'Glory Road' scores points both on and off court
by Rick Cantu
Two basketball teams face off. One is all-white. One is all-black. That 1966 game, between the powerhouse University of Kentucky and the upstart Texas Western College (now the University of Texas at El Paso), is at the heart of the new Disney film "Glory Road." The inspiring true story chronicles the season of a group of 12 big-city nomads who bond in El Paso, a desert town one player compares to "another planet," and become the first all-black starting lineup to win the NCAA basketball championship.
Read the full review
With the nation's first all African-American starting lineup and a passionately dedicated coach, the underdog Texas Western basketball team surprised the nation by winning the 1966 NCAA tournament title — and changed the history of basketball.
Buena Vista Pictures
'Glory Road'
Director: James Gartner
Starring: Josh Lucas, Derek Luke, Jon Voight, Austin Nichols, Evan Jones, Emily Deschanel
Run time: 109 minutes
Release date: Jan. 13, 2006
Rating: PG for racial issues including violence and epithets, and mild language.
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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: B-
"Glory Road" plays fast and loose with some of the facts... but that certainly gives it dramatic punch."
Austin American-Statesman: 3 of 5 stars
"What makes Glory Road work at its most critical moments — the game scenes — is the actors' obvious athletic ability."
The Palm Beach Post: B-
"...a great story worth telling, but it cannot quite manage to sidestep the formulaic pitfalls of the sports genre."
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