A joyful, rewarding experience that will leave you smiling.

Rating: 9/10 (4 March 2015)

Yes, I know. McFarland is a very, almost exclusively formulaic sports drama. It follows the routine that we have heard echoed in sports dramas long past, of a washed-up coach encouraging a bunch of raggedy kids to embrace their potential, through sweat and determination. But that doesn't mean McFarland is a bad movie. Quite the contrary, in fact. McFarland presents us with a positive outlook on life and humanity, giving us a much needed break from the dark, fantastical worlds of Kingsman and Fifty Shades. McFarland is bright, optimistic, and joyful. That, along with Niki Caro's loving direction and a score of smile-inducing performances makes for a rewarding film experience.
McFarland takes place in McFarland (of course), a small town in the United States where most of the residents (mostly Hispanic) pick and package crops, referring to themselves as "pickers". Jim White, a gym teacher fired from his position for injuring one of his players arrives in McFarland to work at the local high school, McFarland being the only place where he was able to find work. The residents of the town react with surprise at having a white man and his white family in their midst, but the racial gap quickly dissipates when they grow accustomed to them, and we discover that the residents are a close-knit, welcoming community full of charismatic kids, adults, and just the right amount of drunken parents to create sufficient conflict. Jim White sees the boys' potential as runners, and creates a cross-country team for them, enlisting seven boys, each of which has their own, distinct, lovable personality. They train and run often, occasionally coming into conflict with White, but as the community begins to accept him, they also begin to accept him.
White and his family, while being repulsed by the people of the town at first, are caught up in the love everyone has for one another, and consequently fall in love with the town as well. The story is punctuated with minor conflicts, although a few of these seem to exist only to kill time.
White begins to develop a fatherly affection for each one of the kids as they come to accept him. Each one is funny and joyful in a distinct way, except for the brooding character of Thomas Valles (he comes around eventually).
While the film presents itself as a sports drama, it is truly a tale of social unity and adapting ways of life. White must adapt to the way of life of the residents of McFarland, while they must adapt to his presence. Each party's readiness to do this left me smiling like a goofball. I highly recommend this movie. Skip out on Spongebob and watch this.