Coach Carter (2005)

Samuel L. Jackson as Coach Ken Carter

We decided to go for the cliche inspirational sports movie this time around. Coach Carter is rated PG-13 for violence, language, teen partying (aka underage drinking), and some drug material (one of the characters is a dealer on the side).

Dan -
I am a such a sucker for movies that are supposed to inspire people. What can I say? I like being inspired and seeing other people make changes that will affect the rest of their lives. Whether it is fictional or based on a true story, I get pulled in almost every time and become personally involved with the triumphs and failures of the characters. And doesn't everyone love an underdog story?

Have you ever noticed that many of the greatest sports movies have a lot to do with a great coach? This movie fills half of those requirements in that it has a great coach, and Samuel L. Jackson was really good as the coach in this. His intensity along with his propensity for yelling his dialogue is actually appropriate for this movie. I really bought into him as a tough coach who would have such high expectations. And he can be classy at the same time he is yelling. If ever there was a dude who epitomized the term BMF, it's this guy.

For anyone who actually considers watching the movies reviewed on this blog, this really is a compelling story. A coach who puts education before basketball is almost revolutionary. Suspending the games because the players weren't doing well enough in class even though they were undefeated is unprecedented. I know this is Hollywood-ized, but I feel it is almost an important sports movie.

Is this movie as good as Hoosiers or Glory Road? No. But it was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. I thought it was good enough for repeat viewing, so I bought it (albeit used). I liked that it seemed grounded in reality. When it came time for the final game, I really didn't know who was going to win. The editing is highly stylized and the soundtrack is filled with hip-hop music (which I don't necessarily care for), and there are some really distracting subplots. Take for example one of the stars of the team, Rob Brown, has gotten his girlfriend pregnant and is having second thoughts about having a baby. I think the point was to ground the movie in reality, but it had nothing to do with the rest of the movie. Sticking with basketball and the classroom would have really helped this movie along.

I give this movie 3½ out of 5 stars. Samuel L. Jackson and his methods make this movie more than I thought it would be.

The real Coach Ken Carter

Mark -
I feel like this movie has been made so many times, and this film is just another variation of something that has previously been done. I think it’s great that so many individuals have been able to overcome difficult situations, but just because one or two films have been successful with such stories doesn’t mean that all of the other studious should try to have the same success with their own film.

The specifics of the plot of this film are centered around the Richmond (CA) High School Oilers basketball team, a low income/high crime neighborhood, whose long-time coach is ready to retire, and hoping the school’s previous biggest star will agree to take the position over. Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson) agrees to coach the team, and immediately makes his presence known by having all players who wish to be on the basketball team sign a contract, stating that they will maintain a minimum 2.3 GPA, dress up on game days, and be respectful towards others. Through Carter’s hard work/my way approach he is able to transform a basketball team that had 4 wins the previous year into a team that would win every regular season game it played in his first season.

The most redeeming quality of this film for me is that there is a lot of emphasis placed on, and given to, the importance of education and its need for getting the students further in life. During a pivotal point in the film, in which the educational requirements and standards of Coach Carter are being challenged, I especially appreciated a statement made by Coach Carter where he is trying to stress the importance of accountability, a trait he feels is lacking or overlooked among professional athletes.

Finally I feel that this film was targeted too much at a specific type of audience, as is the case with most films made by MTV films. The environmental aspects of this film further accentuated by rap and hip hop music, considerable amounts of slang, and stereotypical behaviors. 3 *’s out of 5

My Random Thought For Coach Carter: Here’s a major problem I have with this movie trying to tie a past event into current events. The movie is about the 1999 Richmond team, but they make references to the character Ty Crane being the next Lebron James. That’s great but Lebron James was just entering high school at that time and was nothing of a star yet. If the writers decided to try and put things in a current context, as in the 2005 time frame which the movie was released, then the problem comes when they discuss Crane’s shoe-in to be the next number 1 pick in the NBA draft. Someone failed to do their research showing that the collective bargaining agreement which was entered for the 2006 NBA draft required all eligible players to be at least 19 years old at the start of the draft year. Sorry to whoever was trying to be clever, but clearly you were just trying to combine too many things and ended up with an inaccuracy instead.

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio

Here for your reading pleasure is our take on Catch Me If You Can. It is rated PG-13 for language, including 1 F-bomb (the delivery of which is hilarious), and some sexual situations/content.

