Coach Carter (2005)

Admirable film.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

I'm not saying that this is the best film Samuel L. Jackson ever made, or that it's his finest performance. He's been a busy actor with a huge body of work, after all. But I will say that "Coach Carter" is probably my favourite Samuel L. Jackson movie. And his performance as Coach Ken Carter is very good, and the overall story is quite inspiring. It's a hopeful movie to watch; one that promises that things and people can turn around, and that those who could be expected to fall by the wayside can rise to the top - not just in basketball (which is the setting of this movie) but also in life. As Carter, Jackson is playing the coach of the Richmond High School basketball team. It's an inner city school that graduates only 50% of its students, few of whom actually go on to college. The basketball team is made up of a bunch of boys who couldn't care less about school, who get into trouble outside school and who lose over and over on the court. Carter comes in and lays down the law, expecting student athletes to be students first and athletes second - trying to teach them how to be winners, not only on the court but off. Along the way he faces opposition from the players themselves, their parents, their teachers, the principal and the school board - but he stands up straight, stares his detractors down and shuts down the basketball program (after having led the team to 16 straight wins) because not enough of the players are keeping up their academic end of the bargain. Ultimately he takes this group of boys - who could have just been written off as losers - to the state championship tournament, and sees many of them go to college and progress into successful lives.That's the story. It's inspiring. It's also (to be honest) entirely formulaic. It's a formula that works - which is why it's been used repeatedly for decades - but it's still a formula: Principal/Teacher/Coach takes over troubled School/Classroom/Team, gets tough and turns everything around. Usually (as here) the story is based on true events - making it even more inspiring. But it is still a formula - there's a predictability to this. You've seen it before, even if you haven't seen the movie before. But the performances from Jackson and the young actors who played the members of the team (and from Ashanti, who played Kyra, the girlfriend of one of the players) does manage to keep it seeming fresh and alive at the same time.Sure you can quibble about the timeline being off (for example, Carter took over the team in 1997 and the year of the lockout was 1999, not just a few weeks after he became coach) but chalk those things up to dramatic license. The basics are accurate enough, and the movie's an inspiring, feel-good story about a man who made a difference in a lot of young lives. Who can really argue with that? (7/10)

Richmond High School's basketball team is a joke. The players can't work together and hardly ever show up for school on a regular basis. Enter Ken Carter, the owner of a local sporting goods store, and alumni of Richmond. Ken is offered the basketball coaching job at his alma mater. Immediately upon accepting the offer, Coach Carter lays down the law and requires all of his players to sign a contract stating that they will attend every class and maintain at least a 2.3 GPA. After conditioning his team into shape, they go on to enjoy an undefeated season. However, the season is cut short after several members of the team fail their classes and Coach Carter locks up the gym and cancels all further practices and games. Coach Carter is not your average cliché tale of the underdog team beating the odds and going on to win the state championship. This film, based on a true story, tells of a basketball coach who makes it his mission to not only help the team win games, but also give them the opportunity to attend college by forcing them to focus on their grades as well. Besides just focusing on the aspect of basketball in the movie, it also shows us the individual struggles in the lives of the young men. These problems range from teen pregnancy to drug dealing and gang-related activity. These are very real problems in some societies today, and this helps make the movie more relatable. It is the ability to relate to some aspects of this movie that contributes to the overall emotion of the film. Coach Carter is an inspiring story about perseverance and it conveys the message that even what seems impossible can ultimately be achieved.Samuel L. Jackson portrays Coach Carter in the movie. As per usual when it comes to Jackson's performances, he maintains a serious tone and a steely resolve. This was a crucial element in Jackson's role as Coach Carter because he had to be a strict and disciplinary authority figure. There were also some of Jackson's lines in the film that were comical, which, while still being somewhat serious, he delivered perfectly. A job well done, Samuel L. Jackson.Furthermore, in my opinion, Rick Gonzalez delivered the most memorable performance in the film, other than Jackson's Coach Carter. Gonzalez's character, Timo Cruz, is a troubled kid mixed up in his cousin's gang activity. After initially quitting, he wants to return to the team and will do whatever it takes to get back on – including doing 2,500 push ups and 1,000 "suicides". Let's not forget his moving speech near the end of the film. Gonzalez played the role of Timo Cruz with plenty of emotion and attitude and it was incredible. Overall, this film has a great plot, great casting, and a great amount of emotion and character complexity. In the end, I would recommend Coach Carter to everyone. I am not always a huge fan of sports movies, but even if you feel like I do you should still check it out. It is a heart-warming, inspirational film with a great message.

