In 1966 racism was still king throughout most of the United States. Sure things were beginning to change but it was still a turbulent time. Texas Western University coach Don Haskins (in a marvelous performance by Josh Lucas) scoured the United States looking for the right players for his basketball team regardless of their skin color. The result was a pivotal and groundbreaking moment in sports history as well as one of the most exciting seasons in the NCAA during t he 1960’s. Haskins’ had a line up that featuring black players something that was a bit unusual at the time particularly in the south. He and his team suffered for their bravery by facing racial prejudice, tensions, vandalized motel rooms and beatings. When coach Haskins and his team faced off against legendary Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp’s (Jon Voight) all white team it changed the acceptance and approach to the game in College. “Glory Road” is a fine film that leans too heavily on sports clichés but at its heart remains true to Haskins’ own goal—to put together the best players possible and celebrate their achievement regardless of race, class and social stigmas. It’s a n exciting film well directed by first time feature director James Gartner that recalls “Remember the Titans” with its impact although like that film it simplifies the history and context of the time to a degree that weakens some of the impact of the film. Nevertheless the outstanding performances and thrilling basketball sequences make this one of the better contemporary sports films in recent memory. ---

Image & Sound:

A sharp, smart transfer that has game “Glory Road” looks positively stunning with nary a digital artifact in sight. There are a couple of rim shots that don’t pay off when the image seems a bit soft (which is a surprise given the state of digital transfers and the fact that the film was released recently) but overall a truly exceptional offering from Disney. The audio mix is solid with nice use of the 5.1 format and directional effects spread around the speakers. It could be a bit more active but otherwise sounds extremely good. We also get French and Spanish 2.0 tracks as well. Subtitles are included for all three languages. ---

Director Gartner’s commentary track is informative and fun to listen to with Bruckheimer’s occasional contributions also worthwhile. The writers offer their own take on the film in a second audio track and offer a different perspective as they were with the project from the first day of the project. The audio commentaries are complimentary. I could have done with a bit more background on the writing process as well as dramatic compromises the writers had to make and how they feel about it now that the film has been completed.

“Legacy of the Bear” is the first featurette and runs under 15 minutes. It provides a solid portrait of Haskins featuring clips of him in action coaching and interviews with former players. “Surviving Practice” runs about 5 minutes and looks at the training process for players but could have been longer. “In Their Own Words: Remembering 1966” is the best of the extras here running the longest (24 minutes) and features interviews with people that were on Haskins’ team during the year the film is set. Finally we get Alicia Keys music video for “Sweet Music” along with trailers for upcoming releases. It’s a nice package that probably could have been strengthened with more historical in depth information on the team and its time. It’s a pity that Disney didn’t license out or partner with one of their partners to produce a truly outstanding short documentary on the era and Haskins’ achievements. Also, some fans of Kentucky coach Rupp’s were offended by the way the coach was portrayed in the film and the set probably could have used a bit more fair balance on him as well.

Final Words: