Like any genre, sports movies have a template that guides not only the people making the film but also the expectations of those who watch it. Any given film has some freedom to make choices within those conventions, and may even poke at the boundaries a bit, but to step too far outside them is to risk alienating the intended audience as well as a lot of critics. The challenge is to produce a satisfying picture while also fulfilling the standard conventions, and the number of bad sports movies out there demonstrates that this is no easy task.
William Goldenberg’s debut feature Unstoppable is based on the true story of Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome; Robles also acts as a body double in some scenes), a wrestler who was determined to be a champion despite dealing with what most people would consider the rather serious handicap of being born with only one leg. Robles has other things to overcome as well, including his abusive stepfather Rich (Bobby Cannavale) and straitened household finances that help explain why his mother Judy (Jennifer Lopez) puts up with the jerk,* because she obviously loves her son and wants the best for him, which in this case means pursuing his own path and ignoring the limitation others would place on him.
The domestic scenes in Unstoppable are often disappointing, with Cannavale’s character scripted to act like a cartoon villain, but the sports side of the story is handled better. From childhood, Robles refuses to allow anyone to define him as handicapped, becoming a star wrestler in high school under the guidance of coach Bobby Williams (Michael Peña). He wants to go to a top college program yet most recruiters don’t seem to be impressed by his accomplishments, leaving him with a decision: take a full scholarship to Drexel, a school that is not in the top tier in his sport,** or go to a big-name program (Arizona State) where his chances to become a champion wrestler are greater but no scholarship is on offer. The latter choice means not only financial challenges but also the need to fight his way to the top against athletes who were recruited (and as is usually the case, colleges tend to value most what they pay for rather than what they get for free).
Of course Robles goes to Arizona State, where coach Sean Charles (Don Cheadle) doles out the tough love and Robles proves, over and over again, that he can take it. Sports biopic conventions aside, Robles is a real person whose achievements are well-known, so there won’t be any surprises in how this story turns out. The real question in any genre film is whether the journey to the expected conclusion is worth it, and in this case it definitely is, assuming you came in wanting to see an inspirational sports biopic.
Unstoppable succeeds as a conventional sports movie that mostly colors within the lines but does so effectively. Even if you don’t usually enjoy sports films, you may get caught up in the spirit of this one because it exploits the sports biopic conventions convincingly and the real story behind the drama is truly inspirational. | Sarah Boslaugh
*In my more idle moments I like to contemplate how much domestic abuse could be eliminated if we had a decent social safety net in this country.
**I also like to contemplate what would happen if in America, like most countries in the world, access to high-level sports coaching was not tied to attendance at particular universities. And if the cost of attending college were more reasonable across the board so that the promise of an athletic scholarship wouldn’t affect anyone’s decision about where (or whether) to pursue higher education.
