Review of "The Gridiron Gang"

I saw the preview for "Gridiron Gang" and turned away with disinterest. I'm not into sports, and I usually don't get into these athletic movies, like the "Gridiron Gang." The usual formula is a bunch of people down on their luck who start a team, build a bond, and then with seconds on the scoreboard, they win (or sometimes lose). The End. But not in "Gridiron Gang." This movie immediately caught my attention because it didn't give what Hollywood and mainstream media likes to believe are the way gangsters act. "Gridiron Gang" showcased realistic young men who had to choose between their own family, friends, and a lifestyle of gang violence and loyalty. Even when coming out of a bad situation in a juvenile detention center, they were placed back on these same streets to deal with the same issues they dealt with beforehand. In the midst of that, one of many young men ends up in juve by making the wrong decision.

A probations officer is fed up with the boys fighting, threatening each other, and having self-pity on themselves. Sean Porter (played by ridiculously gorgeous Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) takes on this opportunity to introduce a football team to a slew of young men who need something productive in their lives, with the help of his co-worker Malcolm Moore (played by rapper Xzibit, who has a beautiful smile and is also nice on the eyes). Not only does becoming a team build leadership, loyalty, and teamwork, but it also bridges the gap due to some members being from different gangs and hating each other for simple things like tattoos and neighborhoods. With the opportunity to play outside teams, these young men deal with a small amount of racism and a lot of skepticism because of their pasts. In the end, whether they win or lose, a bond is made.

I loved this movie. Jurnee Smollett of "The Great Debaters" gives another excellent performance as Danyelle Rollins, the love interest of Willie Weathers, played by Jade Yorker. I'd love to see Yorker, another actor, Leon Hayes (who plays Mo), and David Thomas (who plays Kelvin Owens) in more roles. They did a standout job to me, especially during emotional scenes. All of the actors did actually. The casting director did a great job of picking the right rookies to acting and some to football in this film. "The Great Debaters" gave a realistic view of what it is like for so many young (especially Black) men living in areas that are heavily influenced by gangs. People who are unfamiliar with an environment that has a high gang population do not realize that many of these young men are not in organizations such as these by choice; it's more of a survival mechanism. I recall a time when a fellow student and friend of mine in elementary school was coming from a corner store to buy junk food and a gang of young men pulled him out of a van to beat him senseless because he refused to join their gang. He proudly stayed neutral when the people around him were from three different gangs. A lot of young men don't have that kind of strength either because they don't have male role models in their lives who can show them another route, or they just get fed up with being bullied daily and finally join a gang. But with that decision, there's a lifelong dedication that one must have to this group. Have you ever heard the saying that once you're in a gang, you can never get out? That's pretty much the attitude of most members, so when one character in "Gridiron Gang" had to make a choice between his set and his team member, that was probably the hardest decision he ever made in his life.

This movie also got me back to researching the Jena 6. Because the Jena 6 were also football players in Jena, Louisiana, trying to have a future, and dealing with adversity from racism and people not believing they could succeed based on idiotic things like skin color, environment, and stereotypes, it made me sad to watch this movie, but I was impressed with the way it was done. I hope Mychal Bell gets his opportunity at football and a better future without having to spend it in a detention center the way these guys in the movie did. None of the Jena 6 deserve to be there, and one of the main characters who was in a gang didn't deserve to be there either, however, he made his choice and lived with it. He also made a choice within the movie on how to deal with being called a nigger. That was one of the highlights of the movie for me, and I had to ponder on his decision. This movie was based on a true story, and when all of the members of the team were released, 24 went back to school, 3 earned full-time jobs, and only 5 went back to jail. The ending stated that "that's a lot better than 75%." Indeed it is.

It's difficult for someone of any age to have a legal background record and go on to pursue things positively when that record holds them back from jobs, school, and they are released into an environment that puts them back with the same troublesome people that have the crabs-in-a-barrel mentality. This is why the government needs to invest more time in rehabilitation programs for incarcerated people. If they are not given a second chance, they are more likely to repeat their past mistakes or first mistakes, for those who were innocent. I give "Gridiron Gang" five stars for stimulating my mind, getting me back on the grind of Jena 6 research when I'd taken a break from frustration, and for being a rationale movie about what the government avoids in talking about rehabilitation by honoring Sean Porter, a real-life probations officer who chose to help young men instead of belittle them for their past, assume they are the way they are because of race, and guide them, much like a father would.

Additional Information: For updates on the Jena 6, linked by Alyce Rocco, please visit Updates on Key Figures in the Jena Six Case.