'The Express'

McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) - Sports movies, especially those based on a true story, are a cliche by definition. People deal with dramatic events through the fellowship, teamwork and strength they get through their selected sport.

That was the case with "We Are Marshall," "Rudy," "Remember the Titans," and so on. The only thing differentiates them is how well the story is told. There's a thin line between being sentimental and being schmaltzy.

"The Express" suits up and follows the same game plan. And it does it well enough to make it a sentimental look at one of the more important figures in sports history.

The fleet-footed Ernie Davis (Rob Brown) was born to play football. He also was born black. In the late 1950s and early '60s, racism was so real and terrifying that black athletes had to fear for their lives in some parts of the country. Doors had been opened to locker rooms by the likes of Jackie Robinson. But Davis found that an open door does not mean an open mind.

Davis gets recruited to play football at Syracuse University by Ben Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid), a coach who believes there is only one reason to play football: to win. That Syracuse has three black players does not sit well with some football crowds, especially in West Virginia and Texas.

"The Express" follows two stories. One is of how Davis made history in 1961 by becoming the first black athlete to win the Heisman Trophy Award. The other story is about Davis dealing with illness. Soon after winning the Heisman Trophy he was diagnosed with leukemia; he died the following year.

Director Gary Fleder uses this inspirational story as a contrast to the ugliness of the racial issues that ripped at the soul of America at the same time. It is a brutal world for Davis. He is not just tackled by opposing teams _ they take the opportunity to beat him when he's down. At the same time, Davis is pushed by friends and family to become a voice for change. But he knows that doing so could end his scholarship.

Fleder is a little too tentative when dealing with race. He falls into the same trap as many directors of sports movies, especially football films. There's a tendency to spend far too much time recreating on-field events. Do we need to see every play in a big game?

It is a particular failing in this case because what was happening off the field was far more powerful. Just a little more emphasis on what Davis faced off the field would have pushed this production to being even more important than it is.

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Because of solid performances by Brown and Quaid, the big and little issues presented in "The Express" are compelling in how they are addressed.

President John F. Kennedy wrote that he hoped Davis would be an inspiration for generations to come. You have to wonder why it took so long to finally tell this story.

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THE EXPRESS

Grade: B-plus

Rated PG for language, violence. Stars Rob Brown, Dennis Quaid, Charles S. Dutton, Omar Benson Miller. Directed by Gary Fleder. Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes.

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© 2008, The Fresno Bee (Fresno, Calif.).