sunshine? - I can't make that pitch, Petey.
You ain't gonna never play, anyway. Unless we're up by 50 points.
And seeing how we ain't never gonna be up by no 50 points,
you might just as well sit back, relax and enjoy the bench.
- How's it going, yo? - Man, I didn't sign up to play like this.
These guys we're playing got no heart.
We play like this against Groveton, we're going down.
(coach) OK, offense. Offense, let's go.
Hut!
( announcer) Touchdown. Titans! Game. Titans!
- How you doing, Coach? - Morning.
- Where's your dad? - He's in his office.
- Nicky, you all right? - Yes, Daddy.
- What you doing? - Shooting some hoops.
Wanna play?
I just did my nails.
How you doing? Tyrell.
Coach, if you don't need me, I'm gonna...
- I'm gonna wait out back. - All right, Herb.
Coach Boone, to what do I owe the surprise? Have a seat.
I'll get straight to it.
We won't survive another game like the one we played last Friday.
So I spoke to Mr. Vernon, the math teacher,
asked him to look at the game film from Groveton, who we got next week.
I asked him to analyze it for me. Every coach has certain tendencies.
All of 'em except Ed Henry.
The only time we'd be seeing Ed Henry is at the state championship.
Mm-hm.
Well, gosh, this is... This is great stuff.
Every quarter broken down, how many times they run each play.
- I mean... - You like that, huh?
- We'll be very tough defensively with this. - I think so.
I brought Nicky by. She was asking me about Sheryl.
I'm getting ready to take her over to some of her friends' house.
Anytime you wanna bring her by the house,
we'd be more than happy to have her.