Good Message. Bad Movie (SPOILERS)

Rating: 3/10 (17 January 2005)

I guess this movie is a tragedy, but not in the sense it was intended. The real tragedy in this movie is not losing in the playoffs but the abortion of the child. First off, I'm pro-choice-but there was absolutely no point in aborting the child in this film. The two lovers finally come up with a way to support the kid...and she goes and aborts it. What message is that trying to send?
I know it's just a movie, but there were several supposedly "tense" scenes that I had to restrain myself from bursting into laughter.
Scene #1-The drug dealer dies. And this is a tragedy why? I'm supposed to feel sorry for this person that get's gunned down when he's only been on the screen for five minutes and has made the impression of a very disreputable and unlikeable person. I guess I should feel sorry for worm or whatever his name is...but doesn't his cousin's death remove that unhealthy element in worm's life?
Scene #2- Worm's supposedly heartwarming monologue that was never really developed in the movie. I get the fact the he had inner conflict throughout the movie, I just never really seemed to care. And during his little diatribe in the gym (with the desks, etc.) I kept wondering: When did this solid F student, ex-drug dealer become a philosopher? Did he look up every word he's saying in the dictionary 5 minutes before coach Carter enters the gym? why doesn't the audience see that so it makes more sense?
Basically the movie boils down to this-it has a good message, Samuel L. Jackson is good, not great, but if you want a truly uplifting movie about inner city kids escaping the slums-I'd suggest you rent "Stand and Deliver".