The Great Debaters
Tags: violence, home movie

Plot synopsis:
Based on a true story, the plot revolves around the efforts of debate coach Melvin B. Tolson (Denzel Washington) at Wiley College, a Historically Black College, to place his team on equal footing with whites in the American South during the 1930s, when Jim Crow laws were common and lynch mobs were a pervasive fear for blacks. In the movie, the Wiley team eventually succeeds to the point where they are able to debate Harvard University. This was their 47th annual debate team.
The movie also explores the social constructs in Texas during the Great Depression including not only the day-to-day insults and slights African Americans endured, but also a lynching. Also depicted is James L. Farmer, Jr. (Denzel Whitaker), who, at 14 years old, was on Wiley's debate team after completing high school (and who later went on to co-found C.O.R.E., the Congress of Racial Equality). According to the Houston Chronicle, another character depicted on the team, Samantha Booke, is based on the real individual Henrietta Bell Wells, the only female member of the 1930 debate team from Wiley College who participated in the first collegiate interracial debate in the United States. Wells also happened to be a minor African American poet whose papers are housed at the Library of Congress.
The key line of dialogue, used several times, is a famous paraphrase of Augustine of Hippo: "An unjust law is no law at all."
Another major line, repeated in slightly different versions according to context, concerns doing what you "have to do" in order that we "can do" what we "want to do." In all instances, these vital lines are spoken by the James L. Farmer Sr. and James L. Farmer, Jr. characters.
=== Historical background ===
The film depicts the Wiley Debate team beating Harvard College in the 1930s. They did not debate Harvard, however. The debate depicted in the film instead mirrored the match up between Wiley and the University of Southern California, who at the time were the reigning debating champions. Wiley College did indeed win this matchup. According to Robert Eisele: "In that era, there was much at stake when a black college debated any white school, particularly one with the stature of Harvard. We used Harvard to demonstrate the heights they achieved."
The film omits another reality: even though they beat the reigning champions, the Great Debaters were not allowed to call themselves victors because they were not truly considered to belong to the debate society; blacks were not admitted until after World War II.

Review: "The Great Debaters" is a very fine film.It reminds us of what it means to be excellent, to stand for something good, to love with all our hearts, and to shine.The performances, or the cinematography, historical care, or directorship all lift it out of the ordinary.And in its difficult subject: racial tension and the education and discovery of values by the three young debaters from Wiley College, one of the oldest colleges in America, it creates real excitement and interest.But the real reason that this is a fine film lies in is its plea that in education lies the reasoning, the power, and the will to change history.
I can forgive the slight drag here and there because the ending is magnificent and explains something crucial about American history by its finish.From an era when bigotry, racism, and degrading behavior was a wretched norm to our era where values are mutable, where dumbing down has no limits, and taste little place; "The Great Debaters" stands out as being a story that stands against all of these things.The rating says it all: excellent..
It is a great story, based on real events that most of us never heard of, about a debating team from Wiley College, a small black institution in rural Texas, that performs extraordinary feats because the kids are good and the team is taught by Mel Tolson, a real person, acted by Denzel Washington, who also directs.
The revelation in this film are the performances of the three principal debaters: Jurnee Smollett as Samatha Booke (with an "e", as she proclaims when she tries out for the debate team), Nate Parker as Henry Lowe (also with an "e" as he announces in response to Samantha's declaration) and Denzel Whitaker as James Farmer Jr.
The acting is marvelous by all the actors, but recognition has to be given to the three stars that portray the debaters, Denzel Washington, and Forest Whitaker.
In his sophomore effort, actor-director Denzel Washington has created one of the best films of the year, The Great Debaters.
Never trying to be the cliché coming of age tale of student-teacher relationship that becomes like a bad aftertaste like past efforts, as Mona Lisa Smile; the film takes a high road to transform its narrative into a beautiful canvas for Washington to paint on like forgotten masterpieces like Stand and Deliver and Dead Poet's Society.
Yet, the film was basically not political in theme.It deals with a small black college in Texas,Wiley,that had a poet plus a political agitator played by Denzel Washington as many students' mentor.
