More Than Just A Sports Drama

Rating: 9/10 (1 July 2015)

McFarland, USA is a Disney sports drama that tells the story about a high school cross country running team that consists of Mexican immigrants that won the state title in California back in 1987.It stars Kevin Costner,who portrays Jim White,the coach of the said team,together with Maria Bello and Morgan Saylor.
Jim White got into a verbal altercation with one of his players of the high school football team at Idaho which cost him his job and a transfer to a seemingly depressed and Mexican-dominated town called McFarland in California.After a week as an assistant football coach of the McFarland Community High School,he was removed from that position which made him discover about cross country running.He formed a team for it which consists mostly of Mexican high school students and led them the way into winning the state championship for the said sport.But he was more than a coach as he also got to know their families and the hard work that they do as pickers.
The movie maybe formulaic and predictable but it nevertheless still a solid sports drama.Credit Kevin Costner for his ability to remain a likable star.Also,it serves more as a sports drama as the movie also provides us a view of the Mexican immigrants' life here in the United States from their culture and customs as well as what they bring into the country with respect to the agriculture industry.Finally,it also provides the viewer positive messages on hope and education especially like the students under Coach Jim White who managed to both survive and surpass the economic challenges of a town like McFarland.