'Glory Road' scores points both on and off court
By RICK CANTU
Austin American-Statesman
It's a powerful image.
Two basketball teams face off. One is all-white. One is all-black.
Buena Vista Pictures
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That 1966 game, between the powerhouse University of Kentucky and the upstart Texas Western College (now the University of Texas at El Paso), is at the heart of the new Disney film "Glory Road." The inspiring true story chronicles the season of a group of 12 big-city nomads who bond in El Paso, a desert town one player compares to "another planet," and become the first all-black starting lineup to win the NCAA basketball championship.
The fast-paced movie closely follows the script of TWC's '66 season. It focuses on Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins (Josh Lucas), who overhauls his no-name basketball team by recruiting talented black players from inner-city neighborhoods in Houston, Detroit and New York City. While most people were obsessed about the changing skin color of his team, Haskins simply wanted to win games, not make social commentary. Lucas showcases Haskins' mix of folksy humor and serious coaching.
Debut director James Gartner strikes a nerve by showing how players at Texas Western faced rampant racism, particularly when they played away from home. One player gets bloodied in a restroom brawl at a greasy-spoon restaurant. A hotel room is looted and racist slogans are painted across the walls in red as the stunned players returned from a game. The white players also have their own misgivings about the new guys in the locker room.
The film develops the diverse personalities of the players, black and white. Bobby Joe Hill (Derek Luke) is a cocky point guard who arrives in El Paso with more basketball style than substance. Nevil Shed (Al Shearer) has New York smarts but is often trampled in practice by the team's dominant inside player, David "Big Daddy" Lattin. The tight-knit team also includes Wille Cager (Damaine Radcliff), Willie Worsley (Sam Jones III) and Harry Flournoy ("Desperate Housewives" actor Mehcad Brooks of Austin). What makes "Glory Road" work at its most critical moments — the game scenes — is the actors' obvious athletic ability. In the team's only loss, against the Seattle University, the players' frustration and anguish are vividly displayed on their faces.
The film also correctly portrays Kentucky legend Adolph Rupp (Jon Voight) as a racist coach. The grim-faced Rupp has a few icy encounters with Haskins, once telling the El Paso coach his players must feel fortunate to play on such a grand stage.
At a preview screening for "Glory Road" last week, the audience chuckled when one opposing coach said "basketball will never be a black man's game."
Forty years later, the Kentucky-Texas Western game is remembered as a landmark in the integration of college athletics.
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