Keep in mind that the main theme of the Civil Rights Movement was "if given the chance" and so the film builds on it and does the kind of damage to opponents as did the great "Brown Bomber," Joe Louis.Although a bit slow moving and at times, pretentious, the film was very skillfully done in bringing to light the efforts accomplished by the African Americans to do away with the perniciousness having pervaded this nation from the time the first slave ship landed on our shores.
Robert Eisele's story really brought home the pain and deprivation of being Black in America, and how some could overcome that deprivation with the right help, but could never overcome the pain.Besides Washington, there were outstanding performances by Forest Whitaker, Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett, and Denzel Whitaker, as a 14-year-old in college.Tears in my eyes, I will long remember this film as one of the best of the year and of many years..
There's just no subtlety in it and situations are stock.Best things: the design of the film, the cinematography, the casting of the primary characters, and, most importantly, the inspirational theme of debating, of speaking well as a way out and up.
The story has solid pacing, a great cast and an easy to understand plot; a few minor side steps (talented but tormented student, first female student fighting both racism and gender issues, a younger than average student fighting for a father's love/respect while coming of age) but the message holds up and delivers an appropriate but completely unsurprising conclusion.
Be it Denzel Washington to Forest Whitaker to the entire debating team of fine young actors.
I would expect great things from this movie for all of the new young people and another notch in his belt for Denzel and more appreciation for Forest Whitaker.
Directed and starring the masterful Denzel Washington, "Debaters" tells the true story of the first debate team from an all-black college to have a match against a white university in 1935.
The debate team members are played wonderfully, too: Nate Parker as the fiery and troubled Henry; Jurnee Smollett as the beautiful and headstrong Samantha; and Denzel Whitaker as James Jr., a young man in the shadow of his successful, scholarly father.
His team is comprised of three bright young black people: Henry Lowe (Nate Parker), an overly-clever man with a possible future ...if he can stay out of harm's way; Samantha Brooke (Jurnee Smollett, HOUSE, M.D.), the first female debater in Wiley College history; and James Farmer Jr.
It would've also been nice to have had the names of the actual persons within the film and not some made-up ones (some were real, like Tolson, but others were not).Some praise has to be made for Forest Whitaker (THE LAST KING OF Scotland) as Dr. James Farmer Sr. His role was understated and held much of the powerful, emotional punch toward the final third of the movie, especially when his son James Jr. discovers why his father reacts the way he does during an embarrassing prejudicial moment.That Wiley's black debaters made it to Harvard and debated their team is now history.
Sure, it has a touch of "Remember the Titans" and just about every other feel good underdog sports story, but what makes this one a bit different is that it is based on words and education, not athletic ability.Based in the Jim Crow south, Melvin Tolson drives his team of debaters to heights never before reached by a black college debate team.
Forest Whitaker is again outstanding, this time as Dr. James Farmer, Sr., whose brilliant mind and moral standards set the tone for his prodigy son.The screenplay by Robert Eisele could have benefited by losing the sappy and predictable love story between Lowe and Booke, and the actual debates don't provide near the suspense and tension that the "real life" segments do, but he does capture the added stress of being an educated black in the 1930's.The enduring message from this group of amazing students is that education is the road to freedom.
He pushes Denzel Washington (Melvin Tolson) who teaches the students debating at Wiley College, an all-black college in Texas.
The utter stupidity of the times is shocking.I guess the film, backed by Oprah and Denzel, really wanted to show how much blacks have had to overcome, and how there were many who preached using your mind, and words, not violence, to debate, to fight, to stand up for yourself - to get ahead.The final scene involves the juxtaposition you would expect from a typical Hollywood ending.
Plus it lacked a certain amount of realism with the drama between people that really never formed a relationship in real life.This movie does point to one thing: there were real debaters from Wiley College.
In fact, I chose it as the number one movie on my "Best Films" list on the Reel Inspiration blog at Blogspot.The Great Debaters, directed by Denzel Washington and produced by Oprah, is Hollywood all the way.
