| | | Massillon, Ohio where they live, breathe, and eat football
Features: DVD
Welcome to Massillon, Ohio, where high school football is nothing short of religion. For the 33,000 people who live there, football is life--a veritable "cradle to the grave" experience that begins in the maternity ward where coaches make visits to scout future linebackers, and ends in a customized football casket emblazoned with the Tigers mascot. A surprise hit in theaters across the country, GO TIGERS! chronicles the 1999 high school football season of the Massillon Tigers. On the heels of a losing year, the Tigers risk losing football in Massillon altogether, as an upcoming vote on a new tax levy is the only thing that will prevent massive budget cuts and the elimination of the football program. With the vote clearly riding on the team's success, it is up to the three co-captains--quarterback Dave Irwin, linebacker Danny Studer and defensive end Ellery Moore--to ensure that an entire town's hopes and dreams come true. Just three days before the crucial vote is to take place, the Tigers face the biggest game of their lives against archrival McKinley. In the spirit of such hit films as Remember The Titans and Hoop Dreams, accomplished filmmaker and Massillon native Ken Carlson brings us the real story behind America's hysterical obsession with sports, and for the first time lets us experience that same rush of adrenaline along with a real life team. With an SRO crowd of screaming fans and a town's future at stake, GO TIGERS! is an energetic and absorbing thrill ride not to be missed.
"...compelling..." Mark Holcomb, The Village Voice
"Boy do we need Go tigers! now." New York post
"...the annual Massillon-McKinley rivalry is the only prep game that carries Vegas odds, doesn't that tell you something?" Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Editor's Note
In the blue collar Ohio town of Massillon, the most important thing is high school football, and the frenzy around home team the Tigers is, as one resident observes, like "a cult... a religion." Shot on high-definition video, former Massillon resident Kenneth Carlson's documentary follows the three stars of the 1999 team, co-captains Ellery Moore, Dave Irwin, and linebacker Danny Studer, as they deal with problems like personal injuries and the pressures of their economically depressed town's high expectations. As the Tigers lurch ahead through a winning 106th season, Massillon's school system is challenged by bankruptcy, threatening teachers, education, even the team itself.With its subject a town so obsessed with the sport that it is traditional to award a little football to each newborn male, this documentary could have been a comic indictment of the "athletics over education" fervor of small town U.S.A. Instead it works as both a tribute to American spirit and an anthropological document of the colorful ceremonies and celebrations of the people of Massillon. Carlson doesn't shy away from criticism of his subject, but still manages to transcend a "warts and all" documentary approach to achieve a portrait of Americana that is exciting and inspirational.
| Features | Interactive Menus | | Scene Access | | A "Where Are They Now" Update With Photos | | Theatrical Trailer | | Filmmaker Bio | | Deleted Scenes | | Interviews With NFL Stars | | Interview With Director Ken Carlson |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: New Video Group |
| Release Date: 9/24/2002 |
| Running Time: 103 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2001 | | Catalog ID: 9520 | | UPC: 00767685952030 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English | | Video: Color |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Independent Spirit (2002) | | | Kenneth Carlson, Nominee, Best Documentary | |
Sundance Film Festival (2001) | | | Kenneth Carlson, Nominee, Grand Jury Prize |
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| | Professional Reviews | Entertainment Weekly
"...GO TIGERS! is an enthralling look at the drama that can transpire in the autumn of one small town on any give Friday..." 10/05/2001 p.109Rolling Stone
"...The funny and touching result is worth cheering for..." 10/11/2001 p.98 USA Today
"...The movie has a compelling subplot..." 10/04/2002 p.12D Los Angeles Times 6 of 10
Yes, success does bring a community together, but on the scholastic level it can make education seem unimportant. Should a high school player's choice of school be the subject of lawsuits? Should the future of a school system depend on how well a football team does? "Go Tigers!" doesn't pretend to have the answers, but it frames the questions in an engrossing way. - Kenneth Turan
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