Mark -
This is one of those movies that I actually seem to enjoy the more times I watch it. Obviously any movie that Steven Spielberg directs is a big deal, and when you have his reputation you can be selective in what you want your name tied to. Seeing that every movie begins with the script, it would seem fairly obvious to assume that many people thought this project had a lot of promise.
Not all big movies with major actors are a success, but it definitely helps to have the odds in your favor by having a number of stars appearing in the same film. Any filmmaker would love to have either Leonardo DiCaprio or Tom Hanks as the star in their movie, and to have both in the same movie must have been a dream come true. Add in the appearances of Christopher Walken, and Martin Sheen and the cast keeps getting easier and easier to work with it must seem. Its fun to watch this movie and see the likes of relatively unknown actresses, at the time, Amy Adams, Elizabeth Banks, and Jennifer Garner (granted she had received some notoriety before this film thanks to Alias).
The film focuses on the life of Frank Abagnale Jr (DiCaprio), and his early crime spree life. Abagnale Jr is considered to be one of the youngest and most clever criminals in our history. Starting in his late teens Abagnale Jr discovers the simplicity of passing fraudulent checks and impersonates a pilot, doctor, and attorney. The second focus of the film is that of Detective Carl Hanratty (Hanks) attempting to catch Abagnale Jr. Hanratty seems to be a great agent behind a desk, but in his attempts to catch Abagnale Jr it seems he becomes completely oblivious to the most obvious of circumstances.
This film is fun to watch as you see Abagnale Jr take on these different identities, and wonder how he could pull off the credibility to perform such skilled professions. It is equally fun to watch Hanratty and his agents' attempts to track down Abagnale Jr, and the realization of what moves are being taken to always keep Abagnale Jr one step ahead.
Last of all is the fact that I love the music from this movie. John Williams did an amazing job with the score for the film and is something that will stay in your head for hours at a time. The score truly brings to mind the thoughts of a criminal sneaking around and avoiding capture.
While the whole movie seems so far fetched, you are always wondering how someone could possibly pull off all the schemes that Abagnale Jr does. A large part of the fun of this movie is in wondering how much of it truly did happen. 4 stars out of 5.
My Random Thought For Catch Me If You Can: I wonder how many people have told Carl Hanratty's knock knock joke from this movie.


The real Frank Abagnale, Jr.

Dan-
Who knew that check fraud could be this interesting and entertaining? Having worked at two different banks and now in the legal system, I have some basis to say that check fraud is extremely boring and tedious. So a big pat on the back to the screenwriter Jeff Nathanson and director Steven Spielberg for cutting out all the boring day to day stuff and sticking to the exciting stuff. I'm hoping this review does not come across as biased, but I'll be up front in saying that I am a Steven Spielberg fan.

This movie is first and foremost about characters. I know, I know, there are characters in every movie, but not every movie is about characters. Sometimes they just facilitate the story or the action taking place. This movie was about people. Yes some of the circumstances were outrageous and hard to believe, but I always knew the motivations behind their choices. And it didn't have to be spelled to me either. I saw it in a lingering camera shot or facial expression. DiCaprio's entire motivation for his actions is because he is trying to run away from the problem that his parent's divorce will create for him.

When you have good actors, it makes watching the movie that much better. It seems like a dream cast now to see Hanks, DiCaprio, Christopher Walken, Amy Adams, and Jennifer Garner (no matter how brief her role is here) together for one movie. I think DiCaprio was slightly miscast, but only because he of his boyish looks. Based on the above picture the real Frank looked much older than he was, which probably made it easier to pass off as a doctor, lawyer, and pilot, but DiCaprio more than makes up for it with his acting. I know some of the credit goes to the screenwriter, but simple reactions to the new situations effectively convey the age of the character. The take-off of his first flight comes to mind, as does his first date.

The relationship between the two Franks (DiCaprio and Walken) is possibly the strongest thing this movie has going for it, and where I think the realy heart of the movie is. Walken deserved to be nominated for an Oscar for this subtle performance. I love the scene where father and son meet up at a fancy restaurant and Frank Jr. only wants to impress his father. Frank Sr. sees through the facade that his son has put up, but is still moved by the gesture. They come across as like father, like son in their behaviors. I saw in one of the special features on the DVD that this scene was fabricated and that once Frank Jr. ran away from home he never saw his father again. I know that Hollywood has a strong tendency to stretch the truth when it comes to "based on a true story", but the scene still worked well and resonated with me.

This movie made my top ten list of 2002, and overall I'd give this movie 4½ stars out of five.

The Hurricane (1999)

Denzel Washington as Rubin "Hurricane" Carter


At the end of 1999, "The Hurricane" was released starring Denzel Washington. It was a modest hit, but maybe you have never seen it. It is rated R for language and violence.

