Heart of Champions

Sports movies seem to have a formula. Team not performing as it should, new coach comes in who inspires, someone trying to undermine the team, a traumatic event the team must overcome. So it is with this one but somehow it all works for me. Michael Shannon as the coach stands out even though the main focus is not on him, but liked other characters as well and their stories. Certainly deserving of a higher rating than what it has on IMDB.

This movie brings together stories of college students who face and overcome interior struggles and stresses of life and learn the valuable lessons that no man is an island and that sometimes you have to depend on the team and sometimes the team has to depend on you. They deal with death, loss, family pressure, and peer pressure while learning that they need others and others need them on a sports team and in life.

This is a very formulaic film, and I should have known that going in (I didn't, because it's the first 'rowing movie' I'd ever heard of, thought this may have a different spin). Of course, it has to be interspersed with college-kid drama, love, and ridiculous set-up situations (girl hates boy, boy is a hurt soul, girl loves boy madly, ad nausea, replete with the requisite steamy snowing scenes, steamy raining scenes, etc.).

Michael Shannon is usually always great, but he was very stiff here, which for me, rendered him a less believable character. The other actors did a good job; Ludwig is a real rising star for sure, the other boys mostly forgettable and the girls, ugh; pure annoyance.

But for me, the big letdown here is the end. Naturally, a sports film pits the lowly underdogs against the revered and unbeatable favorites. No spoilers here, but the most ridiculous thing happens during the final showdown that could not possibly make a difference to the outcome of the race, and yet it does, big time. It is SO absolutely stupid that you immediately feel insulted for having your intelligence assailed. For me, this movie went from a 6 to a 2, but I'll compromise at 3 for Ludwig and the guy who played his father performances.

Im a sucker for sportsmovies. I was very interested in this movie since I did rowing when I was younger. But the movie just falls flat.

The dynamic between Alex and his father is interesting and the classic story of a team with potential but teamwork issues, works, but the romance seems to be a irrelevant parallel story with no purpose. The end makes absolutely no sense both in terms of character building and realism.

Really wanted to like this movie, but it fails to deliver.

I watched this because Michael Shannon is in it. He's a great actor. No question.

The story, downtrodden college team, challenged with mediocrity and tragedy are brought to competitive brilliance by a coach with many demons of his own. Too many other tropes to count.

The story arc, and conclusion, are never in doubt. Oddly, the athletic climax is muted.

The rest of the film is bogged down with CW network level actors and actresses. And, unfortunately those storylines sink to some cringe worthy teen melodrama.

Shannon raises the script to better than acceptable. Unfortunately, the two main younger leads, Melton and Von Ludwig, are not capable of elevating the juvenile dialogue.

Not the best two hours I've spent.