Bennett Helgren

6/21/20

Comm 212

Movie Review: Remember the Titans

The movie that I will be reviewing is Remember the Titans. This movie is about a high

school football team that is integrating races for the first time in Virginia during the 1970’s under

a newly appointed black coach. I chose this movie because there are several major problems that

occur and how they solve them is through communication and listening to one another. The five

topics that I plan to cover over this review are cultural Difference, the conflict styles of

collaborating, a developmental perspective, intention statements and the process of listening.

Topic One: Cultural Difference

According to Adler and Proctor II (2017), Cultural difference “But there’s another kind

of perceptual gap that often blocks communication—the gap between people from different

backgrounds.” (4-2C). The author also states, “It’s encouraging to know that open-minded

communicators can overcome preexisting stereotypes and learn to appreciate people from

different backgrounds as individuals.” (Adler and Proctor II, 2017,4-2C). In the movie, the black

and white players struggle to communicate because of the stereotypes and different culture

between the white and black players on team. There is a scene where the coach makes each

player talk and learn about a player of the opposite race. The players who are able to talk to one

another without looking at stereotypes are able to have a beneficial conversation and learn about

the other person. But the ones who don’t, and still look at and believe in the stereotypes never

could have a conversation with them and it hurt their relationship with ones who could have a

conversation.
 Topic Two: Conflict Style- Collaborating

According to Adler and Proctor II (2017), the collaborating conflict style is, “seeks win–

win solutions to conflict. Collaborators show a high degree of concern for both themselves and

others.” (12-2e). The author also states, “Collaboration gives you a way of creatively finding just

the right answer for your unique problem—and that answer might be one that neither party

thought of or expected before collaborating.” (Adler and Proctor II, 2017, 12-2e). In the movie,

the problem that was at hand was race and becoming a team. They first started collaborating

during their fall camp practices where their coach made each player of the opposite race talk and

learn about one another. This didn’t solve the problem but started the process of becoming a

team. The two sides of the problem the black and white players disagreeing ended when the

leaders of each race teamed up. Gerry who was seen as the leader of the white player and Julius

who was seen as the leader of the black players showed that they realized that it wasn’t about

race and they are on the team together to win football games and they needed to be united to win

games.

Topic Three: A Developmental Perspective- Integrating

According to Adler and Proctor II (2017), Integrating is defined as “A stage of relational

development in which the parties begin to take on a single identity.” (Glossary). The author also

states, “…the integrating stage is a time when individuals give up some characteristics of their

old selves and develop shared identities.” (Adler and Proctor II,2017,9-2a). In the movie, the

team reaches the integrating stage late into the fall camp practices. The players start to listen to

the same music, like singing along to Ain’t No Mountain High Enough. They show that they are

fully integrated as a team when they go back to school and the players stick together and help
each other out when there are problems vs the fellow white students. The white players are

looking out for the black players on the team where they wouldn’t of before their fall camp.

Topic Four: Intention Statements

According to Adler and Proctor II (2017), an intention statement is, “A description of

where the speaker stands on an issue, what he or she wants, or how he or she plans to act in the

future.” (Glossary). The author also states, “Sometimes, however, we act from a combination of

intentions, which may even be in conflict with each other.” (Adler and Proctor II,2017,11-3a). In

the movie, Julius states his intentions of looking out for himself and not the team because they

aren’t a team everyone just cares about themselves. He also states what he wants out of Gerry as

a leader and how he wants him to lead the team and the white players to play as a team.

Topic Five: Listening

According to Adler and Proctor II (2017),” listening is a process that consists of five

elements: hearing, attending, understanding, responding, and remembering.” (8-2). The author

also states, “Communication is transactional in nature. Listening isn’t just a passive activity. As

listeners, we are active participants in a communication transaction.” (Adler and Proctor II,2017,

8-2d). In the movie, Gerry displays the process of listening to Julius. When Julius tells him that

he wants him to be a better leader Gerry focuses on that and how Julius says they aren’t a team

yet and not how Julius is going to look out for himself. Gerry understands of what he needs to do

and call out the white players for not blocking for the white player. He gives the feedback later

after he had time to process the message that Julius gave him, but he does what Julius asks of

him and he calls out the white players and starts to lead the team and helps form the team. He

remembers the message from Julius later in the movie when he asks for his friend Ray to be

kicked off the team because he purposely missed a block and got their black quarterback hurt.
 Conclusion

The movie Remember the Titans displays problems of racism within a football team and

they are solved through communication. The topics that I talked about are, cultural differences,

collaborating as a form of conflict style, the developmental stage of integrating, intention

statements and the listening process. I learned that communication can play such a big part in

solving problems and talking and learning about each other is very important. I can apply my

learning from this movie by not jumping to conclusions about someone and how you need to sit

down and hear their side of the story and talk with them to solve problems that you may be on

opposite sides of. I think people can take away and learn from this movie and my analysis by

seeing the power of communication has too resolve problems and how you can be seeing only

one side and not truly understand someone. Also, how people from two different sides can put

aside their problems to solve a common goal and how it all starts with communication and

learning about one another.

 Works Cited

Adler, R. B., & Proctor, R. F. (2017). Looking Out, Looking In (15th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage

Learning.

Bruckheimer, J, Oman, C (Producers) Yakin, B (Director). (2000). Remember the Titans

[ Motion Picture]. United States. Screen Gems.