A formulaic movie that works

Coach Carter; 2:16; PG-13, for violence, language, sexual content, and some drug content; Grade: B-

Coach Carter is proof that there’s nothing inherently wrong with formula. A formula would never become a formula, in the first place, if it didn’t work. Coach Carter is a movie that’s been made a million times before, and this most recent reincarnation brings absolutely nothing new to the table. But it works. As far as sports flicks go, this is definitely a good one. It’s inspirational when it needs to be. Funny when it needs to be. Poignant when it needs to be. And, of course, there’s plenty of excitement to be had, rooting for the underdogs, as they work toward their ultimate goal.

Based loosely on true events, Coach Carter is most easily described as a combination of Hoosiers and Lean on Me, except without as much emotional impact. As the title character, Sam Jackson steps into a crumbling inner-city basketball program, raising them to new heights, not just on the court, but off it, as well.

As much as I enjoyed the movie, I have to admit that looking for criticisms of Coach Carter is like shooting fish in a barrel. The most glaring problem is the aforementioned predictability in the plot. And the acting? Jackson, as usual, is cooler-than-cool Ice Cold, but he’s an oasis in the desert in this movie. It is, after all, an MTV production, and they’re not exactly known for their thespian excellence.

And on a side note: For some ridiculous reason, the teachers and school administrators are painted as the bad guys, and none of them seem to care at all about the academic success of their students. The teachers and principal even try to convince Carter that he’s being too hard on his players, academically, and that he should just let them be athletes. Unbelievable. You show me a teacher who cares more about sports than academics, and I’ll show you a monkey flying out of my bung-hole.

But as far as I’m concerned, some films are exempt from criticism, so long as they meet the expectations of their genre. Sports movies don’t have to have great acting. They don’t have to be original. All they have to do is make us root and cheer for the underdog and give us a thrilling ride, peppered with a couple inspirational locker-room speeches, and Coach Carter exceeds those meager expectations. (Joe Weindl, Special to the Saipan Tribune)