The "Inspirational Sports Drama" is a very crowded genre for one that is so narrowly defined. While "When the Game Stands Tall" has some effective moments, most of them are ultimately unremarkable, feeling almost focus-grouped as they are so similar to moments from other films. The failure to stand out in its own field is what dooms the film to mediocrity.
From a basic filmmaking perspective, the major problem here is that the film is aimless for a good chunk of its opening minutes. Eventually it is about how a high school team, having set the longest winning streak of all time, finally loses, but manages to persevere in spite of this newfound adversity (aww...). It takes way too long for the film to get to that crucial loss. I wasn't timing it, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was over half an hour into the film. Instead, a lot of time is spent on establishing the team's winning tradition, then on showcasing a few tragic events before their next season (their coach barely survives a heart attack, and a recently graduated player is killed). I understand that the film is based on a true story, and they may have been trying to accurately depict real events, but for the purposes of a film, they should have gotten to the point much quicker. Why even spend time building up to their victorious, season ending game near the beginning of the film? Why not just start with it? That would have been an easy way to establish whatever they wanted to regarding the team, but in much less time.
Once their big loss finally does come, the sports movie clichés show up in full force. From the dramatic locker room speeches, to unconventional team bonding, to last minute nail biting victories, it's all here, and rarely presented in a way that could be considered new or exciting. Some moments work better than others, usually dependent on the ability of the actors to carry the material. Some of the more experienced actors manage to breathe temporary life into the film. Jim Caviezel and Michael Chiklis acquit themselves well as the teams coaches, but most of the younger actors portraying the players aren't able to do as much with what they're given.
Some of the gameplay scenes are well shot and carry with them some excitement, but it's still not nearly enough to combat the "been there, done that" feeling that permeates the entire film.
C
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