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The Express [Blu-ray] | ![The Express [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51pUckHXkiL._SL160_.jpg) | Director: Gary Fleder
Actors: Rob Brown, Dennis Quaid, Clancy Brown, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Omar Benson Miller
Studio: Universal Studios
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.98
Buy Used: $4.35
as of 7/29/2010 18:20 CDT details
You Save: $15.63 (78%)
New (28) Used (30) from $4.35
Seller: amoebamusichollywood
Rating:  42 reviews
Sales Rank: 8623
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
Languages: English (Unknown), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: Blu-ray
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Running Time: 130 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 5.3 x 0.5
MPN: 025195052337
UPC: 025195052337
EAN: 0025195052337
ASIN: B001LGXIAQ
Theatrical Release Date: 2008
Release Date: January 20, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
The story of first African-American winner of the Heisman.
Based on the real-life story of college football hero Ernie Davis, The Express will remind some moviegoers of the heart-tugging Brian's Song. Ernie Davis was a star athlete at Syracuse University and the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy. Unlike other winners of that era, he wasn't allowed to attend his banquet dinner because the venue didn't serve blacks. He died of leukemia at the age of 23 in 1963. That element of his story is well known to football fans. What the filmmakers concentrate on in The Express isn't just Davis' athletic prowess, but the relationship he had with his coach Ben Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid). Rob Brown (Stop-Loss, Coach Carter) lends both gravity and charm to the role of Davis. He plays Davis as a strong willed and moral young man who refuses to let racism and discrimination dominate his life. He joins a Jewish fraternity, gets along with his predominantly white teammates and shows respect for his family and coach. The film is wise not to present Schwartzwalder as wholly color blind. Though not overtly racist, he makes a few references that would not be acceptable in modern-day society. Overall though, the coach doesn't care what color his players are, as long as they share the common goal of winning. Quaid is well cast in the role, adding just the right amount of gruff mannerisms without becoming a caricature. Brown has the difficult task of adding suspense to a character where most of the audience already knows his fate. Still, he manages to keep moviegoers on their toes--hoping for a miracle that we know will never come. --Jae-Ha Kim
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 42
 Great inspirational movie! July 24, 2010
Yolanda Martinez
This was a great movie. Very inspirational. Really enjoyed it and we received it in a timely manner. Thanks
 100% solid film July 21, 2010
Harry M. Shin (Livermore, CA USA)
1. As with all great films, this has good acting, good writing, and most importantly a great story to tell. Highly recommended to all.
Does great covering his story June 18, 2010
Doc Beech (Dallas Tx)
This is one of the yearly football movies that disney releases. It does just a beautiful job covering his story. The movie portrays his personality, and his want for jim browns power on the football field in a respectable manner. It also shows you why he deserved his heisman trophy. It is a great movie and worth the buy if your interested in the works of an awesome running back.
The Express: A Solid Touchdown June 6, 2010
Kishore Patwa
Based on a true story, The Express follows the bittersweet yet extraordinary life of Ernie Davis (played by Rob Brown), the first African American to win the prestigious Heisman Trophy in the Civil rights era. His fight for equality and respect forever changed the face of American sports and his story continues to inspire new generations.
This docudrama begins with Davis as a stuttering youth, growing up in a small coal town outside of Pittsburgh with his grandfather, affectionally known as Pops whom he is very close to. Ernie later moves to Elmira with his mother, where he joins a small football league. With Ernie's extraordinary skills, he is eventually sought after by 50 colleges which was a huge feat for a black person during the civil rights era. An era when Black players were unwelcome in the South. Ernie is soon called by coach Ben Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid) and football legend Jim Brown (Darrin Dewitt Henson) who make Ernie part of their team, the Syracuse Orangemen. Ernie Davis leads the team to an undefeated season. Despite all the racism he faces at nearly every point of his life, determined Ernie becomes the first African American to win the Heisman trophy and goes on to play for the Cleveland Browns.
The Express isn't just about football; it shows black pride and determination despite the racism. An important scene in the movie that portrays this determination, is when the team travels to West Virginia University to play the mountaineers. The coach removes Ernie from the game because he fears that if he scored a touchdown, the audience would react violently. However, Ernie refuses to be removed from the game and scores a touch down. Afterwards the coach and Ernie have an angry confrontation where the coach states " If I let you carry that goal all the way across the board, we might not get on the bus in one piece, thats how it works around here." Ernie, angered by this statement tells the coach to respect him as an equal part of the team and not give in to racism. As the growing civil rights movement divided the country in the 60's, Davis became a symbol for achievement that transcended race. Davis refused to flinch from others' prejudices and achieved all his goals. He was referred to by John F. Kennedy as an " Outstanding young man of great character who served as an inspiration to young people of this country."
Having received many positive remarks, critics have also pointed out some flaws. In a USA Today article by Mike Clark, The Express is said to have "mostly conventional storytelling." The movie fails to recognize the rest of Davis' life. It doesn't bring up the fact that after being drafted by pro football in 1961, Davis developed leukemia and died in 1963 never having played a pro game. This shows that The Express attempted to only present the happy sides of Davis' life and disregard the rest.
Also, according to journalists and film critics there are some historical inaccuracies. The locations shown in the movie are fictitious. The Express changed the location of where the games actually took place. Frank Lovece, a Film Journal International critic stated "That game is falsely shown as taking place at WVU's Mountaineer Field" in Morgantown, West Virginia, rather than at Syracuse's own Archbold Stadium." As a result, the film has drawn the ire of many West Virginians, including the state's governor, Joe Manchin, and university officials. A similar mistake was also made at the scene in the finished film, whose original script didn't involve West Virginia. This scene was supposed to depict a 1958 game at the Tar Heels Stadium in North Carolina. This is completely inaccurate. In the season of 1958 Davis was still a freshman and therefore didn't play on the Orangemen's varsity team. Syracuse didn't even play North Carolina until 1995. As far as the sequence of plays and scores go, The Express shows them completely out of order. But these are just minor inaccuracies which don't effect the movie or its reputation much.
Referencing the inaccuracy of the location of the game, Frank Lovece, a Journal International critic stated that, "The Express plays fast and loose with the historical record, and while dramatization is a given in biopics, these scenes here veer remarkably toward outright slander."
All together, The Express is an extremely inspirational movie. This docudrama can strengthen anyones determination to achieve their goals. It can also teach people to stand up for their beliefs despite what others think. Despite the historical inaccuracies, The Express is a solid touchdown.
Dvd order April 6, 2010
Lois Holbrook (Selbyville, De.)
This was the perfect way for me to order this movie, fast dependable service ,Excellent quality,,, Amazon is the best.....
Showing reviews 1-5 of 42
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