The Junction Boys
October 2003 Reviewed by: Josh Barber Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

Paul "Bear" Bryant is a famous figure in the world of college football, having led his Crimson Tide to 25 winning seasons. He's a respected and revered figure, so it makes sense that ESPN (which started out as the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) would look to his story when it decided to live up to the "Entertainment" portion of its name.

Before heading to the University of Alabama, Bryant coached at several schools, including Texas A&M. The Junction Boys joins Bryant there, just on the cusp of his rise to fame. Both players and athletic boosters revel in the news that the man who coached Maryland and Kentucky with such success would now be headed their way. When the players arrive at training camp, however, they have no idea what they are about to face.

Tom Berenger plays Bryant as the stern disciplinarian he was -- he barks his orders and breaks his players down like any good drill sergeant. In fact, Berenger might as well be playing Platoon's Sgt. Barnes with an ugly hat and uglier personality. These are not soldiers; they are just kids playing ball. Nonetheless, he treats them like combat personnel.

Taken from the novel by Jim Dent and Gene Stallings, The Junction Boys overlooks important parts of the story: the spirit and verve that Bryant found when he came to Texas A&M, the way that he was immediately welcomed, and the reasons his players always had such a deep respect and admiration for the man who led them. All the film presents is a tale of abuse with an entirely illogical redemption at the end.

Extras on the disc, both taken from ESPN, are slight, but still better than the film they are packaged with. The "SportsCentury" feature on Paul "Bear" Bryant is a detailed biography that explores everything from his impoverished childhood to his death in 1983. Here we finally learn of his care and concern for his players and their families, even years after they graduated. "Outside the Lines: The Real Junction Boys" includes interviews with five of the players who made it onto that team, as well as some rare archival footage of the real deal.

The Junction Boys is not a football movie. It is two hours of boot camp -- Full Metal Jacket without the art. The violence, stress, and outright mistreatment of the potential players borders on torturous, not only for the boys who lived it, but for any audience who has to sit through this uninspired and uninspiring headbutt of a movie.

If you want to learn more about the legendary Bear Bryant, skip the Junction and enjoy the extras. If you're looking for a "real life" football flick, stick with last year’s Remember the Titans, also from Disney. It contains accomplished acting, richer characterization, and better action. It is a much more enjoyable offering.

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