GLORY ROAD

US, 2006, 118 minutes, Colour.
Josh Lucas, Derek Luke, Austin Nichols Jon Voight, Emily Deschanel.
Directed by James Gartner.

While Glory Road is a Disney film, it was produced by action director Jerry Bruckheimer, producer of such films as Top Gun.

This is the story of Don Haskins, played with energy by Josh Lucas, who was coaching girls, specialty basketball. He was approached by a scout from El Paso’s West Texas College. He agrees and pressurises for a better budget for scouting new players, deciding that the best players were black and goes to interview them, offering scholarships, training them – not without difficulties of discipline and experience of hostility and racism leading to victory in the College Competition of 1965-1966.

There is some criticism of the film that it is not quite accurate, Haskins going to the college several years before his work with the special team. There is further criticism that the play portrayed in the film was not always accurate, more for edge and drama. For basketball fans and those who know the sport, there is enough to keep the attention, and relate to the play.

The setting is that of the Civil Rights era, the era of Martin Luther King and nonviolent response to racism. The young men are tested, insults, immersion in toilets, graffiti in rooms, trashing of rooms. Urged to control the anger and left it out in the competitive games, retaining the dignity.

The film is particularly American – but basketball fans in the audience will probably not mind too much.

1. Disney film? The career of producer, Jerry Bruckheimer and action films? A vigorous film?

2. The title, basketball, college competition 1965-1966, championship? West Texas Miners?

3. Audiences and familiarity with basketball, the play, competitiveness? In the American context? College basketball? The team, tough, training and practice, tactics, skills and talents? The visualising of games being played? The fans, the cheerleaders? The role of the media?

4. Don Haskins, story? Criticism of the accuracy of the information? As husband and father, domestic scenes, coaching the girls, discovered by scouts watching, the interview, his agreement, the conditions, living on campus? El Paso, West Texas, the time, the college, small? The authorities at the college? Racism? Discovering new talent and the small budget? The young assistant, scouting in New York, set upon by the men? The old coach?

5. Travel, interviewing the black players, in Gary, Indiana, the Bronx? The variety of conditions? Play, school, jobs? Family backgrounds? Prepared to play, the men’s puzzles, the background of racism? Acceptance, the scholarships? White players? Authorities, Texas sponsors of the team and the reaction?

6. Accommodation for the students, studies and scholarships, classes?

7. Don, his wife and children, the system? His wife’s support but finding the racism difficult?

8. The old coach and his support, travelling, his wise words, the father-figure?

9. The details of practice, the men and their drinking, girlfriends? Don and his disapproval of their attitudes and lack of discipline?

10. White players, seeing themselves as a minority, the black players challenging and saying that this was their experience?

11. Don and his control? His interaction with the men? The players and Don’s rules, asking to play their own, with skills, fast play? Winning?

12. The visualising of the games, competitiveness and progress, scores and penalties, the final victory? Winning the championship?

13. The racist treatment, the player with his head in the toilet? Smearing and trashing the rooms? Racist talk? The media and the questions? The men’s reactions, advised to channel angers?

14. The mothers, demands on their sons, the player with the condition, Don not risking his place, his supporting the other members of the team and his mother urging donned to let him play in the final game?

15. The Kentucky team, the arrogance of the coach, his manner, manners, the press conference and his jibes? The pressure?

16. Don, his wife the social, the racist conversation of the women, the Kentucky coach’s wife and her support?

17. The final, atmosphere, Kentucky coach’s attitude, presumption, the surprise win, the effect of defeat? The media and the question about black ability to sustain pressures?

18. This game as a breakthrough, historical, the Civil Rights?

19. The final information, Don Haskins and all of the players? The Hall of Fame? The Kentucky coach and his implying a black man as coach?

20. The final images the actual places, interviews, the perspective on the experience?