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Movies / Upcoming / Coach Carter
Coach Carter

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Coach Carter (2005)

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Reviews Counted:141

Fresh:90

Rotten:51

Average Rating:6/10

Consensus: Like a good point guard, Samuel L. Jackson is the clear leader on the floor in a film that critics say transcends its formula trappings to be inspirational. However, some have said the film is too preachy and too long.

Runtime: 2 hrs 16 mins

Genre: Dramas

US Box Office: $67,169,549

Synopsis: In the tradition of LEAN ON ME and DANGEROUS MINDS comes COACH CARTER, an inspirational drama starring Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson portrays real-life figure Ken Carter, who graduated from... In the tradition of LEAN ON ME and DANGEROUS MINDS comes COACH CARTER, an inspirational drama starring Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson portrays real-life figure Ken Carter, who graduated from California's Richmond High only to return there years later, in 1999, and take over as head coach of the boys' basketball team. Unfortunately, the troubled school he remembered as a teenager is an even more insufferable place in his adulthood. Determined to make a change in his players' lives, Carter makes each young man sign a contract that ensures he will maintain a 2.3 GPA, attend every class, and wear a jacket and tie on game day. Of course, the players reject the contract at first, but when they realize that they don't have any other choice, they give in. And when it appears that their tough-as-nails coach is actually turning them into winners on the court, they embrace their coach's philosophy even further. But when Coach Carter receives the incomprehensibly awful progress reports of his players, he does the unthinkable: he benches the entire team. Directed by Thomas Carter (SAVE THE LAST DANCE), COACH CARTER is a sensitive drama that features an impassioned performance by Jackson, as well as the impressive young cast (most notably Rob Brown, Rick Gonzalez, and Robert Ri'Chard). [More]

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Ri'chard, Rob Brown, Debbi Morgan

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Ri'chard, Rob Brown, Debbi Morgan, Ashanti, Antwon Tanner, Ramsey Gbelawoe

Director: Thomas Carter

Director: Thomas Carter
Screenwriter: Mark Schwahn, John Gatins
Producer: Brian Robbins, Mike Tollin, David Gale
Studio: Paramount Pictures

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Reviews for Coach Carter

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Bubble View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
N/R

Urban Cinefile Critics

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 18 2008 08:52 AM

Urban Cinefile

N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 27 2005 03:15 AM

Sydney Morning Herald

tomato
B-

Cole Smithey

Samuel Jackson returns to form behind a long string of disappointing performances as an ethically minded basketball coach at a tough inner city high school in Richmond, California.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Apr., 16 2009 12:25 PM

ColeSmithey.com

tomato

Ryan Cracknell

While the film is over the top at times, Coach Carter has a big heart that doesn't shy away from challenging the American education system.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 30 2008 01:00 AM

Movie Views

splat

Felix Gonzalez Jr.

How terribly ironic that the story of an educator who dared to challenge the mental capacity of his students can produce a film that so shamelessly spoon-feeds its audience.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 22 2008 02:43 PM

DVD Review

tomato
74/100

Brian Webster

By making the choices the filmmakers did here, we get a movie that may not be profound, but it's both highly entertaining for its sports and fascinating for its social issues.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 11 2008 11:41 PM

Apollo Guide

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7/10

John J. Puccio

...the movie is more concerned with the characters than with the sport. So it's a movie for anyone to enjoy.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 11 2008 11:22 AM

DVDTown.com

N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 18 2008 08:52 AM

Ebert & Roeper

tomato
3/5

Jim Lane

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 07 2008 03:17 AM

Sacramento News & Review

splat

Leigh Singer

A worthy addition to familiar triumph-of-the-underdog stories.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Mar., 25 2008 01:27 PM

Channel 4 Film

splat

J. R. Jones

This is supposed to be about setting high standards, yet it's full of fudged ultimatums; in the end I couldn't be sure whether its morality was complex or just confused.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Mar., 25 2008 01:25 PM

Chicago Reader

tomato

Prairie Miller

There's a kick butt performance from Samuel Jackson, the master of the take-no-prisoners motormouth school of acting, even if it is only a high school gym.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Mar., 24 2007 01:38 PM

Long Island Press

tomato

Ethan Alter

Far from groundbreaking--in fact, it doesn't have an original bone in its body--but as inspirational sports movies go, it's not half-bad.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Mar., 01 2007 03:56 AM

Film Journal International

splat

Nathan Rabin

Samuel L. Jackson shouts, yells, bellows, and screams his way through the fact-inspired film

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 06 2006 01:01 PM

AV Club

tomato
3/4

Mark Moring

Its main flaws are an overabundance of sports-movie clichés and hackneyed phrases, but at least the final game doesn't have a predictable ending; I'll give it that much.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 11 2006 01:36 PM

Christianity Today

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3/5

Simon Braund

On paper a routine sports yarn. On screen, thanks to Jackson refusing to phone it in, far more satisfying than you might expect.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Apr., 01 2006 03:28 AM

Empire Magazine

splat

Chris Tilly

Although this is an inspirational genre pic that pushes all the requisite buttons throughout, you can’t help but feel that rather than benching the team, director Thomas Carter should have benched a few of those ham-fisted sporting clichés instead.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 09 2006 03:16 AM

Time Out

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3.5/5

S. James Wegg

Cinematographer Sharon Meir and film editor Peter Berger brilliantly capture the magic, thrills and extraordinary talent of the fear-inspired players, putting their hearts and souls into the game.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 06 2005 07:37 PM

Film Threat

splat

Nathan Rabin

Not a whole lot of fun. Or for that matter, any fun whatsoever.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 26 2005 03:15 AM

AV Club

tomato
4/5

Pablo Villaca

Formulaico, é verdade, mas inteligente o bastante para utilizar os clichês a seu favor, sem se esquecer de incluir bons diálogos e uma mensagem relevante.

comment Comment | Sep., 11 2005 12:05 AM

Cinema em Cena

 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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