Undefeated

Bill Courtney is about to start his sixth season as the volunteer varsity football coach for Manassas High School, North Memphis' most popular, unofficial 'for hire' practice squad.  Having never won a playoff game since its founding in 1899, the team is looking to make a change in 2009.  Led by star O.C. Brown, the Tigers will work to break their 110-year losing streak, overcoming physical and emotional pains to come together and understand the responsibilities that come with being part of a team.

To say that Manassas is a stark school is an inexcusable understatement.  Metal detectors line the entrance, attendance is rarely regulated, and jail time is a normal presence within the lives of the students and those they consider family.  Why Bill Courtney would feel the urge to offer his time and talent to a place like this is anyone's guess, at least for the first fifteen minutes of T.J. Martin and Daniel Lindsay's Oscar-nominated documentary Undefeated.  After that, you can't help but appreciate what he is doing.

For many players at Manassas, a father figure has been a dream that has wilted away in the wind.  Enter Courtney, who is often seen spending more time with his football kids than the four he has at home, something he fully realizes.

Courtney works hard to shape the men on Manassas' football team.  His patience and persistence is something to idolize as he embodies the personality that every high school coach longs to expel.  Sadly, his problems rarely stay constrained to the grass.

Often going above and beyond the call of duty, Courtney is seen comforting injured players as they undergo therapy, breaking up fights between teammates, and offering rides to and from church services.  This is all in addition to teaching them the art of football, occasionally putting aside his competitive edge to connect with those he is trying to teach.

To call Undefeated a football movie isn't entirely fair.  Sure, it is about the sport, but its undertone speaks volumes about the teachings of inner-city youth, especially through the medium of competitive sports.  The film does get a bit cliché in spots, but the message is never altered as the directors capture a truly electric story.  You will laugh, cry, and cringe at the trials and tribulations throughout Undefeated.  In a season of highs and lows, this film is a tour de force of mass proportion.