The challenges and difficulties we face in our lives are a very special moment for us. We tend to try to block it out or forget it from our lives, but in truth, it forms and shapes our identity from our past experiences. In the movie “Remember the Titans”, directed by Boaz Yakin, shows how a strong group of football players, learning to be stronger than the titans, and overcoming challenges and obstacles in their way. The Titans experienced desegregation before the town and through challenges and adversities, they learned more about themselves in finding their true self and finding their values. They convince and changed the perspective of the whole town which lead the town to unite as one.
The footsteps and choices that leads us to realize what we are capable of in our lives is like finding small pieces of our self. In the movie, a football camp was organized and the team mates had to learn to cooperate with each other. They went through many challenges and realized all of this would not get them anywhere, so they tried to make different choices that lead them to find what they truly believe and stand up for. Louie, a team member from the Titans, is very open minded and truly stands up for what he thinks and what he values. He is not afraid to be criticized regardless of the other member’s thoughts on him. In the end, he makes it into college, something he never dreamed of, finding out what he is capable of. Louie found confidence and hope within himself for making it into college and never regretted back to the choices it took to get this far.
The ways and solution to find your identity and values is through challenges and experiences. If you always run from reality, and shelter or disguise yourself, you can’t open up or face opportunities that would be a small part of you. Coach Boone, acts according to scenarios. He is very adult like with the adults and while he's on his coaching job, he can be very strict and aggressive. In one scenario, the director, Boaz Yakin uses medium shots on close-ups, flipping the camera angle to Yoast than Boone, while talking back at each other. This camera shots shows Coach Boone does not get violent or aggressive while dealing with adults, but uses words that create intense talk backs at each other. Coach Boone doesn’t run away from the opportunity to coach the teams. He faces the challenge with courage and he learns another part of himself. How perspectives and views lets us look and think outside the bubble, we realize through actions and words. When an accident happened and coach Boone's window broke, Coach Yoast, and his daughter came to find out what Coach Boone’s family was like. After the accident, Coach Yoast went to Coach Boone and was very upset that his daughter Sheryl, had to go through this incident. Coach Boone was sorry but he also said “Welcome to my life Yoast.” Throughout this sentence, Coach Yoast and his daughter had a taste of what Coach Boone’s and his family’s life was like. His perspective and views enlarged, thinking through his actions and words.
Strong identity is built through challenges and adversities as demonstrated by the movie “Remember the Titans.” The Titans overcame racism and created unity throughout the town. In their own small different worlds, they learned through each other to look beyond their perspectives and views. Facing difficult challenges and overcoming them builds self-confidence, teaches self-control and tends to foster an attitude of conquering anything that hits you in life. While challenges and adversities shape our identity, the movie taught us how to overcome and as the Titans proved, we all learn from our challenges and difficulties, we find our true perspectives and identity as in who we truly are.
