Although not all of us are sports fans, movies depicting the world of athletes enclose a je ne sais quoi that brings to light our deep-buried emotional sides. The road to glory of certain people whose figures have entered history usually reveals many obstacles and impediments that cannot possibly pass unnoticed. Such films either go all-out to be flimsily sentimental and make the viewer shed a couple of tears or they pull out all the stops to describe a reasoned story of immeasurable struggle and strength.

“The Express” somehow follows this formula in an attempt to portray the challenges football player Ernie Davis has faced until he became the first African-American to win the prestigious Heisman Trophy.

The focal point of the film directed by Gary Fleder is represented by the 1960 Cotton Bowl, a competition in which Syracuse University faced the University of Texas. The Syracuse hadn’t been defeated during the whole football season and, in addition to this big plus, it also had Ernie Davis, a particularly talented running back, in its team.

When Ernie Davis, impersonated by Rob Brown, arrives at Syracuse, things are far from being colored in pink. Ben Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid), the cantankerous, but upright coach of the university’s is seeking for someone to replace Jim Brown (Darrin DeWitt Henson), the team’s star rusher, who was on bad terms with everybody. Thus, the coach takes Ernie Davis in his protection and helps the gifted young man become a true professional.

The scenes in which racism-related issues suddenly surface are extremely stimulating and intensify the general standpoint of emotional superfluity. However, if “The Express” weren’t plentiful in sentimental vibes, it would barely reach its objective, which is to put forward simple, poignant vibrations.