Woodlawn

Woodlawn tells a story that sounds too dramatic to be true — except it actually happened. In 1973 Birmingham, a high school football team was ripping itself apart along racial lines. Then an itinerant evangelist named Hank visited the team, and virtually the entire squad chose to commit their lives to Christ. What followed was one of the most remarkable seasons in Alabama high school football history. Caleb Castille plays Tony Nathan (who would go on to play for Bear Bryant at Alabama) with athletic grace and quiet dignity. Jon Voight is clearly enjoying himself as Bear Bryant, though the accent wanders a bit. Sean Astin is effective as Hank, the evangelist who starts the chain reaction. The Erwin Brothers direct with confidence, and the football scenes are well-staged. The racial dynamics are handled with more nuance than you'd expect — the film doesn't pretend that one spiritual experience ended racism, but it shows how it changed the trajectory of specific relationships. The climactic game, played before the largest crowd in Birmingham history, is genuinely thrilling.