So close.
Those are the two words that best describe “Coach Carter.”
What had the potential to be not only an entertaining but also socially conscience film ended up being just a good movie.
“Coach Carter” is based on the true-life story of basketball coach Ken Carter of Richmond, Calif. Carter made national headlines in 1999 when he locked out his entire undefeated Richmond High School basketball team because several students were not performing adequately in the class room.
Though on the outside “Coach Carter” looks and feels like a decent basketball movie, the film realizes its potential and then falls into the trap of being another ordinary film filled with a predictable plot.
What “Coach Carter” attempts to do is shine a light on the social issues and problems facing this coach and his student-athletes, much like “Remember the Titans” and “Miracle.”
This film hints at and, at times, shows conflicts between the coach and his team. The coach, players and their peers, the town people all seem sugarcoated.
In two of the most turbulent scenes – one involving a shooting of a player’s cousin, the second dealing with a player’s feelings towards his girlfriend’s decision to terminate her pregnancy – the film offers a small glimpse at what these characters are going through. But before the situations can be presented in adequate depth the audience is whisked away by gratuitous shots of game footage.
Director Thomas Carter (“Save the Last Dance”) has a talented eye and his shots do tailor away from the average basketball film. However, his vision is hindered by the predictable script and the unbelievably ridiculous amount of product placements throughout the film. The audience will not help but feel that because of the excessive product placement, this is a movie produced by MTV. These product placements were not there to add realism to the film but rather functioned as a giant money-making blitzkrieg. This fact could also play into why the film does not dare go beyond the usual Hollywood notion of what a sports film can be.
Though it is disappointing that the film had the potential to shed light on the struggles of urban youths and their community, it is still an entertaining film. The acting, led by Samuel Jackson, is not top-notch nor bad and even makes some of the over-hashed locker room/practice scenes feel authentic. The surprise performance of the movie is singer Ashanti, plays Kyra the on-again-off-again girlfriend of Richmond basketball player Kenyon Stone (Rob Brown of “Finding Forrester”). Her handling of the tender yet naive Kyra is done with brutal honesty. She is a smart girl who is trying desperately to hold onto her innocence while at the same time move into the world of adulthood.
Other than Carter, Kyra, despite her limited screen time, is the most developed and intriguing character in the film. The rest of the characters, despite some good performances by all the cast, are just carbon copies of already boring characters. There’s the gang banger, the prep, the dumb jock, the nice guy, and of course the white boy with game.
The film has its moments of humor. For example, after the boys win a very prestigious tournament held by an exclusive private school they decide to sneak out of their hotel rooms and party with the rich kids. The scene at the house is not that funny, in fact this is one of the few times when socio-economical and racial tensions are introduced, but the scene on the bus ride home with coach Carter screaming his head off at a mostly drunk team is hysterical yet affectionate.
This film succeeds because Jackson makes it succeed. His portrayal of a coach who takes it upon himself to be the father figure for most of these young men is spot on. These boys genuinely love him and the feeling is mutual. When the community becomes enraged because Carter begins canceling practices and games, the boys at first resent him but quickly realize that he is right. It is not a phony Hollywood realization but rather an honest one. These boys care about their coach and he cares about them.
“Coach Carter” is a good film, but unlike its main character, it is too afraid to break from Hollywood norms and give us a sports film that enlightens viewers.
