RUTHERFORD ON FILM: ‘Gridiron Gang’: The Rock’s Multi-Dimensional Role Model Charismatically Carries Film
By Tony RutherfordHuntington News Network Critic
Huntington, WV (HNN) -- How do you fix broken young people with “no hope” where “home” means continuous exposure to domestic violence, shots fired in the neighborhood, and drug sales?
When most teens find themselves in trouble, they have broken a rule, such as skipping school, drinking after the prom, or violated a dress code. The young men in a detention center have been looked up for more serious offenses -- like taking a life. Despite an emphasis on rehab at the facility, 75 percent of them return after release and many will die before their 21st birthday.
Feeling overwhelmed by the odds, an innovative counselor (Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson) proposes fielding a football team as an instrument for proving the boys with a positive teaching experience about leading a successful life outside of the institution. “Gridiron Gang” explores how the coach’s leadership helps the players win self confidence and how the players gradually see themselves as “winners” even when they did not score the most points.
Initially, you may question the “gang” portion of the film’s title, but the perspective solidifies as the boys bond on the field allowing them to replace negative role models like killing strangers just because they live five blocks away, with the positive experiences of working together for victory on the field.
Based on a documentary, “The Rock” quickly adapts to a role that stretches past hard kicking and punching action. As the role model of youth counselor Sean Porter, Rock shows incredible range in his performance as he must matriculate from a hard edged macho, strong man leader to a motivator with heart and a man who appropriately shows emotion without accumulating a ‘sissy’ label.
Actually, the “Gang’s” turning point comes not with a lopsided win or loss, but when the team members pool their meager money to send flowers and a card to their coach’s ailing mom.
“Gridiron” has greater punctuation than arts as expression (i.e. “Mad Hot Ballroom”). The “Gang” boys have already screwed up their lives. Competition on the field represents their one chance at beating the odds of becoming a life long criminal or dying young. As The Rock tells his superiors, “the possible is not working.”
Though you may dismiss “Gridiron” as a stereotypical Hollywood sports drama, individuals from those rough Los Angeles ‘hoods have praised the flick for its realism.
True, the team’s rapid rise to prominence raises second guesses, but its inspirational value stays intact.
Consider the strength and courage necessary for the detention center Mustangs take the field with one side of the stands nearly full and only two or three supporters on their side of the field. Filling the void negated by dysfunctional home lives and the repeatedly instilled “loser” label for from whence they come, the sport forces concentration on now, even for those coaching or on the side lines.
Like the forthcoming “We Are Marshall,” “Gridiron” dwells on sports imitate life metaphor. Obviously, the teamwork, leadership, discipline and respect are well covered; it’s the letting go of self for the unit to succeed that has to be found… by the residents of the detention center and all of us. Unfortunately, “loser” in a realm controlled by money and power could easily be reinforced by notching loss after loss on the scoreboard as a reminder of one’s lack of self worth.
That’s one of the not so happily ever after climaxes which fail to gain screen time or often turns up as an asterisk during the end credits. Far too often, the life lessons become garbled when role models themselves over-value the task of having more points than opponent. Fortunately, The Rock’s performance strongly underscores the ousting of inflexible, traditional “macho” male stereotypes, which along with determination, fitness and strength, inserts qualities lacking when expressionless, angry, forlorn young people blast out carnage -- compassion, love, sensitivity and understanding.