Bill Courtney is about to
start his sixth season as the volunteer varsity football coach for Manassas
High School, North Memphis' most popular, unofficial 'for hire' practice
squad. Having never won a playoff
game since its founding in 1899, the team is looking to make a change in
2009. Led by star O.C. Brown, the
Tigers will work to break their 110-year losing streak, overcoming physical and
emotional pains to come together and understand the responsibilities that come
with being part of a team.
To say that Manassas is a
stark school is an inexcusable understatement. Metal detectors line the entrance, attendance is rarely
regulated, and jail time is a normal presence within the lives of the students
and those they consider family.
Why Bill Courtney would feel the urge to offer his time and talent to a
place like this is anyone's guess, at least for the first fifteen minutes of
T.J. Martin and Daniel Lindsay's Oscar-nominated documentary Undefeated. After that, you can't help but
appreciate what he is doing.
For many players at Manassas,
a father figure has been a dream that has wilted away in the wind. Enter Courtney, who is often seen
spending more time with his football kids than the four he has at home, something
he fully realizes.
Courtney works hard to shape
the men on Manassas' football team.
His patience and persistence is something to idolize as he embodies the
personality that every high school coach longs to expel. Sadly, his problems rarely stay
constrained to the grass.
Often going above and beyond
the call of duty, Courtney is seen comforting injured players as they undergo
therapy, breaking up fights between teammates, and offering rides to and from
church services. This is all in
addition to teaching them the art of football, occasionally putting aside his
competitive edge to connect with those he is trying to teach.
To call Undefeated a
football movie isn't entirely fair.
Sure, it is about the sport, but its undertone speaks volumes about the
teachings of inner-city youth, especially through the medium of competitive
sports. The film does get a bit cliché
in spots, but the message is never altered as the directors capture a truly
electric story. You will laugh,
cry, and cringe at the trials and tribulations throughout Undefeated. In a season of highs and lows, this
film is a tour de force of mass proportion.
