The Manassas High School football team (Memphis, Tenn.) was not taken seriously. They were deemed laughable, a “whipping boy,” according to one newspaper headline. A game against Manassas was a sure win for other high school teams—that is, until a new coach gave Manassas hope for change.
Undefeated, a documentary that set out to follow the team’s stellar offensive lineman O.C. Brown, focusing on his hopes to make it to the next level and play college ball, turned into the ultimate underdog story of the year. The film chronicles the team’s 2009 season and their elusive goal of winning their first-ever playoff game guided by their new volunteer head coach, Bill Courtney.
The film’s honesty permeates throughout—from raw, unscripted moments to the emotionally-charged trials and tribulations of individual players. You see and feel the team’s struggle to find character, confidence and unity, both on and off the field. Undefeated director Daniel Lindsey said, “football is [only] the lens” for what the story truly depicts: “a war film of a team going into that last battle.”
Check out the trailer below. Undefeated won Best Documentary Feature at the 2012 Oscars, and is still showing in select theaters.
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The Manassas High School football team (Memphis, Tenn.) was not taken seriously. They were deemed laughable, a “whipping boy,” according to one newspaper headline. A game against Manassas was a sure win for other high school teams—that is, until a new coach gave Manassas hope for change.
Undefeated, a documentary that set out to follow the team’s stellar offensive lineman O.C. Brown, focusing on his hopes to make it to the next level and play college ball, turned into the ultimate underdog story of the year. The film chronicles the team’s 2009 season and their elusive goal of winning their first-ever playoff game guided by their new volunteer head coach, Bill Courtney.
The film’s honesty permeates throughout—from raw, unscripted moments to the emotionally-charged trials and tribulations of individual players. You see and feel the team’s struggle to find character, confidence and unity, both on and off the field. Undefeated director Daniel Lindsey said, “football is [only] the lens” for what the story truly depicts: “a war film of a team going into that last battle.”
Check out the trailer below. Undefeated won Best Documentary Feature at the 2012 Oscars, and is still showing in select theaters.