Hometown Legend
Jerry B. Jenkins' "Hometown Legend" has a storyline as wholesome as apple
pie -- and I love apple pie! I think it's great when a movie can touch
your heart and leave you with a positive feeling after watching it.
Religion has a voice in this movie, but the voice doesn't preach. It's more
about the courage and unity of a kindred town trying to stay on solid
ground. Beautifully filmed and directed, this movie takes you into the
heart of Athens, Alabama and makes you feel welcomed. Athens, Alabama is a
small town that loves its football and religion, proving themselves strong
with many wins over the years. This small town has put themselves on the
map of football stardom through the legendary talent of coach Buster
Schuler (Terry O' Quinn).
Coach Buster Schuler has brought respect, honor, and 16 championship titles
to his hometown. On the night of another big game where magic was to strike
once again, tragedy took its place instead and hit too close to home. In a
freakish play of events, the coach's son was killed in the final moments of
the game. The coach retired the next day and the town that once knew glory
was now slowly dying. Twelve years have passed and the small town is
nearing its final days. Economy has been failing and the school will soon
have to closed down. Coach Buster comes out of retirement for one last
hurrah in what's to be the last season of football for the town on that
famous green. Elvis Jackson (Nick Cornish) is a smart, talented, but
rough-around-the-edges student who comes to the small town in hopes of a
scholarship, which the town has set up in memory of the coach's son -- a
scholarship that the coach does not support.
Also vying for that scholarship is Ian Bohen (Brian Schuler), who happens
to be the coach's nephew (but don't jump to conclusions yet). The coach is
pretty tough and expects the best performance from every player. Sherman
Naters (Mark McLachlan) befriends Elvis by giving him a shot at cleaning up
his mother's restaurant at night. Sherman also has quite the personality;
he's a hoot at being the class clown! Rachel Sawyer (Lacey Chabert) is the
town's cheerleader, so to speak. When she sets her mind on something,
she'll go full speed ahead to try an accomplish even the hardest of feats.
Rachel prays for some sign above to help with her struggling small town.
Rachel even tries to get the town to use the scholarship money to help with
the town's financial problems, unaware that Elvis' main reason for playing
on the team is to get a free ride to college. A romance is also blossoming
between she and Elvis, but is it enough to keep them together with all the
obstacles in front of them? Will the return of the coach, the spirit of
the town, and the talent of this newcomer be enough to give the title back
to Athens, Alabama and soften the hardship that has burdened the town over
the years?
Terry O' Quinn has heart, spunk, and his demeanor is so cool and slick. His
portrayal of a tough, passionate coach is solid and dead-on heartbreaking.
He has a marvelous gift of connecting to a character and pulling out all
the stops with it. Nick Cornish's performance is tantalizing. He's drop
dead gorgeous, but it's his personality that's radiant to watch. He plays a
wonderful character who's driven, resourceful, and a genuinely nice and
caring person who wants to prove to himself and others that he's got what
it takes to make a team proud. I liked him in this role; he's a very
talented performer.
Lacey Chabert's performance is inspiring. She graces the screen with an
inner strength that she holds onto throughout the movie. Never gave up on
hope even when the chips are down. She presents herself with confidence,
naturalness, and spunk. Mark McLachlan, another performer whose ability to
bring emotion, humor, and believability to a role, did so with great ease
and much talent. A standout cast and wonderful acting make this a winning
movie. There's a nice soundtrack for the film and it connects to the movie
very well, most notable being Jars of Clay. Never give up the good fight
and you'll always come out a winner, regardless of the final score.
Hometown Legend is an uplifting movie that touches you with warmth,
excitement, compassion, and spirituality. It's a feel-good movie that
definitely should not be missed -- it scored a touchdown in my book!
Written by: Lynda Dale MacLean
Reviewers Rating: 8
Reader's Rating: 9.28
Reader's Votes: 21
Added: 1-Feb-2003
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