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McFarland, USA (2015)
Champions can come
from anywhere
Director: Niko
Caro, rated PG
  Starring:
Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Morgan Saylor, Martha Higareda,
Michael Aguero, Sergio Avelar, Hector Duran, Rafael Martinez, Johnny Ortiz,
Carlos Pratts
DML Rating:
★★★★★★★☆☆☆
- good
"I'll be honest with
you. The odds are stacked against us. You guys are super human.
There's nothing you can't do with that kind of strength, with
that kind of heart." -
Jim White, to his track
team
Why watch this?
Costner in a feel-good film? I'm up for that.
Plot Summary:
Based on a true story, this follows Jim White, a hot-tempered
football coach who is forced to move his family to a low-income,
predominantly Latino farming community. Upon arriving, he
notices the exceptional running endurance of the local high
school students and decides to transform a group of
underprivileged boys into a competitive cross-country team.
Through grueling dedication and mutual respect, the coach and
his runners bridge cultural divides to challenge elite schools
and pursue a state championship.
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Dad's Preview:
I grew up in El Paso, Texas, one river bed from the
Mexican border. Anglos and Mexicans went to school
together, played together and eventually married each
other. Mexicans are deeply religious, wonderful people.
I hate the racism towards them as a group. Yet even in
border states, they face prejudice because they are
brown and usually poor. That said, sports is the great
equalizer and this film about an all-Latino
cross-country track team, gives them a chance. This fine
Disney film proves that the family studio's "feel good"
formula can still work, especially when it has a
talented director and one of film's most likeable stars
in Kevin Costner. |
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Walt Disney
Pictures, Mayhem Pics;
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
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