"This is not cliche or manipulative," he says. "It's reality. And we're better off looking at the truth of where we are and learn to move forward. The Titans proved it's possible and the effects of their experience are still visible in Alexandria 30 years later."
Director Boaz Yakin found the emotional heart of the movie within the context of sport. It's a special film about a time when sports actually meant something other than big bucks, glamour and the latest fashion," he says. "It's about a bunch of kids who played football in a more innocent time where what they did actually affected people and changed their lives. As corny as that may sound, it's true. Today people in Alexandria still recognize one of' the team captains, Julius Campbell, and what he did for their city. There's something special about that."
Bruckheimer tapped Yakin as his director after seeing his independent film 'Fresh." "Boaz was someone we've been pursuing for a number of years," he says. "He's not just a terrific director, he's also a wonderful writer. I think he was the perfect choice to work with this cast. Many of these kids hadn't been in front of the camera before, and Boaz allowed them an enormous amount of latitude. He worked with them on their characterizations and got some superlative performances out of relative newcomers.
"I never really wanted to direct something I hadn't written," admits Yakin. "But being able to work with a bigger budget on a bigger canvas was a great experience for me as a director. Not having the same relationship to the material enabled me to look at the script at little more objectively and utilize my pure directorial skills in a way I hadn't before; I was able to explore the visual side of filmmaking more fully. It was an important learning experience."
The early '70s were tumultuous years in America. Much of the nation was polarized by differences. It was a time of issues, from hot pants, Peter Max art amid Glam rockers like David Bowie to more serious topics like Viet Nam, Kent State and the continuation of the civil rights movement. And in every community in the country, bussing was a much-debated topic. For Alexandria, it was a reality.
When Herman Boone first moved to Alexandria lie believed he would be teaching in a newly integrated school system where his job as assistant coach in Triple A football was a step forward in his career after being passed up for promotion after several winning seasons in North Carolina. He had no idea he was soon to be named head coach. He had no idea he was about to change the lives of everyone at T.C. Williams High and in Alexandria.
When the school board named him head coach over Bill Yoast, an established and beloved figure in the community, no one was as surprised as Herman. But he knew he had an enormous job ahead of him. Not so much in the guise of producing adept players because combining the high schools had already given him access to some of the best players in the city, but because he had to find a way to get these young men to play together and function as a team.
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