The United States prison system has over two million people incarcerated around the country. It is a constant source of debate, dividing the nation on issues such as mandatory minimum sentences, three-strike laws, and privatization. If we were to simply take a tip from Hollywood, however, all of the problems could be solved tomorrow. All we would have to do is make an all-prisoner football league.
Despite the fact that this idea has been done multiple times (two versions of The Longest Yard, Gridiron Gang, and the documentary it was based on to name a few) former Prison Break star and recent inmate Lane Garrison is now scripting One Heart, a screenplay about a football team made up of young convicts. According to THR the story is based on a team from Gainesville State School in Texas who lost every game in 2008, but in their final game, the opposition's crowd cheered for them, which made them happy, despite losing 33-14 and ending the season 0-9.
Now, I'm not a man for conspiracy theory, but does any one else get a weird vibe here? I can't put my finger on it, but didn't a hit movie about a high school student with a troubled past playing football to get over his demons recently come out? What? The Blind Side is currently the number one movie at the box office, surpassing $100 million in two weeks? But that couldn't have anything to do with this new movie could it? Oh! It has everything to do with this new movie! Silly me, I get confused sometimes.
