An inspirational story that is radically diminished by the calm acceptance of out of wedlock pregnancy of black high school students and the shameless promotion of abortion.
Coach Carter (2005)
Tomatometer
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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
Reviews for Coach Carter
Jackson's presence alone raises Coach Carter above the formula it clings to.
Inimitable, irrepressible and possibly the coolest man alive, Jackson ranks as the best reason to catch this Hoosiers in the 'hood. Happily, he's not the only one.
One of those highly effective conventional pictures that remind us that conventionality isn't always a bad thing.
The appeal lies in the genre's mixed marriage of liberal sensibilities to conservative values, a happy American union that simultaneously acknowledges the fact of social injustice while insisting on the need for individual responsibility.
The basketball footage is often thrilling, the camera whooshing through the action like a darting point guard.
Utterly intolerable with its indulgence in inner-city stereotypes, overt preaching and simple antidotes.
No one will be surprised to learn that Jackson's Coach Carter is a shining slab of steel-rod charisma.
Features bursts of humor and electrifying energy offset by speechifying and a dud of a subplot.
Nobody gives a more powerful locker room speech than Samuel L. Jackson, while decked out in spiffy suits and flashy neckties.
An earnest inspirational drama that mostly transcends its formulaic trappings.
Capable new performers surround Jackson, including young men who play a believable brand of high-flying basketball.
Jackson plays the coach with wit and authority. His imposing presence ensures that he won't have to take much guff, even from the toughest punk on the team.
You know how the last minute of a basketball game can take, like, 10 minutes to actually expire, what with time-outs and the commercials and all? Coach Carter is a lot like that.
The movie may consist of formulaic elements, but it excels on the strength of its cast and the sincerity of its message.
The inspirational tale becomes just another by-the-numbers, cliché-ridden sports film.
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