Product description
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Coach Joe Newton has used the sport of Cross Country Running to
teach simple but important lessons to high school boys for the
last 50 years. "Always do your best", "be on time" and "it's nice
to be great but far greater to be nice" are mantras, which have
turned the Boys Cross Country team at the public York High School
in Elmhurst Illinois into the most winning high school team in
any sport in America. Along with mastery of their sport, Newton
turns boys into men, who carry his teaching and his love for each
of them throughout their lives.
The Long Green Line documents the York Duke's 2005 Cross Country
season as the runners seek their record 25th state title in 50
years. In the sport of Cross Country only the top 5 athletes per
team score points and only seven are included in competition. The
York team has 221 athletes participating under the tutelage of
Coach Newton. Though 214 boys know they will have no influence on
the season's scores, they are moved to participate just to be in
the presence of Coach Newton.
Such a large team is a blessing and curse. Newton is able to
spread his influence further but life lessons can go unheard when
they have to trickle to so many ears. In the middle of the
season, two of the star athletes are expelled from school after
committing over $1 million in arson damage. The York team is
forced to rebuild -- to face a true test of what they have
learned both physically and mentally.
The team is colorfully decorated with characters like the
All-American winners the Dettman Twins, Sopre John Fisher, a
high functioning autistic with a heart of gold, out of shape
former football players who reside on the lowest rung of the team
and Freshman Connor Chadwick who has cerebral palsy but is able
to run without leg braces for the first time in his life.
The Long Green Line is not only a team but also, a rite of
passage. It is a lifeline for these young runners as they move
from adolescence to manhood.
Review
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THREE STARS Cross country isn't a glamor sport, but that doesn't
mean you should run away from The Long Green Line. Cross country,
which involves teams of runners traversing hill and dale for
points, doesn't attract a lot of attention, but there are great
stories to tell; this documentary is more about the people who
run than about the sport in which they compete. Its focus is
legendary coach Joe Newton and his York High School program, from
neophyte freshmen recruited from the halls of the Elmhurst school
to Newton, arguably the greatest high school coach in the
country, regardless of sport. Former York students Matthew Arnold
(producer/director) and Brady Hallongren (producer/director of
photography) have captured the tumultuous 2005 season that led to
(spoiler alert!) York's 25th state title. Along the way you watch
Newton deal with the dismissal of two of his top runners for
their involvement in an arson and see how the Dukes pull together
to overcome adversity. Two of the show's biggest stars never
scored a point for York High. Senior John Fisher, a
high-functioning autistic teammate, and freshman Connor Chadwick,
who has cerebral palsy, are inspirational. The road to another
state championship is compelling, but more interesting is
Newton's relationship with the team as a whole, whether they be
top runners Matt and Eric Dettmen or Group Six runners the
slowest of the slow. The Long Green Line& shows that cross
country at York, which now has 26 state titles, is more than just
championships. --Reid Hanley, Chicago Tribune
THREE STARS Running is hard. It takes a y body and
disciplined mind to overcome the physical and mental obstacles to
cross the finish line. The Long Green Line paints the picture of
the 2005 York Dukes cross-country team combating myriad obstacles
to add to its already-impressive resume. Along the way, it
provides a wide array of compelling figures and story lines to
get wrapped up in. The documentary, directed by Elmhurst native
Matthew Arnold, follows the high-school squad from the beginning
of the season to the capture of a remarkable 25th state title in
Peoria. At times moving, at times jovial, it captures the drama
and camaraderie born out of a local dynasty striving to add yet
another piece of hardware to its trophy case. But the real story
-- the film's unequivocal star -- is the Dukes' incomparable
coach Joe Newton. The master motivator is a spry, cunning
76-year-old savant who comes off nothing short of larger than
life. It's captivating to watch him coddle those who need to be
coddled and deliver tough love to the ones who better respond to
harsher criticism. He brings a tried and true set of values that
help mold the team into better citizens and tougher competitors.
As directed by Arnold, a former member of the York Dukes, the
film is a y reminder of how sports can mold young men and
women into better people. Arnold and his team succeed in
presenting several examples of runners reaching individual goals.
From the Dettman twins, senior co-captains overcoming
issues for their fourth straight state title to the wide-eyed and
raw freshman Joe Kiolbasa, we're reminded that hard work pays
off. The Long Green Line serves as a refresher course in how team
sports can provide priceless life lessons and tug at the
heartstrings when done right. --Kyle Koster, Chicago Sun-Times
THREE STARS Inspirational sports documentaries are a dime a
dozen. Matthew Arnold's doc is pure gold from its handsome
production values to its dramatically engrossing look at
legendary cross country coach Joe Newton in his 50th year at York
High School in Elmhurst. Equal parts Mr. Miyagi, Dr. Phil and
General George Patton, Newton pumps and primes his athletes for
their 25th state title, only to be hit by virus attacks and
frequent bouts of youthful stupidity. --Daily Herald
