Thursday, January 20, 2005

COACH CARTER




Sports drama
Based on a true story

BACKGROUND
In January 1999, Coach Carter's reaction to the poor academic performance of his athletes caused a national uproar (particularly on sports talk radio) and prompted a visit to Richmond High School from the highest state official, Gov. Gray Davis.

The Grade Point Average (GPA) system is used by academia throughout the United States. A formula that takes into account the actual grades obtained for each course results in a GPA value between 4.0 (the highest passing grade) down to 0.7.
For example, a student getting an average grade of C will have a GPA of 2.0. Students can easily determine where they stand academically and so they can figure out what grades they need in order to reach their goals. Many institutions of higher learning use the student’s GPA as a competitive measure for determining admission to that institution.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Samuel L. Jackson: Ken Carter former basketball player, now owner of a sporting goods store
Rob Brown: honor student and star player Kenyon
Rick Gonzalez: wannabe gangster Cruz
Antwon Tanner: funny-guy Worm
Robert Ri'chard: Carter's son Damien
singer Ashanti: Kenyon’s girlfriend Kyra

REVIEW
This is a movie about a group of high school athletes who are being held accountable for their actions. As such, there are lessons to be learned for all of us. It is an inspirational-type movie with excellent acting and a strong story line. The fact it happens to be true (or mostly true) is a bonus.

CLASSIFICATION
for violence, sexual content, language, teen partying and some drug material.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
In the game between the Richmond Oilers and the Bay Hill Cougars, one team calls a time-out and the announcer says “With one minute and twenty seconds remaining blah blah blah.” The team huddles around the coach and we hear him saying something like “Well guys we only have one minute and twenty seconds to win this game…”. Upon resumption of play, just before the referee throws the ball in the air, we see the scoreboard in the background: it shows the time remaining as 1:22.

Coach Carter takes two empty boxes out of the trunk of his car and places one on-end inside the other. When he gets to the door of the gym, he puts them down to pick up the lock and chain that had been placed on the door handles. He then turns to drop the chain in a box and we see that no longer is one inside the other, they are both sitting on the ground.

P.S.
Although it runs for 2 hours and 15 minutes, somehow it doesn’t seem that long.

No comments: