Race

Just in time for the 80th Anniversary of his historic and heroic feats of athleticism in the heart of Nazi Germany, it isn’t a moment too soon. This summer’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro will be more about the Zika virus and terrorism threats than about racism and fascism, but it makes perfect sense for “Race” to come out just before the athletes hit the track.

What Jesse accomplished in those Olympic games isn’t necessarily what I would consider an exceptional achievement. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never been an Olympic athlete, so I’m not criticizing. There are numerous athletes who have reached their physical peak at the right time in their lives and have dominated their sport, earning them far more medals, championships, or accolades. Even in the American track and field pantheon of greatness, there was Carl Lewis, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Flo-Jo, and more recently, Michael Johnson who come to mind. I leave out swimming and gymnastics legends because there are figuratively too many events to count (sorry Michael Phelps).

Stephan James plays Jesse Owens, a clean-cut, bright-eyed young man growing up in a rough and segregated part of Americana (Cleveland, OH) in the height of the Great Depression. His dad brought his family to Ohio in search of a better life than Alabama cotton-picking had given them. Turns out, Owens had a knack for running, and it got him onto the Ohio State University team where he was noticed by coach Larry Snyder. His talent takes him to the global stage in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany, just before what we all know to be one of the greatest tragedies in history. The right place at the right time with the all-time most hated human on Earth rooting for him to fail and prove that the Aryan nation was somehow genetically superior. The late Mr. Owens proved Herr Hitler incorrect.
Jason Sudeikis plays the alcoholic, washed-up track coach effortlessly. When I was having drinks with him back in 2011 at the “Horrible Bosses” premiere after-party, I told him that he should leave this comedy business behind him, and try his hand at drama. In my experience, comedians often make for the most talented dramatic actors because of the range and sheer naked emotion that high quality comedy requires. He must have listened, and although it is hard to take him seriously in this particular role, give him some time and he’ll get there.

Stephen Hopkins (“Predator 2”, “Lost in Space”, “The Ghost and the Darkness”) directs what I would call a film that could be lined up and knocked down with little effort. Too bad Disney didn’t scoop this one up, they could have marketed it more strongly, release it a little closer to the actual games and made a fortune. Instead, it will be a mediocre film with average viewership.

Some of the things not mentioned about Owens in the film is that the highest honor in the sport, the Track and Field Athlete of the Year award, is named after him, and his 1935 University of Michigan meet has been called “the single greatest 45 minutes ever in sports” by numerous accounts. I think I would have liked that segment of the film to have been a little more drawn out. The film in its entirety is a bit too long, with the emphasis obviously on the Olympic games and the racial tension that crops its ugly head. It’s a lot like “Remember the Titans” in that regard, but “Race” tries to subdue the racism more than a typical film of this type would.

There aren’t any scenes that truly bring race into the picture, and I didn’t get choked up once, which is a sign that the film didn’t capitalize on the emotional charge that it should have. There were numerous stories untold within this story, so to me, it was just plain boilerplate. It is a great story worthy of telling, and some performances were appreciated (Could William Hurt be in it for more than three minutes please?) but it falls short in showing the real man behind the gold medals and the racial statement heard round the world. 6/10.