Coach Carter (2005)

Directed by Thomas Carter. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Rob Brown, Antwon Tanner, Robert Ri’chard, Nana Gbewonyo, Rick Gonzalez, Channing Tatum, Denise Dowse, Ashanti, Debbi Morgan, Texas Battle, Vincent Laresca. [PG-13]

Basketball coach Ken Carter (Jackson) returns to his high school alma mater to shape and prepare the student athletes to win on the court and succeed in life, requiring all players to agree to a set of conditions involving attendance and grades, and when they fail to live up to their end of the bargain, Carter suspends their undefeated season and forfeits games until their schoolwork improves. Based on a true story, this is a formula sports picture, but at least it’s a fairly good example of said formula. Jackson gives a solid lead performance, some of his players are developed beyond the usual one or two broad character traits, and director Carter (no relation to the coach) knows how to coax engaging drama out of clichéd material. He doesn’t always know when to quit, though—some sub-plots (like Brown’s pregnant girlfriend) are ultimately unprofitable, and there’s a surfeit of overextended emotional peaks toward the end. Bob Costas appears as himself; Octavia Spencer plays the mother of one of the kids.

68/100