City of McFarland

Okay, Kevin Costner can do this character in his sleep. His "Coach/Manager/Player who has seen it all" character is standard stuff for him. It's basically "Bull Durham", "Draft Day", "For Love of the Game" all rolled into the same guy. That's not a bad thing. I like him in those roles. It's just nothing new. What's surprising is the plethora of fabulous performances by the kids and townspeople in this terrific little TRUE story. They ROCK this picture. Special recognition to the set designers who created a beautiful location for all the running sequences. It was a rich assortment of landscapes that mesmerized the visual senses on BluRay.

Basic plot: Costner (Jim White) is a football coach at a reasonably successful high school program. Because of a mistake in the opening sequence, the coach is fired and lands in a dead-end town in Nowhere'sville, USA - aka McFarland, CA. The fish-out-of-water family has a few brushes with the local Mexican population where they think being the only (seemingly) white family in the area is a bad idea and are intending on moving immediately. Then Costner sees a kid running a sub-5-minute mile on his way to work in the produce fields with the rest of the population of minority workers in the area. What follows is fairly standard Disney stuff of our innocent but willing racially-inferior minnows who fight to get better against the racist, elitist killer whales (rich kids) of the other schools. What makes this watchable is how true the story is. Don't get me wrong. There are some formulaic sequences here. But how they pull it off is worth the cinematic journey. For Disney, I'm proud of them for taking a racial theme and turning it into a positive story for all involved.

I have to say the reason I'm giving this a "7" is because of the EXCELLENT behind-the-scenes stories where the filmmakers interview the runners from the team, along with the real coach, Jim White, and Kevin Costner all at the same sitting. Hearing them reminiscing (the movie is set in 1989), talking about the movie, and showing genuine care and respect for their beloved coach and each other... It's what a coach could only hope for in the children who grow up to be fine adults. Mr. White created a dynasty of runners that forged an ironclad identity with hope for the future in this nothing town when nobody was giving them a chance. One man can still make a difference on a global scale if you work hard enough. It's inspiring stuff.

The highest praise I can give this movie: My two teenage athlete children (soccer and baseball/softball) who have watched literally hundreds and hundreds of movies were against it. It was Disney for crying out loud. And a movie about CROSS COUNTRY no less. They would rather watch "Mission Impossible 15" or anything else. These are seasoned moviephiles. But Dad just wouldn't be denied. ;-) Within the first 15 minutes, they were hooked and enjoyed every minute of the rest of the movie. They even sat through the behind-the-scenes interviews. It was a family experience I won't forget. Well done, Disney.

As a coach myself, this is the kind of stuff that inspires me to work with kids who don't have a future in their current situation. And if you're already a coach, it may open your eyes to kids who have natural talents that may be wasted on something other than where their true skills lie. Much recommended. :-)

McFarland USA is much more than the regular feel good sports movie. The setting, acting, music, and story line blend perfectly to deliver a heart-warming tale. It is a film that touches all sides of this true story to make it stand out against the rest. By the time it's all done, you will feel like part of the McFarland family.

Kevin Costner plays Jim White, a coach whose anger forces him move to a struggling, McFarland, California, where he begins a job teaching science and gym. In this predominately Latino town Jim and his family experience a culture they hadn't been exposed to in Boise, Idaho. Very early on something about these kids catches Jim's eye, their ability to run. With a little bit of work and convincing of some students and the school administration, Jim creates a cross-country team that he believes, can achieve greatness.

The setting for this movie perfectly captures the feel for McFarland. Featuring plenty of dead grass, roaming dogs, endless fields, and low riders with ridiculous paint jobs, the viewer gets a feel for the town at the very beginning of the movie. Most of the people in this town are migrant workers. The run down buildings, chipping paint, and collapsing school display the poverty level of the town quite clearly. With a prison located across the street from the school, it is made clear that most kids have the choice of going to jail, or working in the fields. While the town is rather plain, the director did a great job of capturing the beautiful mountains and landscapes of the surrounding area. In addition to the beautiful scenery, the music chosen makes it feel like there is a mariachi band right in your room. The setting as a whole was delivered in a way that makes the viewer understand the economic state of the town and the surrounding area, which is a big help in supporting the plot.

Every singe one of the actors in this movie played the role perfectly. I was stunned by the amount of character development in such a short period of time. By the end of the movie, you will feel connected to every character. Kevin Costner seems to be simply playing himself, but Carlos Pratts steals the show with his amazing portrayal of Thomas Valles. During a training session, Thomas has an emotional break down due to the combination of a stressful life at home and the endless cycle of poverty that the people of McFarland can't seem to break. It is here that the crying, shouting, angry voice of Thomas spills all the struggles of the migrant workers and the lives they live. The characters and the writing also allow for some comic relief. A man who's last name is White struggles to pronounce Hispanic names, and the stock character of a chubby Danny Diaz who is trying his best to keep up with the rest of the team.

I'm impressed that the movie didn't contain a crazy amount of over dramatizations, because we all know that is the worst thing in the world. Considering it's a Disney sports movie based on a true story, you should know how it ends before you even watch it. I highly recommend you watch it anyways. It contains scenes that leave your hands sweating and your heart beating, and creates feelings similar to the first time you ever saw the Italian Stallion beat Apollo Creed in the ring. When it's all said and done, the town of McFarland, and especially its cross-country team, will hold a special place in your heart. Before you watch this movie, make sure your mom signs the permission slip, because you're about to go on a feel trip.

I had read the story of Jim White and the McFarland cross country team long before the movie came out. I was glad to see it made into a feature film, but Disney's heavy hands keep it from being fully satisfying.

Most of the actors playing larger roles acquit themselves well. Yes, Kevin Costner is his overly familiar world-weary self, but there's always a certain charm in seeing him inhabit that role. Many of the young men portraying McFarland's runners are both charming and believable, and some of the quirky townspeople (such as the mother of three runners and the owner of the local variety store) add nice depth to the story.

In addition, the scenery is interesting, from the running trails to the fields where the McFarland runners pick crops.

One real turnoff was when, repeatedly, opposing runners were shown talking smack before the start of races, and opposing coaches made snarky comments about the McFarland team. I've coached youth sports for many years and am accustomed to seeing much better sportsmanship than that. The movie makers apparently needed to set up cartoonish villains so that the audience would root even harder for the good guys.

Another clunker came at the first race, the "Palo Alto Invitational." The race director was surprised when McFarland showed up - but if it was an "invitational," then either they'd been invited (so he shouldn't have been surprised) or they hadn't been (in which case they had no business going to the race).

This was a generally pleasant two hours, and it was good to know that the basic heartwarming events took place in real life. Could have been better (or at least less bad in some parts), but it was OK. I recommend you find the story "Running for Their Lives" by Gary Smith, the captivating real-life tale of Jim White and McFarland (told as only the brilliant Smith could).

I've seen this film a few times, and again today after a long time. I can't get bored of it. A story about commitment, dreams, not giving up, family and sport. Excellent biopic with great directing, writing and performances. These type of films are right up Costner's alley.

In making this movie Kevin Costner stuck to the formula, the one that most feel good sports movies use, and made it work beautifully. There are no unexpected fancy twists in this one. The acting is straight up and solid. The ethnic background of the movie adds to the movie in good way. I enjoy a few of the scenes that involve the interactions between the coach or his family and the locals. They demonstrate how cultural interaction and familiarity can eliminate fear and breakdown the walls that divide us. Don't get me wrong, the movie is not trying to give you a social/cultural lecture, this stuff comes naturally mixed with the main story line.

If you like the genre, you'll enjoy this movie.