BLU-RAY
REVIEW: WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL
12/07/2014

OVERVIEW: Jim Caviezel (TV’s “Person of Interest”) brings to life the remarkable journey of legendary football coach Bob Ladouceur in the inspiring sports drama WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL, available on Digital HD Nov. 25 and on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD Dec. 9 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and AFFIRM Films. Directed by Thomas Carter (Coach Carter) and adapted from the novel of the same name, the film follows the incredible winning streak of the De La Salle High School football team -- 151 straight victories over 12 years. But when “the streak” is finally broken and the team suffers a series of real-life adversities, Coach Ladouceur must teach his players – and the entire town – that it’s not about how you fall, but how you get back up. The film co-stars Golden Globe® winner Michael Chiklis (Best Actor, TV’s “The Shield,” 2003), Alexander Ludwig (The Hunger Games), and Academy Award® nominee Laura Dern (Best Actress, Rambling Rose, 1992)
WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL bonus features include six deleted and extended scenes, Director’s Commentary, and select scene commentary with Director Thomas Carter and Coach Bob Ladouceur. Also included are three all-new, behind-the-scenes featurettes, taking a look at the De La Salle Football program and Coach Ladouceur’s legacy, highlighting the challenges and excitement of bringing the story to the big screen, as well as the filmmakers’ approach to creating dynamic and exciting football sequences. The film is directed by Thomas Carter from a story by Scott Marshall Smith and David Zelon and a screenplay by Scott Marshall Smith based on the novel When the Game Stands Tall: The Story of The De La Salle Spartans and Football’s Longest Winning Streak by Neil Hayes. Cathy Schulman, David Tice and Thomas Carter serve as the executive producers with David Zelon as the producer.
SYNOPSIS: Inspired by a true story, WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL tells the remarkable journey of legendary football coach Bob Ladouceur (Jim Caviezel), who took the De La Salle High School Spartans from obscurity to a 151-game winning streak that shattered all records for any American sport. When the streak is broken, and tragedy strikes the team, Coach Lad must teach his players - and the entire town - that it’s not about how you fall, but how you get back up.
BLU-RAY:
The film is
presented in widescreen in a 1.85:1 aspect ration preserving its
theatrical format. The picture is just flawless. Not only the
picture looks great in this release, also the sound it is good,
a 5.1 Dolby Digital in English that provides a good complement
to the picture. It also includes English,
French
and Spanish subtitles.
VIDEO:
Widescreen (1.85:1) 16x9
AUDIO:
DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1/DVS DD 2.0
English, Latin Spanish, Canadian French, Brazilian Portuguese
Subtitles
- English SDH, Latin Spanish, Parisian French
SPECIAL
FEATURES:
Blu-ray™ unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring 6X the picture resolution of DVD, exclusive extras and theater-quality surround sound.
DVD offers the flexibility and convenience of playing movies in more places, both at home and away.
DIGITAL HD with UltraViolet™ lets fans watch movies anywhere on their favorite devices. Users can instantly stream or download.
Select Scene Commentary with Director Thomas Carter & Coach Bob Ladouceur
Six Deleted & Extended Scenes
“Undefeated: Making WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL”
-- A behind-the-scenes look at the challenges, excitement and triumphs of filming.
“Gridiron Action” – A look at the dynamic approach filmmakers took to stage & film the exciting football sequences.
“The Heart and Soul of a Program” -- A look at the man behind the De La Salle Football Program.
Commentary with Director Thomas Carter
“Undefeated: Making WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL” -- A behind-the-scenes look at the challenges, excitement and triumphs of filming.