Hometown Legend

Hometown Legend is executive produced by Jerry B. Jenkins, author of the wildly popular Left Behind novels, so you know it's no coincidence that the film revolves around an Alabama high school football team nicknamed the Crusaders. Cheerleaders are referred to as "prayer warriors," assistant coaches inspire players with Biblical tales, and every comeback is casually referred to as a “resurrection.” Of course, when Hometown Legend isn't working its religious mojo, it's essentially just a recycling of sports movie clichés. TV character actor Terry O'Quinn plays Buster Schuler, your basic tough-as-nails coach who comes to Athens High to turn your basic bunch of rag-tag underachievers into a winning team. Nick Cornish plays a running back named Elvis, who becomes a star (and believer, thanks to his prayer warrior, Party of Five's Lacey Chabert). Director James Anderson deserves dubious recognition for inventing a 99% white rural Alabama public school, populated--astute viewers may have subversive fun noticing--by some of the cast from Larry Clark's disturbing and decidedly nihilistic Bully. Not a necessary purchase. (D. Fienberg)