The Roughnecks
By Renee Longstreet,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Pee Wee football docu is interesting but intense.
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The Roughnecks
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What's the Story?
Richard Cameron White and Marty Bowen spent months filming, interviewing, and researching the events that take place in THE ROUGHNECKS. Told in chronological order from selection of teams to the final playoffs of the season, the documentary shows the games, many practices, and sequences filmed at home and at the participants' schools. Though the filmmakers spotlight three kids off the field (Jameel Mainor, son of the assistant coach; J.D. Myers; and Darius Williams), the football-game footage simply follows the team and does not focus on the actions of the individual players. The coaches are presented as complex men: their aspirations are simple and earnest, but their methods will inspire some and disgust others.
Is It Any Good?
If the filmmakers' goal was to present a nonjudgmental chronology of events, with a close look at some of the participants and their stories, they have succeeded. However, though there is no voice-over narration to provide a point of view, their selection of so many of the tough coach's diatribes and punishing practice drills offers some clues to their personal perspective. Edited to accommodate both the personal and the team accomplishments, the film is able to move seamlessly between the two. The directors have managed to keep suspense alive, even though the outcome is predictable. For some families, and particularly for sensitive kids, it may be difficult to watch given the harsh treatment the boys receive. One particularly vulnerable team member appears to be stressed beyond endurance, and the head coach's intense need to win (which is traced back to his own sports career), though reflective of many youth instructors, is sometimes hard to take. It's interesting to note that one of the producers of the film was a member of the Ridglea Roughnecks when he was young.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the three purposes of documentary films: to inform, persuade, and entertain. Which is the primary purpose of this film? How do the other two purposes come into play?
Coaches can have different styles. If you play any sport, do you play better with positive or negative feedback? Why?
How can participation in sports for kids reflect the community in which the events take place? What did you learn from this film about the town of Ridglea, Texas, and the people who live there?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: May 12, 2015
- Cast: Jameel Mainor, J.D. Myers, Mayland Jackson
- Directors: Richard Cameron White, Marty Bowen
- Studio: Temple Hill Entertainment
- Genre: Documentary
- Topics: Sports and Martial Arts
- Run time: 95 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: December 8, 2022
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