The Junction Boys

Liked movie very much. Berenger did outstanding job as Bryant, showing him as a hard, demanding taskmaster, though in real life, they say he was never this mean and ornery.

Don't know if this was done intentionally or not, but I don't think a single player was over 6 foot tall, nor weighed one-hundred seventy pounds! Nowadays, "players" this size would be lucky to kick field goals, but back in the fifties I'll bet it wasn't unusual.

Conditions for the players on the Texas practice field were inhuman. Actual players from that team who are still alive swear that this was NOT done on purpose to "toughen them up," but something the coach knew nothing about, and was shocked when he got there, but it was too late to turn back, and had to make the best of it.

Had a rather uplifting, yet sad ending, where the Bear tries to make amends. Though names of the players were changed, surviving members say all the players with speaking roles were based on ACTUAL players from Texas A & M.

Berenger/Bryant refers to himself as a "quitter" for leaving University of Kentucky the season before in a "hissy fit." Do you know why? Cause U of Kentucky's football AND basketball teams won the SEC Championship that year. And the Alumni gave hoops coach Adolph Rupp a Cadillac, and coach Bryant got a CIGARETTE LIGHTER!

Here's something ELSE you didn't know; movie was filmed ON LOCATION, start to finish in....................AUSTRAILA!!!!!!!!

We've all seen the "Win One for the Gipper Format". Junction Boys appears to show what would have happened if the Hitler Youth were coached by Jozef Mengele. Bryant's sadism and complete disregard for player safety and health isn't good coaching, it is ego run mad. The intimidation of players and insistence they play with broken vertebrae, and complications from heatstroke doesn't show dedication it shows the power of a cruel leader to abuse his relationship with exploited working class kids. I don't know the later health problems experienced by the Junction Boys but I am voting for "diverse and serious" If this was some attempt to tap into the "Duty Honor Country" vein since 9-11 it missed the mark. Maybe next month ESPN can try a more sweeping epic "The Caligula Boys"

The Junction Boys was a disappointment for me. As with any movie a certain amount of liberties with the facts is expected. However, After seeing interviews with the REAL Junction Boys it is clear that the facts played a very small part in this motion picture. If the real story about The Bears first team at Texas A&M were told this would have been a great movie. Tom Berenger did a good job as Paul Bear Bryant, but it all ended there. ESPN should be ashamed of this production.

My main complaint is the use of made up names, in the manner of North Dallas Forty. I can not imagine the real "Junction Boys" having any trouble with their real names having been used. I also have a minor complaint about the players hugging each other. They did not do that, not in 1954. They just didn't. Otherwise, it is an outstanding diversion. As near as I can tell, not a whole lot of

other liberties have been taken with the truth. It is worth watching...

I'm not really a football fan but even *I've* heard of the great Bear Bryant. I didn't know how interesting I'd find this film, but found myself sucked in by it. I cared about the Junction boys, worried about them, and was shocked at what they had to endure. I stuck it to the end of the film, because I cared about their fate. I also was intrigued by the character of Bear Bryant. What was the deal with him? Why was he so tough and mean? What portion of this meanness was justified, and what wasn't?

I thought all the acting was pretty good. I confess I admired Tom Berenger's willingness to be seen looking rather "seedy". He still has the looks to play a leading man, (a middle-aged leading man, sure, but leading man nonetheless). So to be seen looking pot bellied, sweaty and a little dissipated was a bold and daring move, in my opinion. And he does a good job in his role; his accent is authentic, his tough meanness (and then humble contrition) is effective.

Nick Tate was excellent as Bryant's hard-drinking, grizzled assistant and I really got a kick out of him. The character of Johnny (Bernard Curry) especially made an impression. His sincere devotion to the game and his self-sacrificing willingness to put up with almost *any* abuse amazed me, and I especially found myself touched by his story.

I don't know much about football, and I certainly won't present myself as an expert on the story of Bear Bryant or Texas A & M. But I found this tale to be interesting enough.