Sports movies are, admittedly, often among some of the corniest and most formulaic films out there. But every so often, one comes along that, if it doesn’t break the mold, it at least bends it enough so that its cinematic lineage is not quite so obvious. And, if we’re lucky, that movie just might teach us a few things about life in the process. Such is the case with “The Express: The Ernie Davis Story.”
This well-crafted biopic tells the life story of Ernie Davis (Rob Brown), “the Elmira Express,” a charismatic, lightning fast halfback from upstate New York who went on to tremendous success in the football program at Syracuse University. Davis played a pivotal role in leading his team to the 1960 national collegiate championship through an undefeated regular season and a post-season victory in the Cotton Bowl, a game in which he was named MVP. Two years later, Davis would win the prestigious Heisman Trophy as the most valuable player in college football, the first African-American to do so.
But Davis’s accomplishments extended beyond the football field. At a time when the country was still rife with racial prejudice and blatant segregation, Davis earned respect for himself without stooping to the crass, confrontational ways of those who would try to hold him back. He let his accomplishments on the field speak for him, never having to lower himself to his detractors’ level, yet all the while always keeping sight of who he truly was as an individual off the field.
Davis’s achievements also show us what’s possible to accomplish through collective and not just individual efforts. His spirit of teamwork aptly illustrates his understanding of the significance of the connectedness of all things and the role it plays in fulfilling common goals. When Ernie won, everybody did.
Sadly, Davis’s football accomplishments ended when his collegiate career was over. He was drafted by the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, but he was stricken with leukemia and died at age 23. However, despite that fact, Davis’s many accomplishments were so respected by the professional team he never played for that the jersey number that was to be assigned to him was retired without him ever having taken a snap of the ball.
“The Express” is a wonderful film on many levels – inspiring, touching, and entertaining, all without being trite or overly sentimental. It’s a great period piece and features a dynamite performance by Dennis Quaid as Davis’s collegiate coach, some of the best work he’s ever done. But one of the things I like most about it is that it’s a film one can enjoy without necessarily being a football fan. It’s about people, and, if there’s nothing else Ernie taught us, it’s that people count just as much as whatever other endeavors we pursue in life.
(“The Express: The Ernie Davis Story” – 2008; Rob Brown, Dennis Quaid, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Omar Benson Miller, Nelsan Ellis, Charles S. Dutton, Justin Martin, Justin Jones, Nicole Beharie, Aunjanue Ellis, Elizabeth Shivers, Saul Rubinek, Chelcie Ross, Chadwick Boseman; Gary Fleder, director; Charles Leavitt, screenplay; Robert Gallagher, book)
On a personal note: In the interest of full disclosure, I must say that I’m probably a bit partial about this film, given that I am myself a Syracuse graduate. Davis’s playing days were over long before I attended, so I never got to see him work his magic on the field. But I’m proud to see that his story is finally making it to the big screen, given that it has been almost 50 years since he achieved his enviable accomplishments. Davis has sometimes been referred to as the one of the greatest football players no one has ever heard of, but I’m hoping this film will help to change that and to earn him the recognition he deserves for his achievements both on and off the field.
