"The Express": The Ernie Davis story

People get so pissy about Hollywood making movies out of real life events. It's Hollywood, not a documentary. If it's a good movie, that's enough for me.

IMO, Remember the Titans wasn't ruined by Nikes and facemasks.

 

If you see the featherweights whose blurbs they're quoting in the full-page ads for this thing, you KNOW it's an epic stiff. In real life? A great story, but with isolated exceptions, Hollywood can f up
football movies with ridiculous ease.

 

Don't forget about "Eight Men Out" Buck. Love the movie, but another one where they don't let the facts get in the way of a good story.

And it's not just sports movies. Check out any movie "based on a true story" and go research what really happened. There's always discrepancies.

 

I don't have a problem with it (The WVU fans portrayal) for a couple of reasons, one of which is because it is largely fantasy - and one that supposedly happended more than 40 years ago!
While there clearly was no incident, considering the fact Syracuse didn't actually play AT Morgantown that year, Davis was from nearby Uniontown Pa., The game - had it really occured in Mo'Town - would have practically been a homecoming for the guy.
Also Ben Schwartzwalder was born in W.Va. and played at WVU. He had a pretty good relationship with the Mountaineers. The two schools compete for the Schwartzwalder Trophy, which is on the line (snicker, snicker - 'Cuse sucks!) this weekend.
Also, looking at Syracuse's schedule from 1959, WVU - outside of the Cotton Bowl appearance - was as far south as the Orange went.

And, as other have pointed out, it is a movie BASED on a true story.

 

Hoosiers is fictional in every way. When they say it's based on the 1954 Milan team, it is LOOSELY based. As in, all comparisons end once you get past the small school winning the state title aspect.

 

Oh, I know the story.

I just think it's less acceptable to be loose when you use a person. I mean, he is a historical figure.

 

If you mean Ernie Davis, agreed.

If you mean Jimmy Chitwood, he was not real.

They could have made him a seven-foot tall purple alien who likes to shout out inventive random profanity at awkward moments and it wouldn't have offended any historical accuracies.

"Sorry Coach Dale, you lost the vote. You're out."

(Silence is broken in the back of the room) "Asshole Milk!"

"Oh wait, Jimmy, the seven-foot tall purple alien has something to say. What say you, uh, son?"

"I'm want to play. Coach stays I play, coach goes, I go."

(silence)

"Shitgasm!"

 

No, it's based on a man's real life. Ernie Davis existed. Dialogue can be recreated or fudged, but the movie's facts should be historically accurate. Syracuse didn't play at WVU in 1959 in real life. So it shouldn't in the movie. Period. It's not that difficult.

If they ever made "The Bill Mazerowski Story," he wouldn't hit his homer in the 1959 or 1961 World Series, would he?

"Saving Private Ryan" and "Hoosiers" are inspired by true stories, but the movies are works of fiction. Big difference.

 

No, but it would probably be a grand slam with the Pirates down by three, rather than a solo shot in a tie game ...

 

Actually, "Eight Men Out" was fairly historically accurate -- the biggest factual flub was that it implied the scandal broke over the winter following the 1919 Series, when in fact it broke in late August 1920, when the White Sox were in a dogfight for another AL pennant, and possibly ANOTHER fixed Series.

(There are also some persistent rumors that the 1917 and 1918 Series might have been a bit funny, too.)

Without seeing "The Express," the immediate logical quandary is that Syracuse had just had Jim Brown, one of college football's greatest players, only a couple years before. The idea that Syracuse would have been resistant to playing another great black player is utterly nonsensical.

 

Actually, they could do whatever they want with the Bill Mazerowski Story.

Now, if they made the Bill Mazeroski Story ...

 

How about the Bill Mazer Story?