“Remember the Titans” is based on the true story of a small Virginia town, in the early ’70s, that was the first in its area to integrate black and white students in one high school. The story revolves around Coach Boone (Denzel Washington, “Glory,” “Malcom X”) and his attempt to coach the football team.

The whole town is in an uproar because a black adolescent was recently killed by a white store owner.

Controversy sparks, once again, when the previous head coach, Coach Yoast (Will Patton, “The Postman,” “Armageddon”), is forced to step down and let a black man take over.

However, Coach Boone isn’t seeing black and white. He just wants to win football games.

The first step is for the white and black coaches and players to get along, which isn’t easy.

The white guys are filled with hatred and jealousy, assuming the new black coach will automatically start “his own people.”

The white coaches are upset because Coach Boone is inexperienced and doesn’t know how to coach on their level.

The season starts with a two-week camp where Coach Boone forces all the players to get to know each other, ride next to one another on the bus and room together.

Of course, everything is peachy by the end of camp, but when the players return for the first day of school, the racial conflicts at school, once again, tear the team apart.

The two main players the team revolves around are Julius (Wood Harris, “Above the Rim”) and Gerry (Ryan Hurst, “Patch Adams,” “Saving Private Ryan”), who happen to be defensive cohorts on the team and two of the most racist people at the beginning of the movie.

After a heated argument between the two, they become good friends.

Their friendship and team leadership are vital to their team and town.

“Remember the Titans” is a little too simple in following the trials and tribulations that everyone in the film goes through and how relationships go from bad to good.

There’s even a scene with the standard song of inspiration as the team gets along, working together and having fun.

This is the major flaw of the movie: There is nothing new here!

Based on a true story in Hollywood basically means they take some real names and some of the story and make a feel-good movie of it, which is exactly what happened here.

The movie would have been more enjoyable and realistic had the audience not been told it was based on a true story. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be wondering how everything was so wonderful just three months after everyone was ready to kill everyone else.

Sure a lot of people are going to come together and become friends, but the whole town? It’s just way too soft to be a true story.

For those who don’t know the story of the Titans of Virginia, the ending isn’t that predictable.

Nevertheless, director Boaz Yakin made no effort to hide the inevitable. Washington gives one of his best performances to date. He is intense, believable and fun to watch.

Two big surprises came with Harris and Hurst. Their on-screen presence filled the theater with acting that was bigger than life. Can you say superstars? Cha-ching!

Patton also put on a good performance as a guy who is struggling between doing the right thing and what his fellow white townsfolk think he should do.

The most impressive performance comes from Hayden Panettiere (“Isn’t She Great,” “Message in a Bottle”) who plays Coach Yoast’s 9-year-old daughter. The way she portrayed the against-the-norm little girl, who loves football and not dolls, adds much humor to the film, and definitely engraves her named for many roles to come.

“Remember the Titans” is a perfect example of how great acting and a great premise can be ruined by a fluffy script.

3 and 1/2 Stars