User reviews

If you're a fan of Tom Berenger you might like this film somewhat. He's one of my favorites but still I didn't find much enjoyment out of this true tale of legendary Football coach "Bear" Bryant.

Berenger's performance was very good, I thought, having read that the actual "Bear" was a really tough S.O.B. in real life. Everything else here is mostly mediocre. The film depicts well the hell these boys went through under his leadership but somehow none of this affects the viewer in any way. It could easily have been longer and fleshed out more characters, this is pretty shallow stuff.

As said above, Berenger does a good job at displaying the character's motivations for his cruel and unusual training method. Like in Rough Riders where Berenger basically became Teddy Roosevelt, here he seems to quite simply BE Paul "Bear" Bryant. Really good actor.

This is not a very good film. The acting is bad, the storyline is weak, and most of the Texas A&M football players look the same. I had trouble remembering who was who. Actually, I only watched this movie because, first, I'm an avid college football fan and, second, I'm a student of the history of college football. I clearly remember the year when "Bear" Bryant went to Texas A&M to rescue Aggie football from the cellar of the Southwest Conference. It was a surprise to most everyone that he took that job. He had been very successful at Kentucky. I didn't know about the "Junction Football Camp" until years later when I started reading the accounts about it. The story is now legendary. I just had to see the film. I was disappointed.

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.

When I saw this movie being previewed, I figured we'd see all the sweat and tears portion of the movie in preparation for game day. I guess I was a little surprised when game day never came. Be that as it may, the movie generated an atmosphere completely fitting for the setting. The acting was better than average and the accents, to me, were very believable. I enjoyed it, but I wish we could have seen some games.

Junction Boys was an entertaining flick. Character based. Real thin story. Conflict didn't extend beyond some newspaper clippings and photos people held up. Easy way to keep everything on the field yet elicit some ideas. Basically a bunch of kids getting yelled at by a legendary coach and hitting each other. It was fun to see the portrayal of the practices as it really gave a feel for it, and the time, 1953. That was cool. To move forward 25 years to wrap up the emotions was an easy thing to do too. Not much of a stretch in the story or flick, though it was fun.

A better story with far more detail, far more at stake, far more drama, would be the 1951 cheating scandal at West Point, and the 1953 return to their glory.

This film reminds me of a movie from a different era. Its got a kind of innocence around it and isn't the usual pretentious Hollywood tripe. Yes you can find fault with some of the actors, with some of the details, and so on. However the film is easy to sink into and go to another place for a while. The actors enjoyed their work and its shows, the setting and story is compelling, especially if you are a Bear Bryant fan or know about football in Texas.

The film has a heart and the sum of the experience is greater than the individual parts. Also it has moments of extremely poignant emotion as the team is broken down and the Coach shows his dark side. Or is there meaning to the madness? The film gives the viewer the space to decide for themselves. It is never preachy.

No this isn't a 'big' movie, it isn't a glitzy movie, but then again it doesn't try too hard to impress. Its a humble movie that I found enjoyable. If the subject matter interests you I recommend the film.

agents, directors, fellow actors, the performance of Luke ford as perch in this telemovie is incredible. His presence is so profound it turns an above average film into an thoroughly riveting spectacle...he will win an oscar by the age of 27! watch out for him ;)

Let me start by saying that Tom Beringer is an outstanding and under rated actor of the highest regard. His performance as a ruthless coach is on a par with his role in Platoon.

THAT SAID...

This ESPN film is a disgusting excuse for entertainment. It had the potential to be the Full Metal Jacket of football movies. Instead, it should be put in a metal jacket and thrown out of a moving vehicle somewhere near Junction, Texas.

You sit through the hell camp pre-season, and then are left only to return to the "modern" Bryant reminiscing and looking at clippings of the horrible year A&M had following that initial "Camp".

I recommend watching right up until they get off the bus in Junction. If you do that, you will have seen what I think ESPN was hoping to inject - football is king in Texas. After that it's a death camp "documentary" of the inhumane and insane. That would be fine if there were some resolution like seeing them perform on the field - doing to opponents what Bryant did to them, but sorry - they sucked.

This movie sucks too.

Remember the Titans is a much more worthwhile effort.

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.

ESPN needs to stick with sports and forget about its "ESPN Original

Entertainment (EOE)" experiment. "The Junction Boys" couldn't have been a

worse movie if somebody tried to butcher a real, interesting story.

Made in Australia in order to save money, the film has some of the most god- awful accent mixing in the history of cinema. Not a single actor, not even Tom Berenger, sounded authentic. And a few of the Aussie/Texan combinations

were truly laughable.

