Coach Carter (Widescreen Edition)
by Thomas Carter
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Actor: Nana Gbewonyo, Rick Gonzalez, Rob Brown, Robert Ri'chard, Samuel L. JacksonDirector: Thomas Carter
Brand: Coach
Producer: Brian Robbins
Producer: Caitlin Scanlon
Producer: David Gale
Producer: Michael Tollin
Producer: Nan Morales
Writer: John Gatins
Writer: Mark Schwahn
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 136 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-06-21
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Paramount
DVD Reviews of Coach Carter (Widescreen Edition)
DVD Review: Ken Carter Reshapes a Basketball Team
Summary: 3 Stars
Coach Carter is a fairly good film about one man's efforts to coach a group of high school kids and show them that there is more to life than playing basketball. This movie is based on the true story of Coach Ken Carter, an unconventional coach who made headline news in the state of California when he suspended the basketball season indefinitely until his players agreed to devote more time to their studies and comply with a contract each player signed with him at the start of the season.
This movie offers a strong message and this is among its most important aspects. The message in this film is simple and it basically centers on the importance of self- discipline and education. Carter was once a player himself at the same high school and he grew to understand the importance of success off the court. Basketball is a fun sport and it can provide a means for development of teamwork concepts; physical fitness; and overall discipline. But Carter knew that success at basketball is limited. Playing college ball is possible but the likelihood that a player will succeed all the way to the NBA is unlikely. Therefore, it is important to never forget the importance of academics. Success in school will provide a back- up plan if success in basketball doesn't reach the professional level. Samuel Jackson's character preaches this fact over and over to his players and while they don't necessarily grasp his wisdom at first, they gradually mature and realize the importance of what their coach is trying to say.
Most of this movie centers on Coach Carter and his interaction with the players and their parents but there are a couple of subplots in the background. One subplot involves the coaches own son, Damien Carter (played by Robert Ri'Chard). At the beginning of the movie, Damien is shown attending a private school- an institution that his father enrolled him because he felt it would provide his son with the greatest chance for academic success. Damien, however, decides he would rather be at Richmond with his dad so he quits the school under the strict conditions of his father and joins the Richmond basketball team. In another subplot, one of the players has some personal issues to work out with his girlfriend who is now pregnant. These subplots offer a break from the rest of the movie but they don't add much to its overall value.
I like Samuel Jackson's performance as the hard- nosed head coach but most of the other performances in this movie are only average. Several of the actors in this movie who portray different basketball players (like Robert R'Chard, Channing Tatum, and Antown Tanner) got their start on television and have limited experience on the big screen. They seem to be adequate in their roles but none of them is very memorable and none of the characters stand out in the crowd. They get the job done, but with few signs of any exceptional talent.
By far the greatest criticism I have for Coach Carter is with its script. The dialogue throughout the movie is weak and I started to wonder what was going on in the minds of the film's writers when they composed this script. The dialogue is forgettable and there are no memorable quotes at all. Even Samuel Jackson, who does a great deal of sermonizing in this movie, can't come up with any memorable statements. And the players make cliché- ridden statements typical of what one would expect from unmotivated inner city youth. That is to say, their comments are mostly forgettable.
The DVD of Coach Carter includes a few extras like deleted scenes and a music video but the best among them is a feature on Coach Ken Carter and some of the actual players whom this movie is based on. Carter talks about his tenure as coach, his relationships with the players, and his feelings about basketball and academics. There are also some words from the players with each of them explaining what it was like to play for a guy like Ken Carter and how his influence has affected their lives both on and off the court.
With the flaws in the subplots and dialogue, Coach Carter loses a few points with me but I still think it has enough good qualities to give it a slight recommendation. It moves at a good clip and the basketball game scenes are well- made and entertaining. The script was weak and the subplots useless but there is no denying the importance of the main message of the movie: That there is more to life than sports and everyone needs to strive to be the best in the classroom in order to have the best chance for success. Self- discipline and respect are important qualities for all, and their implementation will go a long way toward fulfillment in life.
Description of Coach Carter (Widescreen Edition)
INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY, THIS IS AN INSPIRATIONAL ACCOUNT OF A HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL COACH WHO RECEIVED HIGH PRAISE - AND STAUNCH CRITICISM - FOR BENCHING HIS ENTIRE UNDEFEATED TEAM DUE TO THEIR POOR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCES.Based on a true story of the man who locked his boys out of the gym until they focused on their schoolwork, this by-the-numbers crowd-pleaser holds together because a steely Samuel L. Jackson refuses to notice the parade of clichés he's trumpeting (the dialogue sticks to platitudes like, "Success in here is the key to success out there"). Coach Ken Carter (Jackson) takes over an unruly team of Richmond, California basketball players and teaches them how to play--and behave--like champions. His plight, which pits him against an uncooperative school board and parents who've given up hope, holds some interest, but the film is too concerned with giving us a Big Game every twenty minutes or so. The teens all have the spark of life in them (including pop star Ashanti, who features in a surprisingly well-handled teen pregnancy subplot), though the film's plodding familiarity means it's never really rousing, adding up to simply a good-natured amalgam of Stand and Deliver, Hoosiers, Dangerous Minds, and even Dead Poet's Society (one of the tougher players actually recites some inspirational poetry).--Steve Wiecking
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