Winning the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, “Undefeated” sets itself apart from the many mediocre sports films that plague the industry today.
The documentary tells the story of a losing football team at Manassas High School in Memphis, Tenn. In a community devastated by the loss of jobs, the Manassas Tigers struggle to stay in school, not to mention on the football team.
The film focuses on the Tigers’ coach, Bill Courtney, and three very different players — Chavis Daniels, Montrail “Money” Brown and O.C. Brown, a student with a criminal past who struggles with anger issues, preventing him from being a team player. O.C. has all the makings of a football star, but his grades threaten his rising status. “Money” is an academic who is discouraged by an injury on the football field.
The varied struggles of the football players drive the film. Viewers quickly become invested in the fate of these strangers.
The film draws much of its emotional heft from the relationships between Coach Courtney and the players. Courtney sacrifices much of his time for the team, often putting the Tigers ahead of his own family. While this sacrifice is characteristic of many sports films, Courtney acknowledges negative consequences of giving up time with his family. The kindness he shows the football players is genuine.
“Undefeated” does not shy away from issues of class or race. In a twist that harkens back to “The Blind Side,” one of the other football coaches offers to house O.C. so he can see a tutor and improve his grades. O.C.’s reflections on the differences between his own neighborhood and the coach’s significantly wealthier neighborhood are striking; he relates his observations candidly and without spite.
Courtney undoubtedly has an effect on the lives of the players.
In an unquestionably symbolic gesture, Daniels changes his number from “0” to “35,” reflecting his changed attitude.
Throughout the film, Coach Courtney emphasizes the importance of character by giving an award to the “Uncommon Man of the Week.”
The documentary is effective because it displays the personal struggles of the players, not only their struggles as a team.
On the football field, the Manassas Tigers are not, in fact, “undefeated.” The title of the film instead seems to refer to their personal successes.
“Undefeated” is not the story of a football team but rather a depiction of individual lives and the ways in which they intersect. As Coach Courtney says in the film, an individual’s character is more important than wins or losses, not only in football, but in life.
thescene@theeagleonline.com
