Nice clean, entertaining flick

Rating: 7/10 (21 November 2015)

I enjoyed McFarland USA. This Disney film follows a standard, entertaining Disney script. The acting is strong throughout, led by good old Kevin Costner, who at 60 yrs old, they turned into a 40-something guy - successfully. Maria Bello provided strong support as his wife. The young Mexican actors were pretty good too, especially Carlos Pratts as Tomas Valles, the team's lead runner.
Costner plays Jim White, a football coach who loses his job after he loses his coaching cool with student athletes, and ends up having to take a job at McFarland High School in southern California. Culture shock galore as his white family of 4 finds themselves the minorities in this predominantly Mexican immigrant town.
White and family slowly adjust to the new environment. The football team he was supposed to coach stinks, and he proposes a cross country team because he sees these kids running fast and far.
The rest you can imagine, again, as a typical Disney film. How far can these kids go, how fast, can they hope to break the cycle of unbelievable poverty of migrant pickers. The depiction of the kids' lives is palpable - unbelievably hard-working kids, which forms the basis for their toughness.
Costner plays the role like a silk coat, sliding right in to the familiar good-guy role who is going to overcome all odds to be successful - see Field of Dreams. I like him much better in these types of roles as opposed to evil CIA-type killers. Leave those roles to others please.
The film has some minor sub plots, and gives a nice flavor for what the Mexican culture brings to our USA. You will of course cheer and cry at the end.
All told, a nice, tidy, entertaining film that will make you feel good, and upbeat, and hopeful.