Dan-
I have been wanting to see this movie for a really long time, but have never taken the opportunity to see it. It finally made its way up the Netflix queue (after more than 2 years I think) and I finally got the chance to see it. As cliche as it sounds, this is one of Denzel's best performances. He was nominated for an Oscar for it, but lost to Kevin Spacey in "American Beauty" (how he won against Denzel AND Russell Crowe for The Insider is beyond me). I also think this was a better performance than his role in "Training Day", for which he actually did win the Oscar.

Back to the movie. This is "based on the true story" of boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter who, at the peak of his career, was framed for a murder he did not commit and imprisoned for more than 20 years. I use the true story term loosely because this is Hollywood, and naturally there will be some artistic license taken to create drama, conflict, and/or motivations. The movie implies that a single racist cop is the one responsible for all his troubles, which may have some truth to it, but there is likely a lot more to the story. While in prison, Carter writes a book about his life and wrongful conviction. There is also a black teenager named Lesra who is taken from a poor neighborhood in New Jersey to live with 3 white people in Toronto to be educated and given an opportunity he may not have otherwise had. Lesra reads Hurricane's book, shares it with his 3 educators, and they all take the cause to free the Hurricane from prison.

There were two things that sucked me in emotionally to the movie: 1- After Hurricane is sent to prison and refuses to wear the prison uniform he is sent to solitary confinement. There he has an argument with two versions of his personality, one that is weak and one that is strong. This became the point where Denzel's performance really started to shine. Prior to that the character is cocky and arrogant, and this begins to show the vulnerability of Hurricane. And 2- When he asks his wife to stop visiting him and walk away. "I'm dead. Just bury me." It's the emotion in his voice that resonates the most with me.

This is a strong legal drama of a movie. The bad point about real life and the good point of movies is that these appeals and court proceedings literally take years, but can be shown in much quicker so we as the audience continue to feel a sense of urgency. Even after Lesra meets Rubin Carter, the process takes years to get the final appeal heard in court. The movie tries emphasize that fact as there is one point where the attorneys that have been assigned to the case since the beginning of his appeals comment to Lesra's educators that many people have offered to help over the years, but due to the slow process and apparent lack of progress they felt they were making, abandoned the cause.

While I thought this movie was compelling and well-made, I think I loved Denzel's performance the most about this movie. There is a great line that Carter writes to Lesra: "Do not write me. Do not visit me. Find it in your hearts to not weaken me with your love." I'm fascinated by a man who wants to be so strong, but knows he will not appear as such if he gets close to anyone. He gains hope and loses it every time he goes to court.

I give this movie 4½ out of 5 stars.

Mark-
Sadly this movie seems as though it has been overlooked by many people. I don’t know what it is about movies about boxing or boxers, but they continually seem to be some of the best movies produced. My own wife is among those who hate boxing, yet she has admitted on numerous occasions how good movies such as Million Dollar Baby, and Cinderella Man were. I have to add The Fighter and The Hurricane to that list as great movies that have come out in the last 15 years focused in some way around boxing or boxers. This film portrays the personal and judicial struggles that Rubin "Hurricane" Carter endured, as well as a friendship developed between Carter and a young man named Lesra. Rubin Carter overcame many hardships and difficulties in his life to become a boxing champion, before being what eventually was determined a wrongful imprisonment for three murders. The theme of racial injustice is prevalent throughout this film as is the case in many of Denzel Washington’s movies, but these are also his greatest films and roles. When I think about the roles Denzel has played I think of the movies: Cry Freedom, Glory, Malcolm X, The Hurricane, and Training Day (only because he finally won his best actor Oscar for this movie). All of the above films and roles deal directly with racial differences, and you could of course add Remember The Titans and The Great Debaters to the list. Denzel Washington has been among my favorite actors for a long time, and this is in my opinion his best acting performance. Denzel became Rubin Carter for this film! The most obvious observation of this fact is the physical shape that Washington got into for this role. Although he has never been unfit in anyway, it is clear to see that he devoted himself to learning the skill of boxing, and getting for lack of a better word "ripped" for this role. Just as, if not more, impressive is the amount of emotional and psychological toil that Washington allowed himself to be subjected to. There are so many details of this movie that I could give, but I’m the type of person that would rather see the events for myself, rather than have someone tell me all about it. This is truly a great movie and was in my opinion much much much better than American Beauty which unfortunately won best picture the same year. ***** out of 5
My Random Thought For This Movie: Liev Schrieiber appears in this movie, and my random thought is that I’m beginning to wonder if he ever really ages. He has bulked up a little more than his earlier years, but with that exception I would claim that he still looks virtually the same.