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The Great Debaters
Directed by: Denzel Washington
Starring: Denzel Washington
Genre:
Drama
Run Time: 126 min.
Release Date:
December 2007
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
THE GREAT DEBATERS
is an interesting historical look at the first black debating team to
ever compete at a white college. And although it is interesting as a
film, it isn’t very historically accurate.
The good is that, as a film viewer, you care about the main characters.
Denzel Washington (DEJA
VU) stars in — and directs — this ethnically challenging
movie, and does so in his usually adequate way. Melvin B. Tolson
(Washington) is the teacher of the Wiley College debate team in 1935
Texas. His team is comprised of three bright young black people: Henry
Lowe (Nate Parker), an overly-clever man with a possible future ...if he
can stay out of harm’s way; Samantha Brooke (Jurnee Smollett,
HOUSE,
M.D.), the first female debater in Wiley College history; and James
Farmer Jr. (Denzel Whitaker), a chubby lad with a penchant for research.
Growing up in the South (that’s South with a capital “S”), the team must
not only fight to win debates against local colleges, but must also
battle the prejudices of the times. They come into close contact with
ignorance and racism on a daily basis. Even their teacher, Mr. Tolson,
is threatened at various crossroads.
This is what stood out in the film ...and rightfully so. But there were
some serious flaws in the film, too. The biggest was the debates
themselves. Many of them were based on emotion and not facts and
statistics. It would’ve also been nice to have had the names of the
actual persons within the film and not some made-up ones (some were
real, like Tolson, but others were not).
Some praise has to be made for Forest Whitaker (THE LAST KING OF
SCOTLAND) as Dr. James Farmer Sr. His role was understated and held much
of the powerful, emotional punch toward the final third of the movie,
especially when his son James Jr. discovers why his father reacts the
way he does during an embarrassing prejudicial moment.
That Wiley’s black debaters made it to Harvard and debated their team is
now history. But I would’ve liked to have seen more of the actual
history than this Hollywooded version. Still, it’s an interesting movie
that’ll give many viewers an insight into something they probably knew
nothing about.
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Image from The Great
Debaters
DVD cost: $20.69
Purchase:
Tower.com
Film Review Stew
Favorite? No.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
On December 19, 2007,
Denzel Washington announced a $1 million dollar donation to Wiley
College so they could re-establish their debate team.
Movie Quote: "I
am here to help you to find, take back, and keep your righteous mind."
Other Actors/Actresses
from The Great Debaters
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