Hi my name is Berkay. I'm fourteen years old. I live in İstanbul.I study at Kazım İşmen High School . I chose Coach Carter because I like basketball. The film is a great,It's quite difficult. I was very impressed. My favorite characters of the film is Coach Ken Carter because he is very professional. Everyone should watch the movie. Coach Carter is really amazing.I can honestly relate to this movie. I am a female athlete and all through my high school years i've seen athletes get passed because they play sports. It's a great movie and I think all coaches and teachers should see it.I think everyone plays basketball because it's very enjoyable

"Coach Carter" is a heart-warming story that is based on actual events, but what stands out from the other true story movies is that it refrains itself from any kind of "artistic licencing" from being a Hollywood movie. And that is simply because it really doesn't need to. The inspirational story of Coach Ken Carter and the Richmond Oilers is molded as an uplifting to one's spirits and it tells us that there really is a ray of hope and that we can achievement if we all believe in ourselves.Sure it sounds lame and preachy, but the movie is constantly fixated on telling us that academics must come before athletics. The main focus is centred around Coach Carter and the gripping sports scenes is enough to satisfy any sports fan especially those who love basketball.Samuel L. Jackson is flawless as the no-nonsense Coach Carter and he does without putting much effort into the role but the dedication to his coaching and his encouragement towards his team is just the natural way to prove how developed this character really is. The performance and the accuracy is so impressive you wouldn't think it was Samuel L. Jackson performing, but the real Coach Carter himself. But he's not the only thespian who melted our heart, but the performers who played the students; in fact they are the heart and soul to the movie as they keep this movie as real and effective as possible. Even singer Ashanti shows her acting chops are quite effective and not flashy at all.Unlike most movies who cowardly take the easy way out by just rushing through the ending and going for the formulaic happy ending, "Coach Carter" ends the movie with a real ending where these athletes are not destined to just winning the school's championship but where their academic achievements became a top priority to them. I wish that Hollywood would have more stories on values like these than the garbage we've been fed to over the years.The extras on the DVD are quite special as we are introduced to the real Ken Carter who seems to come across as being more but amusingly laid back and less intense than Jackson's portrayal. But i'm sure the real Ken Carter must have left a lasting impact toward the students and the kids as Richmond High. I just wish the documentary on Ken Carter was more in depth a much more longer and I wished we can get more insight on the students and compare the similarities between the actual students and the characters that were portrayed in the movie.The second feature looks into the making behind the movie itself as we observe just how the choreographing and the skill the characters had to go through to make and maintain the realism of the movie. The actual sports scenes are such a joy to watch it sends shivers down my spine. It might be mundane in some people because not everyone has knowledge in all the technical terms that's in basketball so if you're watching the movie for the drama and inspiration, please bring along a manual called "Basketball for Dummies". One of the weaknesses the movie has is that in the extras we don't get the opportunity focus on the mastermind behind the movie, director Thomas Carter. I don't know if he's just a humble individual or if he played a dominating role in the production, but he's never mentioned or talked about in the extras. I also wonder if the director is related to the titular character of the movie.To summarize this movie is quite pleasing and very optimistic in it message. It was a very entertaining and never falls prey to continuously preach that academics is equally important if not better than athletics. I think those who come from working-class environments to get a better view to show that there is always a sign of hope. The statistics that Ken Carter reveals to his students that young African American men are more than likely will end up in jail than advanced education is quite staggering. And this should open the eyes to not just black Americans but to everyone that prison life is not the life you want to live in. It's also important that just because you are playing basketball in school, doesn't mean it's a one-way ticket to the NBA. But a good education is the key to life and after watching this movie, I'm sure it will open eyes to everyone who really cares about their education.