The highly-anticipated film, ‘Woodlawn’ is a powerful story of courage, strength, and football in the midst of impassioned racial tensions in Birmingham, Alabama in the early ‘70s.
New football coach, Tandy Gerelds was struggling to put together a winning football team at Woodlawn High School –one of the last schools in Alabama to integrate. After being handed a struggling team, Coach Gerelds knew he didn’t have the caliber of players he needed to win, until he saw Tony Nathan run.
Coach Geralds knew that putting an African American in as running back would come with considerable backlash, but he saw something in Tony that couldn’t be ignored. The decision was about more than football. It was about doing what was right. With the help of a new school chaplain, Tony is able to look beyond himself and realize there was more at stake than winning a game.
In the face of adversity in the midst of a spiritual awakening, a once-struggling team stands together as brothers, and makes an astounding run at the playoffs, leading to the largest high school football game ever played in the city of Birmingham and the rise of its first African American superstar –Tony Nathan. Through these events, a once divided city finds healing.
From the makers of God’s Not Dead and October Baby, the movie features an all-star cast including Oscar winner Jon Voight (Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant), Sean Astin (Hank), Nic Bishop (Coach Tandy Gerelds), Sherri Shepherd (Mamma Nathan), and newcomer Caleb Castille (Tony Nathan).
‘Woodlawn’ is a great example of what happens when a group of students choose love instead of hate. The overarching themes of forgiveness, reconciliation and healing will move you. Make sure to check out this behind-the-scenes look at ‘Woodlawn’ featuring interviews from the cast and crew, along with Tony Nathan, whose life the film is based on, in the video below. ‘Woodlawn’ opens in theaters everywhere Oct. 16. You don’t want to miss it.
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