Grays Almanac

Home/Episodes/Remember the Titans

‘Remember The Titans’ With Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano, and Rembert Browne

October 8, 2019 · Remember the Titans (2000) · Biography · Comedy · Drama · 1:26:44

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 27:22Multiple scenes: opening credits setup, Julius and Gary yelling argument ('attitude reflects leadership'), Gettysburg speech, Left side/Strong side practice, Donald Faison switch to defense and restaurant scene
Rembert Browne▶ 28:09Discusses the opening funeral framing device and couples the restaurant scene with the Boone-Yost coaching conversation about treating players equally
Shea Serrano▶ 33:53Supports the opening scene discussion and particularly praises the restaurant scene as 'exceptionally well done' and 'really smart' commentary on racial dynamics

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 56:35The Titan spirit theme song that's been in all these sports movies and then was a focal point of the Obama election
Shea Serrano▶ 56:56The cast - a movie where you can watch it and everybody got more famous afterward but they still feel like those characters in that movie

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:42Multiple issues including the 'This is not a democracy' line, Gary's paralysis storyline needing more development, football scenes filmed too close, racist officiating scene being corny, and the movie completely bending facts from real life
Rembert Browne▶ 1:03:37Will Patton's 'make sure they remember the night they played the titans' line - hated it for being too on-the-nose with the movie title
Shea Serrano▶ 1:05:03Will completely ignore that the movie bent facts from real life - treats it like 'the social network for me like that's how facebook was founded'

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:06:43Ronnie Bass — Sunshine (Ronnie Bass) - shows up two-thirds through the movie, only in a couple scenes with about nine lines total, but displays physical football prowess and charisma
Rembert Browne▶ 1:09:09Ronnie Bass — Sunshine (Ronnie Bass) - agrees with another host's pick and notes that Sunshine seemed like he was in more of the movie than he actually was because he's a memorable takeaway character
Shea Serrano▶ 1:09:02Donald Faison — PD (Donald Faison) - acknowledges he doesn't fit the category rules but sticks with his pick, noting Sunshine's sports confidence and authentic athletic ability

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:11:33Shared trivia about director Boaz Yakin attending football camp, filming locations in Georgia vs Alexandria, and LeBron James citing this as his favorite movie
Rembert Browne▶ 1:12:21Added that high school interior scenes were filmed at Drew Hills, a rival high school he recognized

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:13:03Remember the Titans — Apex mountain for sappy Disney sports movies - this is the go-to one people mention first, when Disney mastered the formula. Also says it's Blue's apex mountain and racist Ray's apex mountain
Rembert Browne▶ 1:13:24Hayden Panettiere — Discusses competition between Remember the Titans and Mighty Ducks for sappy sports movies. Says it's Panettiere's best role despite Heroes or Nashville
Shea Serrano▶ 1:15:25Burgess Jenkins — Racist Ray - this is probably his high spot and his low spot. Also mentions Kip

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:40Multiple quotes including 'You're overcooking my grits coach', 'I don't scratch my head unless it itches, I don't dance unless I hear music', and 'I want a job for coach Tyrell'
Rembert Browne▶ 1:22:28'Water is for cowards' and the dialogue exchange 'I'm a dark skinny crocker'
Shea Serrano▶ 1:21:17Attitude reflect leadership captain

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:23:35Two questions: 1) Who's the best sports movie quarterback - Willie Beeman from Any Given Sunday is the one seed, Ronnie Bass is a two seed. 2) Would a parody of this movie be that far off from the actual movie?
Shea Serrano▶ 1:25:02For the parody question: No, all you'd do is change the music in the background - it's already hilarious

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:25:42Barack Obama — Suggests Obama won the movie, noting how Obama used Remember the Titans music to bookend his campaigns
Rembert Browne▶ 1:25:34Progress won the movie because that's why we got Obama
Shea Serrano▶ 1:25:27Suggests Denzel, racism, or President Obama, but settles on 'progress won the movie because that's why we got Obama'

Movies Referenced (30)

Friday Night Lights (2004)

7 mentions · Shea Serrano, Bill Simmons, Rembert Browne▶ 17:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Varsity Blues (1999)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Rembert Browne▶ 18:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Coach Carter (2005)

4 mentions · Shea Serrano, Bill Simmons▶ 9:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Malcolm X (1992)

4 mentions · Rembert Browne, Bill Simmons▶ 5:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Angels in the Outfield (1994)

2 mentions · Rembert Browne, Bill Simmons▶ 1:13:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Boogie Nights (1997)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Den of Thieves (2018)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 26:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Training Day (2001)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 6:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

All the Right Moves (1983)

1 mentions · Shea Serrano▶ 1:24:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Any Given Sunday (1999)

1 mentions · Shea Serrano▶ 17:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Draft Day (2014)

1 mentions · Shea Serrano▶ 1:14:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fallen (1998)

1 mentions · Shea Serrano▶ 7:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (2)

Kevin Costner

2 mentions · Rembert Browne, Bill Simmons · Known for Dances with Wolves, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves▶ 1:13:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Oliver Stone

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Born on the Fourth of July, Platoon, JFK▶ 5:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (26)

Denzel Washington

34 mentions · Shea Serrano, Bill Simmons, Rembert Browne▶ 1:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Walt Disney

10 mentions · Rembert Browne, Shea Serrano, Bill Simmons · Known for Lady and the Tramp▶ 1:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

LeBron James

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Rembert Browne▶ 6:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Georgia Hall

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Rembert Browne, Shea Serrano▶ 11:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ryan Gosling

6 mentions · Shea Serrano, Bill Simmons · Known for Blue Valentine, La La Land, Drive▶ 22:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ed Harris

3 mentions · Shea Serrano, Rembert Browne, Bill Simmons · Known for The Truman Show▶ 1:10:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jerry Lewis

3 mentions · Rembert Browne, Shea Serrano · Known for The King of Comedy▶ 9:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Omar Epps

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Love & Basketball▶ 10:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Wood Harris

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Rembert Browne, Shea Serrano · Known for Remember the Titans, Ant-Man▶ 22:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Donald Faison

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano · Known for Clueless▶ 32:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Brown

2 mentions · Shea Serrano · Known for Strangers on a Train▶ 8:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kip Pardue

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano · Known for Remember the Titans, The Rules of Attraction▶ 23:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (3)

Malcolm X

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Rembert Browne · Known for Malcolm X▶ 5:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jerry Bruckheimer

2 mentions · Shea Serrano · Known for Top Gun: Maverick, Armageddon▶ 1:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 25:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