History is written by the winners.|Sep. 29, 2000|United States|113 Min.|PG
Genre: Drama
Description: In 1981, a group of former football coaches and players gather at a funeral. Nearly a decade earlier, in the summer of 1971, T. C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia, underwent integration. Herman Boone, a Black head coach originally assigned to lead the Black high school’s football team, was placed under the leadership of Bill Yoast, the white head coach of the previously segregated white high school. Yoast had been nominated for the Virginia High School Hall of Fame. To address escalating racial tensions and the school district’s decision to integrate, Boone was appointed head coach. Initially, he refused, believing it was unfair to Yoast, but he ultimately accepted after recognizing the importance of this role to the Black community.
Yoast was offered an assistant coaching position by the school board, which he initially declined. However, after the white players threatened to boycott the team unless he stayed, Yoast reconsidered. Concerned about the students losing potential scholarships, he accepted the position of defensive coordinator under Boone, much to the disappointment of his daughter Sheryl.
Following this, Boone held a meeting with Black students trying out for the team in the gymnasium. The meeting was disrupted when Yoast and several white students intervened. Boone later spoke privately with Yoast, emphasizing that race was irrelevant to him when it came to leading the team. This conversation strengthened Yoast’s trust in Boone.
On August 15, the team traveled to Gettysburg College for training. During the early stages, racial conflicts frequently erupted between the Black and white players, including clashes between team captains Gerry Bertier and Julius Campbell.
Cast director: Boaz Yakin
Cast actor: Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Wood Harris, Ryan Hurst, Donald Faison, Craig Kirkwood, Ethan Suplee, Kip Pardue, Hayden Panettiere, Nicole Ari Parker
Original name: Remember the Titans