The U (2009)
Throughout the 1980s, Miami, Florida, was at the center of a racial and cultural shift taking place throughout the country. Overwhelmed by riots and tensions, Miami was a city in flux, and the University of Miami football team served as a microcosm for this evolution. The image of the predominantly white university was forever changed when coach Howard Schnellenberger scoured some of the toughest ghettos in Florida to recruit mostly black players for his team. With a newly branded swagger, inspired and fueled by the quickly growing local Miami hip hop culture, these Hurricanes took on larger-than-life personalities and won four national titles between 1983 and 1991. Filmmaker Billy Corben, a Miami native and University of Miami alum, will tell the story of how these “Bad Boys” of football changed the attitude of the game they played, and how this serene campus was transformed into “The U.”
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Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.
I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.
If you watch this documentary as a die-hard Hurricane fan, you'll love this production. If you watch it as a neutral fan who simply enjoys great football, you will likely be disgusted. It goes in depth about how coach Howard Schnellenburger brought a struggling program from rags to riches. In the '70s, UM was a perennial loser and attendance was so bad, they were giving out tickets to a game at Miami-area Burger Kings when someone bought a Whopper. Schnellenburger began to recruit talented players from tough neighborhoods- areas other college coaches had never tried to enter.They won the national title in 1983, beating favored Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, 31-30 in a game that is still regarded as a classic today. Schnellenburger left the team to join the ill-fated USFL as a part owner and was replaced by Jimmy Johnson. Miami would go on to even higher heights of success in terms of winning but the problems with player conduct on and off the field started to become an issue, both to the school's administrators and with the national media. Playing for the national championship in 1987 against Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl, the Hurricanes caused a storm of controversy by deplaning in Phoenix wearing fatigues, talking about being ready for "war" and pretty much alienating everyone they met. There are a lot of interviews with former Hurricane players and many of them seem to have the exact same boorish, taunting attitude they had over 20 years ago. The worst of their behavior is shown in the 1991 Cotton Bowl, where they obliterated Texas, 46-3. They also managed to accrue over 200 yards in penalties. This display revolted many viewers, the media, and even administrators at their university. In closing, the documentary is very good as there is plenty of game footage and lots of interviews with former Hurricane players and coaches. You might not like everything they have to say, though. 8 stars out of 10
In the 1980s and 90s, the University of Miami went from a second-rate college football school to THE powerhouse school. Unfortunately, they did this by encouraging thuggish behavior--a celebration of obnoxious and unsportsmanlike conduct. While this isn't the main reason I could now care less about sports, it is one of many. Sure, they were good teams--but the players frequently had brushes with the law, acted like jerks on and off the field and promoted the worst in people. BUT, they won games because apparently that is what's important in life--not character, class or intellect--just winning. Well, the ex-players and coaches all interviewed think this was the case, but there were many non-Miami players and coaches who couldn't stand them...and said so in this film. All in all, I found this to be one the least enjoyable films in the "30 for 30" series. Mostly, this was because I really hated what these people represented...and also because the film seemed to promote this or at least to tolerate it. This non-judgmental approach might appeal to some. It just made me annoyed. And, your view of their antics will greatly affect what you think of this installment of the series. It sure left a bitter taste in my mouth.
When I first saw the preview on ESPN 'what if i told you...college football was hit by a decade long hurricane?' and from that moment I was psyched seeing how I'm a huge football fan, NFL and college. I love football history and I've always wanted to hear about 'The U' in the 1980's. It didn't disappoint. This is the best documentary I have ever seen. In the 1970's Miami Football was a doormat for everyone else, but when Howard Schnellenberger arrived, he turned the team around by recruiting in the toughest ghettos of South Florida. The talent level was off the charts and they had a coach that knew how to control it. Interviews from the players and coaches tell how they transformed Miami into The U and a powerhouse that gave out beatings on the field while taunting and dancing in front of live television. They were labeled the villains of college football. But its a rise and fall story. At the high point of their dominance, the walls start to come down
30 for 30: The U (2009)*** 1/2 (out of 4)Extremely entertaining documentary taking a look at the Miami Hurricanes and their powerful run throughout the 1980s and early 90s. The school started off as nothing in a town full of racial violence but soon Howard Schnellenberger decided to go into the ghettos of the city and bring those men to the school. This here would continue with Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson coaching but soon the media and other schools started having second thoughts about what was really going on at the school. This is a rather extraordinary documentary that manages to do quite a few things. It does a lot but the one thing it forgets to do is to look at the program on a level playing field. Instead, Corben, a Miami native, has the players and coaches telling all of their stories about how great the program was and we never get to hear from other schools, players or coaches. To me this paints a rather unfair portrait where many of the controversial moments are either looked at and praised or glossed over all together. Towards the end of the film there's someone bragging about Miami players going out and robbing stereos!!! With that said, if you want a history lesson on what was going on during this period then you're going to have a hard time topping this. The film does a very good job at showing the "hurricane" coming through and destroying everything in its way. I thought the film did a wonderful job at explaining why Miami took off the way it did and how it eventually all came to an end. I'm sure a group of people could watch this film and debate on whether this school was good or bad for football but in my opinion it's great when a documentary can make you debate what it shows you. Again, for a history lesson this is great but I would have given it more credit had the other side been shown as well.