'Uno, dos, tres – McFarland'

Rating: 10/10 (30 December 2015)

New Zealand director Niki Caro (Whale Rider North Country, A Heavenly Vintage) adds another success to her resume with this moving portrayal of a true story about a coach and his team in 1987 overcoming odds and learning trust, hope, and a belief in attainable goals. Based on a story by Bettina Gilois and Christopher Cleveland who also wrote the screenplay with Grant Thompson, the film may be overly long, but the emotional impact is so strong that the viewer stays with every minute of it without lapses.
The year is 1987 and Jim White (Kevin Costner) moves his wife (Maria Bello) and two daughters (Morgan Saylor and Elsie Fisher) after losing his last job as a football coach because of anger management related causes. McFarland, CA is in the San Joaquin Valley, an agricultural community that is basically populated with migrant workers who make their living form harvesting crops (it is one of the poorest cities in the country). He is at the end of his rope, feeling that this assignment is his only hope for supporting his family. He struggles, fails as a football coach but gets the idea of having a cross-country track team when he observes the stamina of the young lads running after being up early to pick crops. He turns seven students with no hope into one of the best cross-country teams, learning as much about equality and fulfillment of goals as his runners do.
In addition to the interpersonal reactions among the students and Jim's family (his friends create a Quinceañera for Jim's 15 year old daughter) there are many moments of inspiring beauty in this radiant film – not the least of which is a letter written by one of the runners: 'We fly like blackbirds through the orange groves, floating on a warm wind. When we run, we own the earth. The land is ours. We speak the birds' language. Not immigrant no more. No stupid Mexicans. When we run, our spirits fly. We speak to the gods. When we run, we are the gods.'
This is a moving film, so very timely during this struggle with border problems and immigration and racial distrust. Films like this serve a purpose far greater than mere entertainment.