Movie Reviews
Well, loyal readers, we have come to a new year, and with that comes January: a month that almost always proves to come in last place in terms of great films. Please realize that this month will be barren with films that will horrify in the way of quality and stupefy in the way of intelligence until we feel we can’t take it anymore. I hope that for those of you who enjoy a consistent flow of movie watching waited for many of December’s releases to come out so you can rent them. Basically, in January, you take what you get.
But every once in awhile, there will be a film that becomes the saving grace of this month. Surprisingly, “Coach Carter” is that film as of now. Now, there must be some mistake or something. Perhaps this was scheduled to arrive in theatres in November or December. Or maybe it was sheer dumb luck that this film was meant to come out now, I don’t know. What you have to understand is that this is a film that is desperately close to a low score, but fights through the smoke simply because it did come out now.
Coach Ken Carter is the basis for this film, a man who, according to the movie, was the kind of person that would probably have a cup of coffee with you if you didn’t disagree with a thing he said. Raised in Richmond, California, Carter became the record holder in scoring and in rebounds. And it is in Richmond, California that this Coach Ken Carter will face his largest challenge yet: head basketball coach for the high school that made him a local legend.
The principal of the school scribbles a pretty grim picture of the school’s academic and social success on the part of the students. Most of them don’t care about the classroom, but crave the court. In taking the job, Carter decides to reintroduce the role of student/player. But in doing so, he places himself in a tight position that leads from one failure to another. The entire film is unclean with bad attitudes, hurt feelings, angry players, angrier parents, promiscuity, and thousands upon thousands of pushups.
I understand the point that the filmmakers were trying to make here. They wanted a character that was always willing to do what was necessary for justice, even if brute force was involved in there somewhere. They wanted a flawed human being that was trying to reach out to the same crowed that never reached him when he was apart of it. They wanted a tougher, more foul-mouthed version of Denzel Washington from “Remember the Titans” or Gene Hackman from “Hoosiers”. They got him, but not without sacrificing originality.
As a person who has lived in Indiana for all my life, raised in a town that savors every moment of basketball season, I understand the suspense of a single basketball game or even a single shot. “Coach Carter” underestimates the power of both those things unlike films such as “Hoosiers”. We also have too many power-house speeches that make more for cliché than inspiration. However, all punches aside “Coach Carter” is a lot of mediocre fun. Then again, no one can celebrate mediocrity better than Hollywood. ***