"The Express"

It isn't often I would call a movie AMAZING and almost unheard for someone to make enough of an impression for me to consider them a hero. This film, about African-American football legend Ernie Davis, achieves both.

It would have been so easy for filmmakers to reduce the story into hollywood cliche'. Given the historical backdrop of the racially tense 40's-50's, I expected a heavy-handed whack on the head with a morality stick. Then next up would be the overly-dramatic, nail biting football scenes. You know the ones, where everything runs in slo-mo and the ball ALWAYS clears the goal as the timer hits zero. But no, none of that. Not at all.

I knew the movie was going to be good when Ernie Davis, regarding Jackie Robinson commented "Look at him accomplishing so much and not saying a thing about it." How different things would have been today. Very few people, especially the famous ones, make accomplishments without saying a lot.

In fact, many celebrities who have accomplished nothing feel as though they are entitled to spout off about any little detail that enters their minds.

So here's what "The Express" was really about: Honesty, Integrity, diligence, hard work, bravery, humility, self-control, ethics, and denial of self-gratification. The latter being a concept nearly extinct in modern society.

Ernie Davis was a hero. A gentleman, a silent warrior, and a true American. And he died. At just 23 years of age, Ernie was gone. Maybe he was just too good for this place.

-EJ