Footballers

Pioneering director James Lipscomb's documentary about the 1961 state football championship game between rivals Miami High and Miami Edison unapologetically delves into the stark brutal reality of high school football where young men were forced to carry the burden of winning and losing on their young, impressionable shoulders. Deemed too...

By Chris Joseph

March 3, 2011

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Pioneering director James Lipscomb's documentary about the 1961 state football championship game between rivals Miami High and Miami Edison unapologetically delves into the stark brutal reality of high school football where young men were forced to carry the burden of winning and losing on their young, impressionable shoulders. Deemed too controversial to air at the time, there are depictions of players getting severely injured in practice but forced back into practice anyway. There are also scenes where the players get an earful from a driven coach about how this game would cement their legacies as winners or losers for the rest of their lives. Not much has changed in the ultra-competitive world of high school football in South Florida since 1961 (save for the fact that schools are integrated now). But Mooney vs. Fowle is a captivating time capsule, showing a bygone era in the city of Miami's rich history.
Wed., March 9, 7 p.m., 2011

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