When the Game Stands Tall

The real-life story behind When the Game Stands Tall sounds amazing. But for all its exciting sports scenes, the movie version falls flat as drama.

Most often in its early stages, the melodrama onscreen edges precipitously close to dissolving into a puddle of platitudinous pabulum served in the manner of a rote Sunday school lesson.

A faith-friendly sports film that's more interested in extolling character than in developing characters.

Why must an extraordinary story beget such an ordinary film?

A true tale of high school football achievement becomes a strained, by-the-numbers grab bag of uplift in the Christian sports drama "When the Game Stands Tall."

When the Game Stands Tall is more manipulative than a hulking chiropractor. It's so busy beatifying its protagonist that it makes him into a grave idol rather than a man.

For football fans the movie brings a famous story to life. For the rest of us it plays like an after school special with better production value.

One of the better inspirational sports stories to come along in recent years.

The finished product did not do enough to make me forget this is another typical sports film. It felt generic, recycled, and forgettable.

Somewhere it's like a whole lot of people really liked this true story and tried really hard to make a movie out of it. The saddest part is that to me they totally failed at doing it and I think the real people in this story deserve way better.