By the time you leave, Jackson will have you believing that his Coach Carter is a true original.
Coach Carter (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:141
Fresh:90
Rotten:51
Average Rating:6/10
Consensus: Like a good point guard, Samuel L. Jackson is the clear leader on the floor in a film that critics say transcends its formula trappings to be inspirational. However, some have said the film is too preachy and too long.
Rated: 12A [See Full Rating] for violence, sexual content, language, teen partying and some drug material.
Runtime: 2 hrs 16 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:25-02-2005
Synopsis: In the tradition of LEAN ON ME and DANGEROUS MINDS comes COACH CARTER, an inspirational drama starring Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson portrays real-life figure Ken Carter, who graduated from... In the tradition of LEAN ON ME and DANGEROUS MINDS comes COACH CARTER, an inspirational drama starring Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson portrays real-life figure Ken Carter, who graduated from California's Richmond High only to return there years later, in 1999, and take over as head coach of the boys' basketball team. Unfortunately, the troubled school he remembered as a teenager is an even more insufferable place in his adulthood. Determined to make a change in his players' lives, Carter makes each young man sign a contract that ensures he will maintain a 2.3 GPA, attend every class, and wear a jacket and tie on game day. Of course, the players reject the contract at first, but when they realize that they don't have any other choice, they give in. And when it appears that their tough-as-nails coach is actually turning them into winners on the court, they embrace their coach's philosophy even further. But when Coach Carter receives the incomprehensibly awful progress reports of his players, he does the unthinkable: he benches the entire team. Directed by Thomas Carter (SAVE THE LAST DANCE), COACH CARTER is a sensitive drama that features an impassioned performance by Jackson, as well as the impressive young cast (most notably Rob Brown, Rick Gonzalez, and Robert Ri'Chard). [More]
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Ri'chard, Rob Brown, Debbi Morgan
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Ri'chard, Rob Brown, Debbi Morgan, Ashanti, Antwon Tanner, Ramsey Gbelawoe
Director: Thomas Carter
Director: Thomas Carter
Screenwriter: Mark Schwahn, John Gatins
Producer: Brian Robbins, Mike Tollin, David Gale
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Reviews for Coach Carter
It's not only a sports movie with the usual big games and important shots, but also a coach movie, with inspiring locker room speeches and difficult moral decisions.
God love Coach Carter and what he's done to improve real kids' educations. But movies shouldn't feel like school, even when their subject is learning.
If not for the commanding presence of Samuel L. Jackson in the title role, this paint-by-numbers sports movie wouldn't have anything going for it.
It's an old story, but Coach Carter makes it urgent, insightful and inspirational.
The kind of boot-strap-pulling, tear-duct-tickling, I-am-Spartacus-crowing movie-on-a-mission that might rankle more cynical movie goers but sets hearts aflutter for most everyone else.
If only Shaq and Kobe had Coach Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson) at the helm, the two fellas would be holding hands, frolicking in fields of daisies and racking up a few more NBA titles.
In this film, basketball is not a metaphor; it's a hard-played game that requires skill, conditioning, intelligence and effective teamwork.
While there's no denying its positive message, there's also no denying that it offers absolutely nothing fresh or innovative.
The film comes to what seems like a logical stopping point -- and then continues for another 30 minutes to a conclusion that only muddles its messages. In the end, what could have been a decent little sports drama is bloated and overlong.
No arguing with the message: The movie's eager to tell its audience (especially young viewers) that there's life beyond a basketball court, and they ought to prepare for it.
Clearly there was a publicity hound somewhere inside the coach when he made his lockout a TV spectacle, but the movie avoids any such interesting shadows.
Fairly standard sports-movie fare but well-acted, suitably gritty, lightly comic in the right places and sweet without being saccharine.
How do you put this message across without it seeming medicinal? Sure, MTV is among the movie's producers, but what 11th grader wants to spend a Friday night being hit with such a blunt instrument?
High school basketball is more than a game in this satisfying flick topped by Samuel L. Jackson's easy-to-watch lead performance.
The movie would have been even stronger if it had thrown out some of its extraneous characters and complications ... and narrowed its focus. Still, its message comes through.
Thomas Carter ... produces a film that sizzles on the court, but loses heat in the sub-plots and backstory.
If you can claw your way through some ugly material and shoddy direction, there are some good messages here that can be warmly received.
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