It's Football Season and I Watched a Movie to Support

I can debate myself whether or not having no money or my desire to not support certian movies allows me to religiously continue my Netflix subscription.

With that being said, I recently rented "The Express."

I was interested in this movie for several reasons. A portion of the movie was filmed in Chicago and in my neighborhood (Obamaland) in 2007. At the time the movie was being filmed in the late Spring, I wrote a story about how the movie's producers were using an apartment building in Hyde Park to depicit a segregated hotel in Dallas. I was also interested in learning more about the first black Heisman trophy winner, Ernie Davis. Why hadn't heard about Ernie Davis playing before? I would soon learn that his life was cut short due to illness.

Despite my interest, I never went to the show (Chicago term) to see the movie. I did put it on my Netflix rental queue.

Keeping in mind that biographical movies are often loosely based on someone's actual life, I was pleasantly surprised when I watched "The Express." Oftentimes when I receive movies about racial and pesonal stuggles, I have to gather myself and create the right state of mind. I didn't have to do that with this movie.

The movie states that in the beginning Davis could barrel through tough situations. Case in point: Davis (Justin Martin) and his cousin Will (Justin Jones) are collecting bottles for money on near railroad tracks in the Northeast circa early 1950s when a group of white kids attempted to bully them. Will ran off, but Davis stayed. He barreled his way through the boys and ran all the way home without receiving a stratching from the bullies. Who knows wheter or not the event happened as depicted. It did, however, foreshadow things to come in Davis' life.

What is factual is that Davis is living with his grandfather, Pops, played by Charles S. Dutton in the movie. His mother (Aunjunae Ellis) comes back into Davis' life and takes him to Elmira, New York. As Davis approaches his new neighborhood he sees a sign about football tryouts and you see the light bulb off in his head. The good news is that he makes the team, of course. The bad is that even the coaches mistreated the kids on the team.

Lined up in a large football stadium, you watch as the coach hands out new jerseys from two large boxes to all on the team. The three black players, including Davis, are at the end. Somehow you hope that by the time Davis get to the boxes that there will be new green jerseys for the boys. No such luck. And what's even more amazing is that the coaches seem surprised, as if they couldn't count. The boys are also in desbelief and have to look in the boxes themselves.

As the season gets underway, it's clear that Davis is too fast for the other tweens. Fast forward to Syracuse University Coach Ben Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid) looking to replace Jim Brown after he drafted by the Cleveland Browns. Schwartzwalder saying something to effect that are they only making blacks players now while watching footage of possible future Orangemen. Davis, portrayed by Rob Brown, could run, had a clean record and appeared to be the opposite of "militant" Jim Brown. Those qualities inquired Schwartzwalder and he wanted Davis in Syracuse, but some coaxing from Brown (Darrin Dewitt Henson) to secure Davis.

Davis ends up at Syracuse, lands on the varisty team as a freshmen and ends wearing Jim Brown's number. The decision to have Davis wear Brown's is something that creates some heat for the coaching staff. It also shows while Davis wasn't flamboyant about dislike for certain things, he would check people when necessary.

Davis bumps head with other players and makes some friends. But winning games changes everything for teams and especially when Syracuse went undefeated and decided to play Texas. This is where Hyde Park comes in. The black players couldn't sleep in the hotel (Winderemere Apartment Building). Three large football players ended staying in one closet-like room with unkept cots.

Big football moments continue and by Davis's senior year, he was nominated for the 1961 Heisman Trophy. Odds of a black man winning were good because there was another black player nominated. But then again it was 1961. Long story short: Davis wins, he shown another way in the hotel where he meets President John F. Kennedy and is drafted by the Cleveland Browns.

All these good things are happening for Davis, but all along he was ignoring small things. His nose would bleed a lot and he blamed the game. But that all changed when he was practing for the All American Game when he couldn't catch the ball and he passed out. No one knew what was wrong with him and he continiued to practice Browns. However, he was told that he had leukemia. Davis helped to attract the next Syracuse University player Floyd Little and confided in Little that he would never have a chance to play pro ball. Despite that, Davis dressed for the first game, walked on the field to a cheering crowd in 1962 and died the following spring at 23.

Movies are not to be taken literally when it's biopic. There has to be some way to tell it to people. Like with this one. Davis was known as the "The Elmira Express" but the movie was called "The Express." Also, this movie is based on the book "The Elmira Express: the Story of Ernie Davis" by Robert C. Gallagher.

I would recommend the movie because it can open your eyes (like it did mine) to history. From there it's up to you to learn more.