ESPN spent a couple weeks promoting this piece of garbage, and suckered me

into watching it. I gave it a 3 solely on the quality of the story -- the execution of the filmmaking deserves a ZERO.

Books and movies embellish the actual events in order to sell the product. The books author is at variance with those who participated in the events portrayed. The movie is based on the book. The individuals interviewed as an additional part to the DVD I watched disagreed with the book and its author on many of the points portrayed in the movie. The movie had several technical/factual errors and the individuals who were there in their interviews pointed those out. Bear Bryant was a compassionate person; Gene Stallings was a real person and present at the camp as were others who dispute the book and some of the scenes in the movie. As to the movie, Tom Beringer was outstanding as always; great portrayal of the Bear. I would of liked to see the real names of the players used; it would added more realism to the movie. The name of many of those who played under Bryant are familiar to me and I kept wondering who the players being portrayed were. All in all worth the time to watch and I will again.

You know what makes this film truly great? It's the unspoken, unwritten bond that develops between a coach and his team, despite whatever differences may separate them.

It's about respect.

It's about trust.

It's about a winning attitude, sacrifice, and the price people are willing to pay for a shot at glory.

This is an insightful movie, especially for those who know nothing about the legendary Coach Bryant.

The acting is superb and the story is what it is, a story about an isolated football camp in the blistering heat of Junction City, Texas.

Players were put through a meat grinder in Junction, but in the end, their respect shines bright, and that's the premise.

I watch this film every football season, and I accept it for what it is. It's not the best football movie ever made, but it is a must-see for any football fan, or even anyone who maybe knows nothing about Bryant and his methods. Bear Bryant is a legend and he should be remembered (well, he should be remembered well beyond the scope of just this film). He did win multiple national championships at Alabama and this movie doesn't touch on that, but this movie isn't Bryant-specific; this is about the 8 grueling days of Junction and all those who participated.

My hope with this review is to compel you to watch this film and ignore the negative critique's. This film is what it is, and anyone expecting something more should write a different film.

Thanks, and enjoy.

I saw this film last night and was really impressed. The story line was good and Tom Berringer I thought was a great Bear Bryant.I learned about the man through his portrayal of him. I am not going to get into what it is about because we already know but I will say at the end I got a little emotional and that is a hard thing for a film to make me do. Out of a 10 I give it a 7.

Wow, A perfect portrayal of Deep South football and The Bear. Tom Berenger is unbelievable as Bryant. For any doubters about the actual pain and suffering, Texas football is what it is, a relentless pursuit for glory. Believe everything you see in this movie. ESPN's best work yet.

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"

This film is based on the book of the same name by author Jim Dent. The film does pretty well regarding the events and characters that were portrayed, but what's puzzling is the material that was omitted. The Texas A&M football team that Paul Bryant took over was indeed pathetic. But two years after he was named coach, the Aggies were unbeaten Southwest Conference champions and finished the season ranked #3 in the country. Also, two of Bryant's players- Gene Stallings and Jack Pardee- later became successful coaches in both the pro and college ranks, but they were not even mentioned in the film. The fact that Stallings became head coach at Texas A&M and beat Bryant's Alabama team in the 1967 Cotton Bowl should have warranted some type of mention.

The Junction Boys is ostensibly a film starring Tom Berenger, a Hollywood veteran, yet in fact a newcomer is the highlight of this film. Barry O'Donnell, making his cinematic debut, plays a Lineman with such vigour and intensity that you are convinced he is an old hand at the acting caper. It is O'Donnell's performance that makes this film enjoyable, and I look forward to further performances by this up and coming Aussie star.

I recommend any fan of film, not just gridiron, to watch this movie.

I cannot stop watching this movie. Maybe because I'm from Texas and don't live far from the University or it could just be that it was a EXCELLENT movie. What those boys did for each other was amazing. They were friends and stood by each other. I recommend this movie to anyone who is an AGGIE fan because it shows how hard the team was willing to work to win something they wanted.I also recommend this to anyone who just likes football, it shows that football is far more than throwing a football,catching one, or running.

Just saw The Junction Boys, a must see movie if you ever get the chance. Tom Beringer portrays Bear Bryant perfectly, and everyone of the supporting actors were wonderfully cast. ESPN entertainment is getting better with every project they produce.

Tom Berenger does a nice, understated turn as a young Bear Bryant trimming the deadwood from his first Texas A&M squad. Bear's method - take the team to Junction, Texas, work the team to death and see who's left. I suspect the story's been somewhat "Hollywoodized". Just the same, it presents a fair picture of the positives and negatives of driving a team to the edge. Worth a view.

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...