Life of a King

Eugene Brown (Cuba Gooding Jr.) just got out of prison. His daughter Katrina doesn't want to deal with him and he's desperate to prove his worth to her. He gets a job as a janitor at an inner city D.C. school. The kids chase out the teacher monitoring detention and Sheila King (LisaGay Hamilton) puts Eugene in charge for a minute. He does such a great job that she puts him in charge permanently. He starts teaching them to play chess. The effort is opposed by drug lord Perry.

It's yet another 'teach inner city kids something different'. It takes a few different turns than the usual genre movie. The hurdles are a little different. Cuba is relatively good. The young kids are all great. Jake Goldberger's directing is not terribly inventive. It's more of a solid TV movie that is slightly better than the average movie in the genre.

There are not many "feel good" movies out there today, but this one really counts among those that fill this category. Cuba Gooding has long been one of my favourite actors. He possesses a wide range of acting abilities as evidenced by "Snow Dogs" on one hand with his somewhat bland comedic style to "Gifted Hands" wherein he brings to the screen a dramatic style that is uniquely his own. It is this latter gift that he portrays in this feature as he moves from an ex-con to a giver that gives back to the community and its young confused residents, a new hope that most had never known. He portrays the real life story of Eugene Brown, a man who'd known nothing but crime for most of his life, but once he was through serving many years for armed robbery, he dedicated his life to helping other young men to see that there was more to life than crime. It's a good story made better by the fact that it was based on real life.

For a movie that speaks of focusing on the king, this movie didn't follow its own advice. It was all over trying to follow different subplots. But its heart was in the right place, and it landed on some wonderful lessons.

"Life of a King" is a captivating film that excels in portraying the pillars of true history, hope, and change.

True History: The film is inspired by the remarkable true story of Eugene Brown, a former convict who found redemption through teaching chess to at-risk youth. The authenticity of his journey adds depth to the narrative, making it both inspiring and believable. Viewers can appreciate the film's commitment to staying faithful to this incredible real-life story.

Hope: "Life of a King" radiates with hope from start to finish. It vividly illustrates how chess, a simple board game, can become a symbol of hope and transformation. Eugene Brown's unwavering belief in the potential of the young people he mentors provides a powerful message that even in the most challenging circumstances, hope can flourish.

Change: The film beautifully captures the transformative power of education and mentorship. Eugene's efforts to teach chess serve as a catalyst for positive change in the lives of his students. As they learn to think strategically on the chessboard, they also learn valuable life lessons that empower them to break free from the cycle of crime and poverty.

In conclusion, "Life of a King" is a moving and authentic portrayal of true history, hope, and change. It reminds us that even in the darkest of situations, individuals and communities can find a path towards redemption and a brighter future.

"This is a king. This is your life. One mistake and it can be taken away." Eugene Brown (Gooding Jr.) is an ex-felon who is struggling to find a job and relate to his kids. After finding a job as a high school janitor he is asked to watch the detention kids one day until they can find a replacement. When he brings up the topic of chess he begins to change the lives of the "troubled kids" forever. I love movies based on true stories, but I was worried about seeing this going in. One one hand a true story with Cuba Gooding Jr, that is good. On the other hand though I thought how many times can they remake Lean On Me? After movies like that one and Dangerous Minds, Freedom Writers, Fame, etc... I wondered how different can this one be. While I have to admit it wasn't 100% different it was very very good and much much better then I was expecting. The best part about this movie is that it stayed just a step or two away from being way to cheesy to be enjoyed but it did a good job of changing things just enough to keep it feeling real while keeping the emotion that it needed. Different enough from the previous "helping inner city kids" movies to make it interesting and worth seeing. Overall, very good and never took the over-the-top cheesy way out that so many of these types of movies do. That is a good thing and because of that I highly recommend the movie. I give this an A-.