COACH CARTER
US, 2004, 137 minutes, Colour.
Samuel L. Jackson, Rob Brown, Ashanti, Robert Ri' chard, Rick Gonzales, Antoine Tanner, Debbie Morgan, Denise Dowse.
Directed by Thomas Carter.
Back in 1989, Morgan Freeman appeared in the film, Lean on Me, the true story of a school principal in a tough neighbourhood who imposed discipline (with the help of a threatening cudgel) in a no-nonsense manner and improved the standards in his school. Perhaps the real Ken Carter, on whose career as a basketball coach this film is based, saw Lean on Me. He doesn’t wield any implement but he is in the strong disciplinary tradition. His ‘weapon’ is respect. He demands that his players call him ‘Sir’ and he calls them ‘Sir’. He demands absolute punctuality, infringements leading to running and push-ups. He also demands a contract whereby the players will maintain an agreed average in their studies (guaranteed by teachers’ reports). Gradually, he build up a team In Richmond, on the outskirts of San Francisco which plays together and wins. On the personal interactions, the build up is more gradual, the students (mainly African American but not exclusively) have home problems, relationship problems and academic problems. The situation comes to a head when the students fail to honour the contract with their studies and Coach Carter imposes a lockout, to the anger of the parents and the school board. The climax is not quite what you expect, but it is based on faith in the goodness and fairness of human nature.
This actually happened in 1999.
The film is in the tradition of the American coach movies (think Denzel Washington in Remember the Titans). The sport is basketball and there are plenty of matches to delight fans – plus some coaching tips and strategies. This is Samuel L. Jackson’s film and he is completely convincing as Ken Carter, a principled man and former school champion, good husband, stern father (not prone to use the word ‘love’ at all) but fair, courageous in sticking to his guns despite animosity from critics, yet aware of the needs of his students.
It is more interesting and enjoyable than one might have anticipated and will appeal to those who think that a tough line in discipline is more effective than being nice. To Sir with basketball.
1. The impact of the film as a true story? The 1990s? Relevance for the 21st century? Social issues in American cities? Racial issues? Education, humanities, sport? Human relationships? Opportunities in American society?
2. The Californian setting, the bay area, Richmond and its poor neighbourhoods? The picture of the streets and the gangs? The school and its toughness? The range of homes, apartments? The musical score, songs?
3. The tradition of sports films, the human spirit, hard work and training, the endeavour, the discipline, issues of leadership, the winning and losing of matches, the role of the coach, the spirit in the team, the difficulties along the way?
4. The film as a message film, inspiration film? The fact that these events happened in fact? The relationship between sport and studies? The boys and their transition to men? Coach Carter’s final speech about this transition? The taking of responsibility?
5. The introduction, the matches, the scores, the St Francis team, the Oils? The coach watching, his wife and son? His wanting to intervene at the bad behaviour? The poor spirit, the locker room fights? The lack of prospects? The coach, his desperation, wanting to hand over? The discussions with the principal and his taking the job – and his reasons?
6. The screen presence of Samuel L. Jackson, strong, commanding? His demands that people use the title “Sir”? The wearing of ties, coats? The students condemning him as being uppity? His primary demand for respect? His ability to talk, the physical reactions and his menace to the young men? His psychological know-how? The significance of the contract, its implications? For study and achievement? His son, wanting him to go to a better school, the son pulling out, wanting to be in his father’s team, his own contract, its more difficult clauses?
7. The practice sequences, the consequences of impertinence, reactions? The suicides, the push-ups, the running? Those willing to do it and not? Cruz and his withdrawal? The first match, the impact of the win?
8. The variety of players and their stories? Familiar characters from this kind of film?
(i) Cruz, the drug dealing, his cousin as a drug pusher, the tough stances, the question about what he feared (and his rather rhetorical speech at the end)? His walking out, asking to come back , the push-ups, the rest of the team doing them with him and for him? His play, the coach not wanting him to be an individualist star? The strike, his walking again, refusal to study? His cousin, being shot in the street? His going to the coach’s house at night, the embrace?
(ii) Kenyon and Kyra, their relationship, age, at school, fondness and love, her pregnancy, talking about it, her looking after her nephews, Kenyon and his offhand attitude, the bootees and his facing the fact of being a father, his plans for going to college, Kyra and her refusal, the clash at the dance? The issue of abortion? Taking it for granted? Kenyon inviting Kyra to share his future and discovering the truth about the abortion?
(iii) The white boy, tough, the stances of his uncle?
(iv) Worm, with the girls, his cheeky behaviour? Junior battle, his being slow at studies, not studying, not fulfilling the contract, the coach dismissing him, his mother coming to plead?
9. The further training, the successful matches, the coach and his relationship to his son, the son participating with the other members of the team? The invitation to the competition, their winning? The locker room spirit?
10. The aftermath of the victory, going out to the party, Damien and his going, with the girl in the pool, his father finding that the students had gone, going in the taxi, the taxi driver helping, the meeting the other parents and their racist attitudes, going into the house, his demanding the boys’ return?
11. The lockout and its consequences, his reasons? The meeting in the library, the teachers? The press? The importance of the contract, the teachers and their previous refusal to give the reports? The clashes with the principal? The meeting, the principal and the teachers, the vote, the parents and their reactions? The window smashed in the coach’s house?
12. The board meeting, the severe results with the dismissal of Carter?
13. The reaction of the students, their going to study? The teachers helping?
14. The final match, the fact that they lost – but the effort and the victory?
15. The information about Carter, its repercussions, the end of the film? The necessity for this kind of social work, urban difficulties, American issues?