The film asks if the power of words can really make any difference in the face of violent acts of racism.Through his example, Professor Tolson inspires his students to speak up for what is right despite how it might conflict with their personal lives or the dangerous world around them.
I mean the story is fantastic, but it couldn't have been told any better because of the three young actors in this movie: Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett, and Denzel Whitaker.
They presented themselves with class, intelligence, and courage to carry on in the tough world they lived in.Henry, Samantha, and James are three young black students who have joined a debate team led by Melvin Tolson.
But the team pulls in strong together to win several debates despite their color and the ignorance that surrounds them, eventually leading them into competing against Harvard University.The Great Debaters is just a terrific movie, it's very inspirational and makes you think.
Terrific story dealing with a small black college in the 1930s whose debate team ultimately defeated Harvard University.The film is a complex one as there are really several different plots occurring here.We have the debate team, racism in the south and dealing with unions all in one film.It has been said that one's best writing comes from your own personal experiences.
The actors here have precisely done that, they seem to be in control of a good director and make us believe that they are fully aware of the topic of the debate.Denzel Washington is the director and also acts in the movie and I am sure this was the toughest thing to do.
Time was when the events which take place in this movie called " The Great Debators " was the basis for a story, ostensible written by Robert Eisele and ably directed by Denzel Washington.
Tolson (Denzel Washington) who arrived at a West Virginia college in 1935 and inspired the students to form the first ever black debate team that saw them go on to take on Harvard in the championships.
Though he wins the admiration of the students, fears of his communist leanings create tension as well as the general racial tension of the time.Denzel Washington has tried his hand twice at being a director now, and one thing you can say for both of the films is that, in the UK at least, they have both received poor distribution.
Wiley was a black college in Texas who happened to have an extraordinary debating team - extraordinary enough that they began to get invitations to debate white college debate teams, finally leading up to a match against the national champions from Harvard.The movie has a very talented cast, headed by Denzel Washington as Melvin Tolson, the debate team coach, and Forrest Whitaker as Dr. James Farmer, Sr., the president of Wiley College.
In the end it's a not bad movie with a great cast telling a very interesting story from history that more people really should know about.
The movie was way better than I thought it would be, the movie also did not come across as the evil white people type of movie, yet it did not shy away from the reality of the times, it was really balanced, Denzel really did capture the atmosphere very well, the movie was not really so much about debating like I thought it was going to be, there was debating but there still was a whole lot of sub-plot going on, the relationship between the debaters, the relationship between melvin tolson and his students(with regards to his extra curricular activities, with the local farmers and an alleged communism).My qualms with the movie was most of the debate topics was structured in the clichéd way were the wiley college debate team's winning points against the white teams gets to be a big hulabaloo on racism, it's also a good thing because this makes this movie way different than the other movies of it's kind as the fight against racism was done through the debate topics, instead of having it in every damn scene, it was rather subtle .There was this one scene which I found cringe worthy, right before they debated howard, they recited their coach's motto, about who is the Judge, and who is their opponent, it was supposed to come of as emotional, or quasi-emotional but it cam off as forced and cliché.
"The Great Debaters" tells the true story of the debate team at all-black Wiley College in the 1930's.
The movie shows a Debaters Team from the University of Wiley (for Black students) of which James Farmer Jr. was a part with Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett and with Denzel Washington as their Teacher.
Denzel Washington's second feature as director, The Great Debaters, is a deeply moving, intelligent and inspiring work that both entertains and educates without being overly manipulative.
While it has an underdog formula that you have seen many times, it has rarely been presented with such skill and passion.An outstanding cast features Washington as poet Melvin Tolson, professor at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, James Farmer Jr.
(Denzel Whitaker), as the 14-year-old son of the college president (Forest Whitaker), Henry Lowe (Nate Parker) and Samantha (Jurnee Smollett), as debaters, Samantha being the first ever female member of the team.
At the next level, however, the film is a wonderful portrait of small-town life in a racially charged Texas town at the dawn of the civil rights movement.The underdog in question is a college debate team at a black college and Denzel Washington plays Melvin Tolson, the team's impassioned debate coach with politically questionable ties.
