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Every generation needs a good sports movie; and not some kid's movie like Little Giants, something with power. Movies like Hoosiers and Rudy are powerful stories of overcoming odds and winning, but are quite dated in presentation. The recent film Friday Night Lights was a modern sports classic for high school football, depicting a realism that view sports movies have rarely ever attempted before. Now Samuel L. Jackson steps up as Coach Carter and creates a Hoosiers for a new generation.
Based on the true story of Coach Kenneth Carter, the film follows the determined new basketball coach of the Richmond (CA) Oilers. A team that last season won just four games, but more importantly, a team that represents a school that will send just 6% of its students to college. Carter intends to turn that around by not just teaching his players the fundamentals of basketball, but the fundamentals of life. His plan backfires though when the players fall to old up their end of the bargain, and Coach Carter is forced to take extreme measures to get his point across.
This is a different type of sports movie. It does have some brilliant basketball that is truly enjoyable to watch, but that is not the focus of the film. Instead the film focuses on the lives of Carter and the rest of his players. The stories they live are frustrating, desperate and real. The characters are developed, and you truly grow to understand the message of the film through them. The inner-city life presented in the film can be hard to watch if you haven't experienced it, but it causes you to feel for the team that much more.
As Carter, Jackson delivers once again as the strong, forceful, bad-@$$ is known to portray. But he goes beyond it here, showing a deep feeling of concern and conviction in what he is doing. The rest of the performances are strong, but none really stand out. That's a good thing though, because the film is definitely an ensemble piece. It allows the movie to feel more real, and less like a film.
The script is a real piece of work. It's fun, and doesn't take itself too seriously. It has some very funny moments, which simply add to the overall enjoyment of the film. Unfortunately it does sink to the clich� monologue message that nearly all sports movies fall into, but the film can't be overly faulted for that. Also, the pacing does seem to let up towards the middle of the film. With no basketball people played, we go about 45 minutes with little happening besides character growth. That is not all bad, and it goes well with the story. However it does seem to slow the movie down a great deal.
But the movie is still very inspirational. It also has one of the best lines I have heard in a while (the first thing Cruz says when he starts his "Thank You" monologue). Its fun and you start really feeling the ups and downs as the characters go through them their selves. People in the audience where cheering the team on and hollering at the awesome dunks. Its greatest strength though, is that you don't have to be a rabid basketball fan to enjoy it. All you have to do is appreciate life, and enjoy seeing others grow to appreciate it as well.
Overall Summary- Put Hoosiers away. It's time to enjoy the inspirational basketball movie Coach Carter-style.
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