Coach Bill Courtney, the Manassas, Tennessee High School football team, players and the blighted urban environment of North Memphis, Tennessee are all part of a story that goes beyond sports clichés and urban social issues. UNDEFEATED, 2011 Oscar winner for Best Feature Documentary, is a story about a what happens when one man’s passion ignites a chain of events that changes everything it touches. This documentary looks at life, relationships, character, stereotypes, high school sports and the will to win more than a football game victory.
Directors, Dan Lindsay and TJ Martin read an article about a young high school football player from Memphis who was being mentored academically by his coaches at their homes because tutors would not go into his neighborhood at night. They thought this might make an interesting documentary, however, as they explored the notion they found out there was a bigger story. Manassas High School, founded in 1899, has never had a winning season playing football. In fact they haven’t won a game in fourteen years. Other high schools in Tennessee have been known to pay them to come to their schools to give their teams a practice dummy of sorts. Bill Courtney volunteered as coach in 2004 and began to shape students into a team. After six years of working, recruiting players and infusing them with his own philosophy, brand of inspiration and guidance, he has a team that’s capable of having a winning season. But there are still issues with players whose personal lives and misfortunes must be overcome.
In the film Coach Bill Courtney says, “You think football builds character? It does not. Football reveals character.” The documentary UNDEFEATED also reveals many things in an emotional and thought-provoking story. The first part of the story reveals a man who seems driven to connect with a team of misfits and under achievers. But this is not just a story about a coach inspiring a team. UNDEFEATED presents the students, players, their families and North Memphis in parallel to the present football season. After winning a few games in the preceding season, it’s time for the senior players to have a good season.
The second part of the documentary looks at the struggles of three key players who have their own issues to deal with. One player is dealing with control of serious anger issues, another with getting his grades up enough to qualify for getting into college and another just getting an academic scholarship. The third part of the documentary contrasts the team, coach and external events against the seasons games and the seemingly impossible goal of winning a playoff spot. UNDEFEATED is an entertaining, informative documentary. It explores issues beyond what might have been a typical feel good sports story.
Coach Bill Courtney is portrayed as a man with human qualities. He has a successful business and a family which he feels he is neglecting to coach the team. He gets angry, he works hard to reach players and help them solve personal problems they face. Somehow he manages to keep it all going. The film focuses on three players, all of whom, have problems stemming from their environment, but issues surrounding the inner city blight they live in are not really explored. It’s just there, the run down abandoned houses of a once working class neighborhood, now an inner city ghetto in a southern city.
As the documentary progresses it becomes clear that football, sports in general, has a place in education. While a tremendous amount of emphasis is often placed on school prestige, the real value of sports is teaching students about life, working together as team, overcoming adversity and discovering who they are or who they want to be. Character is built through dealing and overcoming problems and adversity what ever the cause.
Technically UNDEFEATED is a well made documentary. The directors clearly had a vision for the story they wanted to tell. The coverage of the environment, school, meetings, home life, and games is excellent with action, that provides intimacy and information. The editing keeps the pace of the 112-minute documentary moving. The storytelling builds on the natural conflict and drama of the subjects and their quest for a championship. Music and effects add to the story. In most instances it felt as though the filmmakers made themselves almost invisible to the subjects who interacted as if there was no camera there.
UNDEFEATED is based on a high school football team, their struggles and ultimate victories but it holds out inspiration and life lessons for everyone.
Trailer
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REVIEW WRITTEN BY James R Martin See other documentary reviews by James R Martin at https://www.jrmartinmedia.com/reviews
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