Coach Carter

While basketball is used as the backdrop for the movie, Coach Carter really isn't about basketball. The real heart of the movie is in the way Coach Carter begins to turn the lives around of the players on his basketball team by showing them that someone actually cares about what happens to them after high school.

At one point in the movie Carter (played perfectly by Samuel L. Jackson) asks a player why he plays basketball and he responds with "to win the state title" - which of course gets him high fives from the rest of the team. Carter then asks the team who won the state title last year and nobody knows the answer. Carter tries to show his players that high school basketball is not about winning but about discipline, respect and the confidence to accomplish any goal.

If you are thinking about going to see Coach Carter as a basketball movie, I suggest seeing another movie, but if you want to see a truly inspiring story go see Coach Carter.

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 mostly the guys though. We have a coach that made every boy failing a subject get a tutor. This movie reminded me a lot of him. Not many coaches put their jobs on the line for the benefit of the kids. I agree with what he did 100% and i know lots of others do too. The movie shows perfect detail of how students act in schools and out of school. I went and saw it two nights in a row and each time, i saw different things about the movie. It's a great movie and I think all coaches and teachers should see it. It shows that most athletes are passed because they are athletes, not because they have the grades.

Realistic drama based on the true story of Coach Ken Carter(Samuel L. Jackson), a daring and inspiring coach that returns to Richmond High School in Richmond, California where he still held records from his basketball exploits. Carter accepts a little over $1,000 to work four months as basketball coach for a team of uncooperative, but heady young men. Carter has the players sign a contract to keep their grades up or be suspended from the team. When it is known that his players are not making the grade average and/or just not showing up for class; community outrage erupts when Carter benches his undefeated team and locks them out of the gym. In storybook fashion, the players left on the team bring their grades up and continue their Cinderella season to the state playoffs.

Typical slam dunks, ally-oops and no-look passes. PG-13 violence, language and sexual content. COACH CARTER stands and delivers. Worth watching more than once. Cast members include: Rob Brown, Channing Tatum, Robert Ri'chard, Antwon Tanner, Rick Gonzalez and a sterling performance from singer Ashanti. Jackson should be very proud of his outstanding portrayal as the inspiring coach.

I really enjoyed the movie and was actually inspired by the end of the film. The film was a little corny and syrupy from time to time but it was an overall good, positive film. I have read and heard so many comments about the morals and unacceptable behavior portrayed by some of the characters and in turn viewers bad-mouth the film simply because they do not agree with some of the behavior of the some of the characters in the film. But these people obviously missed the point of the film. Coach Carter was trying to instill values that he thought would help an entire community. The reality is that kids do have foul mouths, have unprotected sex, are faced with hard decisions (to have or not have a baby and selling drugs) everyday.

We should all be so fortunate to have the opportunity to see a movie that features a person that actually tries to deal with these issues without making judgment calls and instead offer resolutions to problems. He offered resolutions to his team's behavior and left it to them to make the right decisions. This was good because they were able to see the consequences of their actions. When they made the right decision, they were able to see the positive consequences. When they made the wrong decision the players were faced with negative consequences and had no one to blame but themselves.

The impact of a person of this magnitude is profound and if some viewers found fault with this movie simply because their reality is a little different at this moment then it was for the characters in this film is very unfortunate for the viewer. Because you never know when you might be faced with a person similar to that in the movie. You just might have to deal with this situation more personally than expected and if this happens what will you do? Because the consequences of your actions in a situation like this will be either positive or negative as well.

There are many movies similar in plot and theme to Coach Carter but this movie stands well on it's own. Most of the credit for that has to go to the star, Samuel L. Jackson. They could not have found a better man to play this role. I do not know much about the coach this movie is based on, but I can not imagine anything better or stronger than what Jackson has given us here.

The story is pretty much like any other. A former basketball star from the early 70's is asked to coach this year's team due to the fact that the old coach is not able to keep the kids focused on their grades, coming to class, etc. Where this movie differs, and what makes this better than most movies of this type, is the depth it goes into in most of the players on the team. The bigger stars have their own back stories and reasons for why they are the way they are.

Obviously, judging the acting, Samuel L. Jackson is head and shoulders above the rest but others who stand out here are Rick Gonzalez, Antwon Tanner and Robert Ri'chard. Each of these guys played their characters to a tee. Overall, if you want to see an inspiring movie and feel like it accomplished it's purpose at the end, I can recommend Coach Carter to you. 8/10