Hometown Legend

Rating:
Summary: Don't Waste Your Time
Review: "Hometown Legend" tells a story of a small Alabama town bursting with a history of high school football success. For years, the town has revolved around the football season and now the school board reports that the school is broke and will be forced to close. Desperate for a revival in the town and the school, a young female student (Lacey Charbert) prays for a miracle and, thus, the story begins.

The movie was based on the book written by Jerry Jenkins, who also authored the best-selling "Left Behind" series. As always, it's difficult to condense the story of a book into a 1-hour and 45-minute flic. Something always gets sacrificed. The director spent most of his time trying to "reveal" a theme of Christianity and missed the opportunity to tell a story.

Long story short: "Hometown Legend" attempts to be "Rudy" but ends up being "Mister Rogers Hits the Gridiron." The movie has tremendous holes in the plot and fails miserably at any character development. The director did a poor job at making the viewer root for the "Messiah" character named Elvis Jackson and there is no evolution of the season. The director takes you from preseason camp to the end of the season without allowing you to experience the peaks and valleys that always accompany a sports season -- and a sports movie for that matter.

Granted the film's budget was limited, but there were shots of game footage with no fans in the stands! The team uniforms looked like the director's wife ironed on some numbers on old practice jerseys. That's just wrong. This is just a microcosm of how disappointing the movie is.

Terry O'Quinn (the father in "The Cutting Edge") gives a strong and convincing role as the former coach who has returned for the team's last season. O'Quinn's performance is the only redeeming factor of the movie as he is out of everyone else's league. His effort makes the viewer ask, "what if the story and the rest of the cast were as good as he was?" With that in mind, here's a note to Hollywood: if you're going to make a sports movie, make sure the uniforms look authentic and the actors look like legitimate athletes. Elvis Jackson, the team stud, runs like a girl for pete's sake.

All in all, there's no reason to drop [money] to see this in the theather, so you'd better wait until it hits your local video store. On second thought, if you're planning on renting "Hometown Legend", do yourself a favor and grab a copy of "Remember the Titans" instead.

Rating:
Summary: Finally, a film of its kind that is so very worth watching!
Review: ****************************************************************
Finally, a film of its kind that is so very worth watching!

I have been following the production of this film for a while now. The first time I heard about the film being made was in a small article in New Man Magazine. It was located at the end of an article about the film "A Walk to Remember", which is also a film that has gained allot of respect from me. Since I read that little article, I have been following the film's progressas much as I could via cyber space. I also read Jerry B. Jenkins' novel Hometown Legend which is based on the screenplay.

I have always been fascinated by the artistic angle on life films take. I realize that there are many filmmakers that are just out to make a quick buck, but then there are also those films that have been made due to a passionate drive of an individual. That individual had experienced or has dreamed of experiencing something very grand, and so they are driven to share that imagery and experience with the others around them. The job done on Hometown Legend is just that...a work of Passion! Or at least, that was the impression I came away with. In my opinion, one of the most visual producers to date is Jerry Bruckheimer. Ever since the days prior to Don Simpson's death, I have seen how Mr. Bruckheimer has had an "eye" for visuals. And I have felt that those images are what have made him and his films so attractable to audiences of all sorts, not the action sequences that the media lays to his fame. Hometown Legend has allot of that same imagery and style. That's why I feel that this is only the first in a long line of excellent films to come from Dallas Jenkins. As an example, one of my favorite shots in the film comes in at 01:08:05 into the film. It is where Coach Schuler and the team are coming out of the locker rooms and the director has this low angle shot on them and the bleachers as people wave pompoms in their direction. That was a breathtaking shot. Not only was it excellent visually, but the musical score cue for that segment couldn't have been more emotional. Mr. Haseltine has an awesome eye for film scoring. Even with the use of independent musicians, the entire soundtrack is awesome. To top it off, that shot works so well because of the fine acting of Terry O'Quinn. He was an excellent casting choice as Coach Schuler. His voice is an exact match to that of Robert Duvall's...another icon actor. Films such as this are why I personally am so interested in films and filmmaking. Not only are they great storylines, but they have very positive undertones as well.

The only dislike of this film is not on the part of the filmmakers at all. It is on the part of the crew at Warner Brothers Home Video. Why would you dissapoint your loyal fans by releasing only a Pan Scan version of the DVD? That is such an insult and a dismay. A beautiful film such as this deserves the original theatrical treatment and nothing less. I surely hope and pray that one day your company and all other production companies out there will one day wake up and see that there truly is a place for films of this style in our society...why not take the initiative and be a trendsetter and put these films out with a BANG! Widescreen, commentaries, documentaries, isolated score tracks, trailers, the whole sha-bang! Utilize the abilities of a DVD disk!

