© Provided by City AM Religion and sport have a funny way of crossing paths in cinema. The former has inherent gravitas, the latter excitement, and produced surprise hits such as Oscar winner The Blind Side. Of course, for every box office smash there are numerous failed contenders, boasting familiar faces and vaguely inspirational titles such as When The Game Stands Tall. New drama Under The Stadium Lights hopes to be in the winners column, but does it have what it takes?
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The film is a dramatization of the true story of the Abilene Eagles, a high school football team who are in the doldrums following a huge defeat at the end of the previous season. With their squad of players facing numerous personal challenges off the field, the team's chaplain (Milo Gibson) and a local restauranteur (Laurence Fishburne) help guide the young men through faith and football, helping them to achieve their sporting goals.
Filled with the low angle, lingering shots that have been a fixture of gridiron films since 2004's Friday Night Lights, the film is a love letter to the redemptive power of sport and faith. There is something woven into the fabric of American culture that seeks the answers for all life's questions within a 100-yard field. You don't have to be a devotee of high school football to get it, but a film this contrived may lose all but the most devoted of sports fans.
A very familiar march toward The Big Game involves heart-to-heart moments that, while well-intentioned, feel inauthentic. The numerous speeches about overcoming odds gets tiresome, as can some inconsistent editing. Milo Gibson, best known for appearing in father Mel's Hacksaw Ridge, does his best to personify a modern Man of Faith. While he doesn't set the screen alight, he at least seems like someone these young men might listen to. Thankfully, Fishburne is also on hand to bring some warmth to the story, bringing a big personality to break up the stilted scenes.
In the crowded sub-genre of faith-based sports movies, Under The Stadium Lights has more about it than most. However, in the even more crowded genre of high school football dramas, it just doesn't do enough to distinguish itself from past greats.
Under The Stadium Lights is available on Sky Cinema and NOW from 16th May.
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