One of the best sports dramas I've seen in a long time

Rating: 9/10 (3 March 2017)

Niki Caro's "McFarland USA" is a film filled with pure heart and soul, dedication, determination, and pure inspiration, which this is a movie that is also based on a true story. The movie stars Kevin Costner as Jim White a high-school teacher who just got fired from his job as a football coach and takes up a job as a cross-country coach. After Coach White assembled a cross-country team the team isn't really that inspired at first, but then White pushes them to their real hidden potential so that they can perform as well as they can and how he would want them to in cross-country meets. With this movie Niki Caro who directed the movie really proves she knows how to direct a very well made sports movie. While I was watching the movie I was reminded of another sports movie called "Remember the Titans" (2000) which was made 15 years earlier with Denzel Washington in the leading role. I was reminded of that movie for two main reasons, the first one being because the things that coaches White and Boone are that when they started in their respective sports as the new coach in town everyone practically hated them and then came to respect them, and the second reason being that both White and Boone pushed them to their limits with their approaches being totally different with White being more laid back and encouraging, and Boone being tough and hard as nails, as well as being very strict. This movie also happens to be one of the best sports movies ever made. Kevin Costner gives one of the best performances of his career as a simple but flawed man who proved that his coaching skills were still good. This is a great movie as well as a near masterpiece that shouldn't be missed at all, and it is even a gem of a movie for all kids to enjoy.