Even still, don't fret all you possible Hometown Legend purchasers out there. Still, even in pan scan, it is well worth the money. The DVD version includes a very entertaining commentary with Dallas Jenkins (producer) and James Anderson (director), Information on Jerry B. Jenkins, Theatrical Trailer, and a cool video from Jars of Clay! So, don't hesitate, I guarantee you'll walk away from this film feeling like you won the Super Bowl!
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Rating:
Summary: THE GREATEST!!!
Review: > Hi, I'm 15 years old and I live in Michigan. I just want
> to thank you
> soooooo much for making such an awesome movie! I just
> watched it and my mom
> wants to watch it tonight as a family. I'm psyched to
> see it again! I could
> watch this one over and over! It was a great story and
> totally clean! It's
> not often I find a good clean movie. THANK YOU!!! I'd
> like to see more of
> these! ~Tanya Lynn

Rating:
Summary: Some movies still carry a message...
Review: After being bombarded by movies with multi-million dollar budgets with absolutely no intelligible value other than pure entertainment I find it a relief that a movie made on only $2 million can be so emotionally stunning and morally pleasing. As with the book, you will travel and emotional roller coaster throughout the movie, not only with the football team, but also Elvis, the star player. I also recommend this to any and every University of Alabama football fan, you'll see why soon enough. Roll Tide!

Rating:
Summary: Finally A Non Preaching Christian Flavored Movie
Review: As a Christian, I get very very very tired of "Christian" movies that always stick the Gospel in your face and pound the need for salvation over your head. I'm already saved. I don't need to see the plan of salvation every 10 minutes to be entertained.

Jenkins Entertainment in this film, while claiming they didn't intend for it to be "evangelical" in nature, does exactly that. Too many short-sighted Christians (like in some reviews I've read) like to stand in their pulpits and thump their Bibles and say any script that's not overly Christian or (GASP!) portrays Christians as real, flawed human beings isn't Christian or that the people creating the production are "turning away from God." Jenkins Entertainment proves you can be evangelical without the pulpit.

This movie has some strong Christian characters...and at points I think it's very overt in it's evangelical tone...but the characters are HUMAN BEINGS. I liked that. They were people I could know or have known over my life.

Now, that said, I came away a little disappointed by the movie. There were points I felt the film could have been trimmed a little bit and the flow and story of the film could have been enhanced. I had a hard time believing Lacey Chabert in her role...not the part itself in how it was written, just the actress playing the part. I couldn't buy her as being that character.

Overall, worth the price of a rental and a good movie for Family Movie Night. It's also one you could watch with your non-Christian friends and not be ashamed to be showing it to them (unlike a lot of "Christian" films that do not even match up to the quality of made for TV movies.)

Rating:
Summary: Waste of time!
Review: Bad story, bad acting (except for Terry O'Quinn) and just BAD! I made the mistake of paying a matinee price to see it in the theater so I hope you will heed my warning when I say, this movie is not worth the cost of the video tape it is printed on. If you must pay... for something, send me the check instead. At least you'll know it's going to something worthwhile like a burger and shake from Sonic.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Family Movie!
Review: From beginning to end Hometown Legend is a must see movie! The solid performances of actors are amazing. Mark McLachlan's performance is superb as "Sherman Naters". Even if your not a football fan this movie will keep you cheering till the end! Jenkins Entertainment has what it takes to make an excellent family oriented movie. Great for all ages. This is the kind of movie you'll enjoy watching over and over again.

Rating:
Summary: Finally!
Review: Hometown Legend (would be enjoyed by ages 7 and up)is the movie we've been waiting for - entertaining, well-made, great story line, and suitable for the entire family though there is one scene on the football field you might hope will go over the heads of your younger viewers. What a refreshing change from what is usually generated from the big movie makers! A wonderful football story is woven with realistic dialogue, believable characters, and great life lessons complete with a twist in the ending. This is a movie we will watch over and over again! A huge "Thank You!" to the makers and producers of Hometown Legend!!

Rating:
Summary: Hometown Legend is , without a doubt!
Review: Hometown Legend is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time, (and I work in a movie theater so that is saying a lot). It is put together amazingly and the acting is heartfelt. It has been a long time since such an uplifting movie has had the courage to openly talk about faith without becoming preachy and forceful. I love this movie and hope more people check this one out. With a heartwarming story, amazing direction, outstanding acting and a kicking soundtrack to boot, there is no way you will be dissapointed.

Rating:
Summary: Great family entertainment!
Review: I am not a football fan, even though I am a girl raised in the South BUT I really enjoyed this movie. I purchased it for my family because there is not a lot to choose from at the theaters or on TV. The story line was good...I loved seeing places that I have actually visited, I cried, laughed, and cheered. It is as good if not better than "Remember the Titans". My family will definitely be on the lookout for more films produced by Jenkins Entertainment. What a great way to woo the secular world to a life of faith!