Basketball and Heart: Coach Carter Has It All!

Rating: 9/10 (7 October 2015)

Richmond High School's basketball team is a joke. The players can't work together and hardly ever show up for school on a regular basis. Enter Ken Carter, the owner of a local sporting goods store, and alumni of Richmond. Ken is offered the basketball coaching job at his alma mater. Immediately upon accepting the offer, Coach Carter lays down the law and requires all of his players to sign a contract stating that they will attend every class and maintain at least a 2.3 GPA. After conditioning his team into shape, they go on to enjoy an undefeated season. However, the season is cut short after several members of the team fail their classes and Coach Carter locks up the gym and cancels all further practices and games.
Coach Carter is not your average cliché tale of the underdog team beating the odds and going on to win the state championship. This film, based on a true story, tells of a basketball coach who makes it his mission to not only help the team win games, but also give them the opportunity to attend college by forcing them to focus on their grades as well. Besides just focusing on the aspect of basketball in the movie, it also shows us the individual struggles in the lives of the young men. These problems range from teen pregnancy to drug dealing and gang-related activity. These are very real problems in some societies today, and this helps make the movie more relatable. It is the ability to relate to some aspects of this movie that contributes to the overall emotion of the film. Coach Carter is an inspiring story about perseverance and it conveys the message that even what seems impossible can ultimately be achieved.
Samuel L. Jackson portrays Coach Carter in the movie. As per usual when it comes to Jackson's performances, he maintains a serious tone and a steely resolve. This was a crucial element in Jackson's role as Coach Carter because he had to be a strict and disciplinary authority figure. There were also some of Jackson's lines in the film that were comical, which, while still being somewhat serious, he delivered perfectly. A job well done, Samuel L. Jackson.
Furthermore, in my opinion, Rick Gonzalez delivered the most memorable performance in the film, other than Jackson's Coach Carter. Gonzalez's character, Timo Cruz, is a troubled kid mixed up in his cousin's gang activity. After initially quitting, he wants to return to the team and will do whatever it takes to get back on – including doing 2,500 push ups and 1,000 "suicides". Let's not forget his moving speech near the end of the film. Gonzalez played the role of Timo Cruz with plenty of emotion and attitude and it was incredible.
Overall, this film has a great plot, great casting, and a great amount of emotion and character complexity. In the end, I would recommend Coach Carter to everyone. I am not always a huge fan of sports movies, but even if you feel like I do you should still check it out. It is a heart-warming, inspirational film with a great message.