Rustin

This was the worst movie I've seen in YEARS! The trite plot that is an obvious copy/combo of "Varsity Blues" and any given Lifetime movie made me get up and leave the theater an hour and fifteen minutes into the movie. That was the first time I've left a movie in seven years. This movie isn't even worthy of straight-to-video. I could understand a deal with UPN, PAX, ABCFamily, or the aformentioned Lifetime. As a southerner I would like to tell the Chicago native who starred in and directed this movie that not all small southern towns treat there high school football coaches like gods. I'm so sick of seeing northern filmmakers stereotype southerners as revoltingly racist, sports-obsessed, ignorant trogs. As I write this invective "Rustin" has not been given a nation wide release and I hope that it never does.

Beautiful story, with a deep emotional impact. Sends a tremendous message of how our actions affect the lives of others. Although the actors are not all well-known, they all performed magnificently. The chemistry between Rick Johnson and Ashley Johnson was key to the outcome of the movie, and came through in every scene between them. They are spectacular together! The music was absolutely fabulous, and was very well synchronized to flow of the movie.

I would recommend this movie to everyone, and although there is a brief moment of female nudity (backside), young adults could also enjoy this film.

I just got the DVD and I was blown away by the cast of Rustin. I saw some familiar places in the movie (since it was filmed in my hometown) and I believe even though it was over 100 degrees during filming in the dead of summer, everyone seemed to have fun being a part of it. Our town of 20,000 appreciates the work Rick Johnson, Meat Loaf, Ashley Johnson, and my favorite two fat buddies Rick Burgess and Bill "Bubba" Bussey, (aka Rick and Bubba) put into the film. Thank you Rick Johnson for putting high school football into perspective without going overboard like "Varsity Blues" did. I wholeheartedly suggest going out and buying this film for yourself.

While I will say that some of the stereotypes are out of whack i.e no a/c in the church, I must argue with the comment "HORRIBLE" posted earlier in this thread regarding the worshipping of the football coach. Sir/Ma'am, you obviously do not live in the state of Alabama, particularly near the Birmingham/Hoover metro. If you did, you would definitely know that Rush Propst, Hoover High School's coach is almost equal to God in many people's eyes and he is often viewed as infallible to Hoover people. Therefore, in many controversial cases regarding HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL recruitment and the magical corrections of grades to make players eligible to play in games, he has miraculously come through without a scratch. Rustin VERY accurately describes the obsession/worship of football, both high school and college, in this state and the ability for anyone connected with certain football programs to get off of criminal charges. Overall I thought that this was a very enjoyable movie with a very good vision of football in Alabama, and that Michael Papajohn, Rick Johnson, Meatloaf, Zach, and others did a great job in accurately portraying Alabamians, albeit in a somewhat cynical view

Rustin is a great film from beginning to end. What starts off as quite a light, easy watching film takes an unexpected dramatic turn and pulls it off beautifully. The screen play is entertaining and thought provoking and the direction solid but the performances make the film - particularly from the two leads, Rick Johnson and Ashley Johnson. Definitely worth a look.