MovieChat Forums > Varsity Blues (1999) Discussion > Problem with this film (and many others ...

Problem with this film (and many others like it)

posted 12 years ago by igetitfaster
6 replies | jump to latest

So the black WR goes on a diatribe about how the coach doesn't help him out, doesn't pick up the phone to call Texas A&M, etc.

Then goes on to say that his mother is doing his recruiting for him and that Grambling is coming to see him.

So obviously he has set his sights on big time college football, as A&M is a BCS school, in the Big 12- prestigious football.

So was the point that his mom has no idea what she's doing and picks Grambling because she is as racist as the coach is supposed to be? Because she's doing her son no favors in having Grambling come look at him from the standpoint of him wanting to play in the NFL.

Lowest common denominator story telling.

Watch Me Win

[–] Hoffman31 12 years ago

I don't think it was meant the way it came across. I don't think she picked Grambling because it is an All-Black college. I think Grambling was symbolic of a lower level school...In other words, he has the talent to play at a bigger school, but because his all-powerful coach is not vouching for him, he's going to be stuck playing for a lesser program.

Grambling was a coincidence. The writers could have easily used 100 other schools to make the same point.

[–] igetitfaster 12 years ago

Grambling was a coincidence. The writers could have easily used 100 other schools to make the same point.

Calling BS on that. Too much of a coincidence. If a lesser school was the point, SMU or UTEP would have sufficed. No, the point was made to select a historically black college, and the way the guy announced it demonstrated no disappointment but rather pride.

So either mom was racist, or the writers have little to no respect for the intelligence of the audience.

Watch Me Win

[–] Hoffman31 12 years ago

He wasn't at all prideful. He was pissed and disappointed. The whole conversation that Wendell had with Moxen was him letting out all of his anger and frustrations.

Moxen tries to say that he relates to him, and Wendell then makes it clear that "no you don't because my issues with Kilmer are racial, whereas yours are personal.

Regardless, Wendell was not happy about going to Grambling. He knew he was capable of attending a higher caliber school and was annoyed that his racist coach was not doing anything to help him.

Agreed that given the fact that the movie was in Texas, SMU or UTEP would have been better to use. However, it's possible that even they may have been considered too high profile. I think the intention of the scene was to show just how dicked off Wendell was getting. Kilmer would not even reach out to any BCS schools on his behalf.

Just a theory. We are never going to know what the intent was; agree to disagree I suppose.

[–] Miss_Sui_Generis 11 years ago

I thought the implication was that his mother had gone to Grambling;why else would anyone chose a school where the marching band is better than the football team? A high school RB who averages over 133 yards per game would be an ideal recruit for a Division1/BCS school. There was no way he could get there without the coach's help. OT: Does this story take place before prep players got star ratings?

SMU wouldn't have been a good example to use because it was still recovering from the death penalty. (Eff the NCAA!!!) My picks would have been Texas Tech or Houston.

Send lawyers,guns and money/The *beep* has hit the fan

[–] ramcamcole 11 years ago

SMU and UTEP are still Division programs. While they might not be as talented or prestigious as like Texas A&M, it still take a lot of talent for a person to get recruited there.

[–] trims 11 years ago

People also go to college for things other than an NFL career.

For someone in rural Texas, a good college education is a ticket out, to a much better life.

Grambling is know for producing quality educated graduates. I saw the talk in the movie as him pointing out that the coach didn't care even about his post-high school life. He said Grambling like it was a big deal (better than A&M, etc)

Fact is, he'd be far better off getting a scholarship to Grambling, then getting a good education. As a scholarship football player to A&M or the like, he'd get a far worse education than Grambling.

Remember, only a small fraction of D1 players make it to the NFL. Better bet is to parley a football scholarship to somewhere where you can get a quality education.