The Express (2008)

A drama based on the life of college football hero Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy.

Director:

Gary Fleder

Writers:

Charles Leavitt, Robert Gallagher (book)

Stars:

Rob Brown, Dennis Quaid, Darrin Dewitt Henson

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rob Brown	...	Ernie Davis
Dennis Quaid	...	Ben Schwartzwalder
Darrin Dewitt Henson	...	Jim Brown
Omar Benson Miller	...	Jack Buckley
Nelsan Ellis	...	Will Davis, Jr.
Charles S. Dutton	...	Willie 'Pops' Davis
Justin Martin	...	Young Ernie
Justin Jones	...	Young Will
Nicole Beharie	...	Sarah Ward
Aunjanue Ellis	...	Marie Davis
Elizabeth Shivers	...	Elizabeth Davis
Clancy Brown	...	Roy Simmons
Danny McCarthy	...	Bill Bell
Regina Hoyles	...	Sister
Chelcie Ross	...	Lew Andreas

Storyline

This biopic focuses on the relationship of Ernie Davis (1939-1963), a gifted African-American athlete, and his coach from 1958 to 1962 at Syracuse University, Ben Schwartzwalder (1909-1993). Schwartzwalder recruits Davis with the help of All-American running back, Jim Brown. The civil rights movement is gaining steam; Davis experiences prejudice on campus, in town, and on the field, sometimes from teammates. How he handles it and how he challenges Schwartzwalder to stand up for his players provide a counterpoint to several great seasons that lead first to a national championship and then to the Heismann Trophy.

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Plot Keywords:

african american | syracuse university | coach | 1940s | football movie | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic content, violence and language involving racism, and for brief sensuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 October 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Express: The Ernie Davis Story

Filming Locations:

Berwyn, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$4,562,675 (USA) (10 October 2008)

Gross:

$9,589,875 (USA) (31 October 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Davis Entertainment, IDEA Filmproduktions, Relativity Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor) Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Career team record @ Syracuse 1959 11-0 1960 7-2 1961 8-3.

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Goofs

At the end of the movie when Ernie Davis is introduced with the team before Cleveland's preseason game (with the Pittsburgh Steelers), he is shown wearing his Cleveland Browns uniform. In reality, Davis was introduced to the crowd and was not in uniform. According to John Brown, his former Syracuse and Browns teammate and best friend, "That night, he had on his skinny tie, tweed jacket, and nice shirt". Owner Art Modell wanted Ernie introduced in his uniform. But, Coach Paul Brown wouldn't allow it because Ernie wasn't officially on Cleveland's roster and therefore not entitled to wear it.

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Quotes

[First Line]
Ernie Davis: 21 straight lines five yards apart. That is a football field. But there are other lines you don'T see that run deeper and wider. All the way through the country, and aren't part of any game.

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Connections

References The Moon Is Blue (1953)

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Soundtracks

"Too Hot To Handle"
Written by Eddie Noack
Performed by Frankie Miller
Courtesy of Gusto Records Inc.

User Reviews

Superb film that everyone should see...a great history lesson!

My husband and I saw EXPRESS yesterday and truly enjoyed this movie. We love movies based on true stories and also enjoy sports so this was a winning combination! We found this movie to be truly captivating and beautifully told. The acting was superb.....everyone did a fantastic job of making it all very real. We didn't know anything about Ernie Davis and feel so privileged to know his story. Of course we knew Jim Brown, but Ernie never even had a chance to show his real talents to the world via the Cleveland Browns. What a gifted young man he was and all the difficulties he had to face made him even more special. As far as the people who don't appreciate WV being shown in that light, my husband was in the Army in 1960-1963, and whether it was WV, NC, SC, or any other state in that vicinity that is exactly how it was and he experienced that type of hate first hand. Thank you for bring us such a meaningful film. We hope it is a huge success.