Running after a dream: Seven "Produce-Pickers" Athletes and One Heart-Believing Coach

Rating: 9/10 (19 February 2015)

I've seen it three times now! And my 10-year old daughter loved it too!
Seeing those boys blaze like chariots across streets and trails was fascinating. Want to get all fired up? Inspired? Come and watch this positive-charged, entertaining, and moving film. You will cry, you will laugh. Seven boys, that clocked high-mileage every day from the fields to school, break the boundaries of impossibilities: thanks to the guidance of a phenomenal coach. Jim White (Kevin Costner) moves to McFarland after hitting rock-bottom in his career. But when he thought everything was lost, he discovers several almost-superhuman "produce pickers," teenagers that have seeds of fine athletes in them.
"McFarland" is a journey about the cultivation and harvest of talent. Along the way, we fall in love with the heart and the faith of a coach who changed an unmovable reality for a group of Hispanic High-Schoolers back in 1987. Along the way, we fall in love with the boys whose dreams and troubles and families, in turn, change the life realities of a coach and his own family. Along the way, we learn about cultural values. We also gain a new perspective on our produce: now we can imagine the working-hands and the hopeful-smiles behind each Californian cabbage or orange. Beautiful!
Although the plot is fairly predictable, it's full of conflict, bits of suspense, emotion, and plenty cross-country team cheering!
From the beginning, this story grabs my heart and runs with it! And it doesn't let go. I counted about ten favorite scenes that had me drying up my tears and smiling at the same time. The piercing poem. The cheerful ocean. The "pretend" hills. The kind gestures. And many more great scenes. Also, the landscapes and camera angles are breathtaking - the crops, the mountains, the roads, etc.
In this film, Kevin Costner is utterly illuminating. Once more, he shines. Costner shows the various facets of Jim White: the coach, the father, the neighbor, the mentor, and the man. The man that has to make tough choices for himself and for his family and for the community. The man looking for self-worth. He is down-to-earth (literally) and compassionate. Then we have the actors that play the running team: they are champion stars! These actors sowed soul and muscle and they harvested success. Their characters breathe authenticity and sentiment. Thomas Valles (Carlos Pratts), sums up the "Cougars" joys and pains and fears. I also loved Señora Diaz (Diana Maria Riva)--the lively mother and neighbor. The White family: Maria Bello (the wife), Morgan Saylor (the 15-year old daughter), and Elsie Fisher (the little daughter) give us honest and lovable characters. And of course, the rest of the supporting cast make this film the jewel it is. Even the chicken and the roosters add feathers of humor.
And the messages... I got chills with lines that shake the "competitor" in each of us. For instance, "what is hard, is loosing when you haven't done enough." Beautiful!
I also loved all the Mexican heritage-rich moments and the spicy music--especially the Luis Miguel song!
This is a truly memorable film. Why? Because it's a film about people believing in people. It's about forgetting boundaries and standards and following your heart. "McFarland" is about running after a dream.
Please watch it!
I can't wait to see it again and again.
Thanks for reading.
Cheers.