HARVARD BEATS YALE 29-29

HARVARD BEATS YALE 29-29 - 2008

RATED - NR but probably G. This is a football documentary.

RATINGS - 13,718 Netflix (3.6/5), 130 IMDB (7.4/10).

STORY - It's November 23, 1968 and, for the first time since 1909 Harvard and Yale are meeting in the last game of the season and both teams are undefeated. Yale is ranked 16th in the nation and is heavily favored. The title of the film gives away the ending but doesn't tell you or show you the improbable, almost impossible, ending to this game. If this was Michigan & Ohio State it would have been the game of the century. For the most part, except for Calvin Hill and Tommy Lee Jones, there are no household names in either lineup. But it's more than just a game, it's Harvard & Yale, the elite of the elite, and it's 1968 and the Vietnam War is at its height and the country has had two more assassinations with MLK & RFK. As exciting as the game was, the film is also a commentary on our country, particularly what was going on in the colleges & universities. The documentary is the game footage interspersed (sometimes in the middle of the play to create suspense) with commentary from the actual players involved in that play. As you might expect, the players are articulate and intelligent. You get a lot more than just comments on the game. Do you want to hear one opinion on why the sexual revolution was going on? Do you want to know what it was like to date Meryl Streep and what was she like as a college co-ed? How about who roomed with Al Gore and George W. Bush and the pranks they were involved in? What of a former decorated Marine just back from Vietnam and what it was like to confront war protestors in front of every classroom building and play on the same team with players who protested and participated in SDS. While I agree that mostly real football fans are going to want to watch this, it has broader appeal than some reviewers give it credit for. It's very well done and entertaining as well as quite a game. A little nostalgia for baby boomer football fans. Enjoy. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 09/12/09.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB, TRAILER