One That Has A Light Message Of Hope

Rating: 8/10 (19 August 2013)

"Coach Carter" is a heart-warming story that is based on actual events, but what stands out from the other true story movies is that it refrains itself from any kind of "artistic licencing" from being a Hollywood movie. And that is simply because it really doesn't need to. The inspirational story of Coach Ken Carter and the Richmond Oilers is molded as an uplifting to one's spirits and it tells us that there really is a ray of hope and that we can achievement if we all believe in ourselves.
Sure it sounds lame and preachy, but the movie is constantly fixated on telling us that academics must come before athletics. The main focus is centred around Coach Carter and the gripping sports scenes is enough to satisfy any sports fan especially those who love basketball.
Samuel L. Jackson is flawless as the no-nonsense Coach Carter and he does without putting much effort into the role but the dedication to his coaching and his encouragement towards his team is just the natural way to prove how developed this character really is. The performance and the accuracy is so impressive you wouldn't think it was Samuel L. Jackson performing, but the real Coach Carter himself. But he's not the only thespian who melted our heart, but the performers who played the students; in fact they are the heart and soul to the movie as they keep this movie as real and effective as possible. Even singer Ashanti shows her acting chops are quite effective and not flashy at all.
Unlike most movies who cowardly take the easy way out by just rushing through the ending and going for the formulaic happy ending, "Coach Carter" ends the movie with a real ending where these athletes are not destined to just winning the school's championship but where their academic achievements became a top priority to them. I wish that Hollywood would have more stories on values like these than the garbage we've been fed to over the years.
The extras on the DVD are quite special as we are introduced to the real Ken Carter who seems to come across as being more but amusingly laid back and less intense than Jackson's portrayal. But i'm sure the real Ken Carter must have left a lasting impact toward the students and the kids as Richmond High. I just wish the documentary on Ken Carter was more in depth a much more longer and I wished we can get more insight on the students and compare the similarities between the actual students and the characters that were portrayed in the movie.
The second feature looks into the making behind the movie itself as we observe just how the choreographing and the skill the characters had to go through to make and maintain the realism of the movie. The actual sports scenes are such a joy to watch it sends shivers down my spine. It might be mundane in some people because not everyone has knowledge in all the technical terms that's in basketball so if you're watching the movie for the drama and inspiration, please bring along a manual called "Basketball for Dummies".
One of the weaknesses the movie has is that in the extras we don't get the opportunity focus on the mastermind behind the movie, director Thomas Carter. I don't know if he's just a humble individual or if he played a dominating role in the production, but he's never mentioned or talked about in the extras. I also wonder if the director is related to the titular character of the movie.
To summarize this movie is quite pleasing and very optimistic in it message. It was a very entertaining and never falls prey to continuously preach that academics is equally important if not better than athletics. I think those who come from working-class environments to get a better view to show that there is always a sign of hope. The statistics that Ken Carter reveals to his students that young African American men are more than likely will end up in jail than advanced education is quite staggering. And this should open the eyes to not just black Americans but to everyone that prison life is not the life you want to live in. It's also important that just because you are playing basketball in school, doesn't mean it's a one-way ticket to the NBA. But a good education is the key to life and after watching this movie, I'm sure it will open eyes to everyone who really cares about their education.