The Express

The Express, aka The Elmira Express, is a movie based on the life of Ernie Davis. For those of you who don't know, Ernie Davis had the distinct pleasure of following in Jim Brown's footsteps at Syracuse University. And being a black football player in the late 50's and early 60's was no easy task.

I am not usually a fan of "based on real events" sports movies. I know that sounds weird coming from a sports nut, but I usually find them too cheesy, too contrived, or very often too "feel good" to consider a fun watch. I would much prefer watching movies like Bull Durham or The Replacements, or the original version of The Longest Yard. They pretend to be nothing but entertainment, and to me that is a good thing.

True to life movies need to be very powerful, or deal with very poignant topics for me to stay interested. Brian's Song comes to mind as a real winner. On with it...

The Express does a really fine job of conveying a story that too few people remember. It's an easy one to know, and it's certainly predictable, but the story is worth telling and worth listening to. I enjoy stories about really good guys. Ernie Davis was a really good guy. It's easy to be a good guy when times are easy, but to endure the racism and struggles that he endured and still remain a good man, well that is saying a lot. I am continually embarrassed by our countries history with racism. I really hope that we continue to grow.

You aren't going to be surprised by much, and I don't think that you will be truly wowed, but this is a 4 star story that is worth 120 minutes of your time.

Rob Brown did a very good job portraying Davis however Dennis Quaid was as good as I have seen him in a long time. He pulled off Head Coach Ben Schwartzwalder flawlessly. He really had the old school hard ass coach down pat. Nice work.