It's 1935 and some students make their way on the debate team of a black college (from Texas) ran by a professor played very well by Denzel Washington.
Brilliant directorship from Denzel Washington and as always Forest Whitaker and Kimberly Elise no matter how small their parts prove what it means to be a great actor this is one movie not to miss and one that will forever be timeless.Definitely Oscar material..
Fortunately, this movie had zero problems in that area.The film tells the story of the small Wily College debate team in 1930s Texas (deep in the Jim Crow South) under the tutelage of the famous Melvin Tolson that took on all-comers (big or small) and defeated nearly every one of them.
"The Great Debaters" is a movie that is based on the true story of Melvin B.
That was the first debate between U.S. students from white and Negro colleges.It is a very good movie that show us the true face of racial racism and how that effects the relationships between the people.
Tolson, Forest Whitaker as Dr. James Farmer, Denzel Whitaker as James Farmer Jr. and Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Samantha Booke."The Great Debaters" is a movie that everyone have to see it and try to understand the situation of time (1935)..
Denzel Washington is Mr. Tolson, the head of the debate team of a Blacks only Willey college.
Unsurprisingly, Harpo Productions' (Oprah spelt backwards) latest offering is a period drama that not only speaks about racial violence, but the courage of real people and what they did to overcome it.Set in 1935 Texas, a time before public swimming pools and colored swimming pools, a time when it was not derogatory to call African-Americans "Negros", Wiley College professor Melvin Tolson (Denzel Washington) assembles a team of young black Americans in preparation for the annual inter-college debate competition.
Borrowing from actual events, Eisele's premise is a juxtaposition between Gandhi's Satyagraha and Martin Luther King's Civil Rights movement, making this not just a true story, but the biopic of a man that would become a modern American poet - Melvin Beaunorus Tolson.At a time when it is politically incorrect to call an ethnic race by the color of skin or traditional sustenance, "The Great Debaters" is a film with a story that boldly refuses to remain hidden within the forgotten pages of history.
But if these are his traits as a skilled actor, then this film is all the more inspiring, encouraging and uplifting because "The Great Debaters" also benefits from having Denzel Washington as the director.
The Great Debaters showed the story of Wiley College's debate team of four African American college students in Texas during 1935, and how they debated in one of the most controversial debates of all time.
Actors Jurnee Smollet, Nate Parker, and Denzel Whitaker truly embraced their roles as Samantha Booke, Henry Lowe, and James Farmer Jr., the students on the debate team.
Denzel Washington directs and stars in this inspirational true story set in the Texas of 1935, about tiny "Negro" Wiley College, where teacher Melvin Tolson (Washington) was the debate coach.
In "The Great Debaters," a true story that takes place in the 1930s, Denzel Washington plays Melvin B.
The final debate against Harvard is simply mind-blowing and moving!Denzel Washington did a great job as a Director and deserves high praise for this wonderful movie..
Directed by one of the celebrity's African-American star movies (Denzel Washington), the great Debaters which based on a true story is amazing and educational film in my opinion.
The Great Debaters may be a good inspiration movie for many other s blacks and colored people that it is possible to dream, in what we do to success if we really trust in our capacity.
Denzel Washington's The Great Debaters is an inspirational true-life based movie.
Co-produced by Oprah Winfrey and inspired by actual events, The Great Debaters is a very compelling history lesson about a small black college called Wiley and that school's debate team that wins enough of them to be challenged by perhaps the biggest university of the country: Harvard.
"The Great Debaters" is an enthralling movie about three young people from Wiley College, a school from the south where only blacks attend (the setting's in 1936) who use their personal experiences, undeniable wit, research and passionate oratory skills to become a powerful debate team.
I did.The actors whose names you don't recognize in the movie are up and comers and are very good.Denzel Washington directed this film and did an outstanding job.
'The Great Debaters is inspired by the true-life exploits of the all-black Wiley College debating team in Marshall, Texas in the 1930s.