Rustin

Rustin is an incredibly touching film and a standout among indie films. Rick Johnson's direction is fluid and graceful as he tells the story of an athlete spinning out of control and the daughter he discovers. There is such compassion in the story -- not something you see a lot in indie films. I loved Ashley Johnson -- she's heartbreakingly real as the daughter and several of the supporting roles are sharply drawn. I look forward to more films by Rick Johnson.

I rented this movie thinking it was about high school football plus the fact it was mostly (if not all) filmed in Alabama. I was pleasantly surprised - so much in fact, I will probably wind up buying my own copy on DVD. I don't know who Rick Johnson is (or was) and I presume that Ashley is his real-life daughter playing the part of "Lee". I didn't even recognize "Meatloaf" as the Coach until I saw the closing credits and the kid from TVs "Home Improvement", Zachery Ty Bryan, played a spoiled, rich football "star" player. Having lived in Birmingham, I kept looking for locales and familiar faces. Two radio personalities (Rick & Bubba) had small parts as bartenders and Michael Papajohn (makes me think of the pizza chain) played a redneck character named Trent that loved to drink and party with the students, most of whom didn't look old enough to drink. Still, the script is good even though probably unseen by many since it was independently produced.

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.

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.