Based on a true
story set in 1935, Denzel Washington stars as Professor Tolson
– the debate
team coach at Wiley
College
in Marshall,
Texas. The African-American
university has brought
some of the best and brightest to this small town, but Professor Tolson
is out
to prove something more. As
debate
coach, he drives the team to be better than they ever thought possible,
and, as
they start to dominate in debates with other African-American colleges,
Professor Tolson reaches out to white colleges hoping the challenges
will bring
attention to the university and its students.
As the team
starts to fight amongst itself, and Professor Tolson’s
personal controversies
threaten his standing at the school and in the community, will the
great debaters
continue to win and get that high profile match they seek?
It’s
easy to say
The
Great Debaters is predictable and formulaic, but the
formula here leads to
an inspirational movie full of emotional highs and lows, and victories
that
will make you cheer, and you wouldn’t want it any other way. As director, Washington
makes speechifying as exciting as
a touchdown run!
Writer Robert
Eisele creates a script full of conflicts that bring out the most in
each
character and each actor. We
see racial
struggles, political confrontations, a unionization battle, the impact
of the
Great Depression, debate over the New Deal, and even an old fashioned
love
triangle. Making it
even more
interesting, Eisele and Washington show us how these struggles play out
between
families, team members, citizens of the community and more, which
personalizes
the bigger themes as we watch revolutionaries battle with those just
trying to
cope, and understand each person’s point of view. The
Great Debaters is the most
thought provoking
movie of the year, in addition to being the most heart provoking movie
of the
year. The amazing
acting ensemble helps make
it so.
Even the best
writing can’t overcome weak acting, so imagine how
good The
Great Debaters is
with a cast of Oscar winning pros and rising young talents. Washington
sets the tone as the firebrand leading the charge, bringing his usual
mind
blowing intensity, which is wonderful countered by Forest
Whitaker’s quiet,
non-confrontational approach as the town’s leading minister,
and parent of one
of the debate team members. While
Washington
grabs our
attention with his demonstrative actions, Whitaker is just as wonderful
as the
guy afraid to rock the boat, but still proud and trying to do what is
right for
his family. Then,
we get to see some of
the brightest young talent in movies today.
While Washington
and Whitaker draw you into the theater, this trio of young people makes
you
realize it is the debaters’ story.
Nate
Parker is reminiscent of a young Denzel Washington bringing the same
intensity
and fire to his role as the young and troubled Henry Lowe. Denzel Whitaker (no
relation to Forest)
as young James Farmer, Jr., plays a character
that could easily become ridiculous and annoying and fall into
clichés, but
makes him a likable, heartbreaking, talented teen who suffers as he
confronts
those painful moments that every person must go through to become an
adult. Then, Jurnee
Smollett shines as she
graduates from child actor to star as the debater who has given up the
most to
pursue her dreams, but also has to deal with heart ache and frightening
new
experiences along the way. It’s
a mature
performance that also gives her a chance to show her
character’s playful half and
the maturity deep inside.
The
Great Debaters is a
perfect movie for adults, teens and anyone who has ever dreamed
of taking on a mountain of a challenge.
4 Waffles
(Out of 4)
The
Great Debaters is
rated PG-13 strong thematic material including violence and
disturbing images and for language and brief sexuality.
Copyright
2007 - WaffleMovies.com
