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One of the documentary features nominated by the Academy Tuesday was Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Matin’s “Undefeated.” No, not the Sarah Palin thing. This is a chronicle of an inner-city North Memphis, Tennessee high school football team’s journey through one defining season, with all the petty and profound drama that comes with it, and it’s an outstanding portrait.

If you’re a fan of football, you’re sure to take to it and no-nonsense coach Bill Courtney immediately. If you’re not a football fan, you might just find yourself surprised by the film and the universal elements it folds in. “You think football builds character,” Courtney says in the film. “It does not. Football reveals character.”

Of course, the film is about more than just the high school gridiron. It uses this one season to tell a rousing underdog tale, one that makes you thankful the cameras were there to capture it. The Weinstein Company picked the film up out of South by Southwest in March and has already spun it into an Oscar success story. How far can it go in a documentary feature category that appears ripe for the taking?

For year-round entertainment news and awards season commentary follow @kristapley on Twitter.

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