For a formulaic, rags-to-riches sporting movie, 2005 basketball epic Coach Carter sure covers a lot of ground.
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While coach Ken Carter's (played by Samuel L Jackson) development of a 4-22 high school team into one capable of pushing the state's best side appears the film's core, themes of education, incarceration and brotherhood take it from a run-of-the-mill flick to one capable of producing much thought.
A quick plot summary; Carter returns to coach his alma mater Richmond High School and, while the team quickly becomes a powerhouse, he drives educational standards as a prerequisite for playing basketball — the student-athletes must average a C+ on assignments and attend all their classes.
The coach's mission? Get his largely African-American students college scholarships that will allow them to take their studies to the next level and avoid falling into the trap that is the particularly gritty Californian skid row in which they live, where one in three black males are incarcerated.
This culminates with Coach Carter suspending training and sending players to the library when informed the academic standards are nowhere near being met by the majority, and he eventually forfeits matches as well to continue to teach his players the life lesson.
The town, which has fallen in love with the Cinderella side, protests, as do parents, and the lockout is ended by school authorities — but in a tear-jerking emotional twist, the players, who to this point have appeared largely opposed to Carter's methods, decline to practice and instead fill the gym with tables and teachers, continuing to study to finish their coach's project.
Once the grades have lifted, Richmond begins playing matches again and makes the state tournament, where it is beaten in the first round by powerhouse St Francis, a team that possesses LeBron James’ 2.0 — Ty Crane.
Let's bring in Liam Nash to break down the Xs and Os of a classic film.
Overall thoughts?
Alex: Where do you start with this one? I went in remembering Coach Carter as formulaic yet charming, but there is a much deeper underbelly that makes it a classic.
Liam: Having first viewed this flick years ago, I labelled CC an all-American, star-spangled classic — but on second screening my scope changed drastically. The odds are stacked against these kids from the off, and oppression is a major theme which isn't shied away from throughout the duration — a factor that differentiates it from most of its Americanised movie counterparts.
Jackson's extremely likeable protagonist breaks the mold by showing the team some tough love and applying his trademark fathering nature he transforms his band of misfits into an athletic machine, obeying his word like gospel. Respect is a powerful motivator deployed by Carter, and by demanding his boys use ‘sir’ as a mode of address, it elevates their own standards of each other and redirects their thought path beyond basketball and towards a bright future.
Alex: It's based on a true story — Ken Carter really did coach Richmond High from 1997 to 2002, and every one of his players graduated. In the movie, he was intriguing as an on-court coach, emphasising defence and opting for addition-by-subtraction when the two leading scorers walked out on the team before the beginning of the season. I suppose I can't argue with the academic results either, although I must admit I found his leadership style a little too authoritarian for my liking. Would you like playing for this guy? The points he was making were sound, but I found he approached everything from the team from the perspective they were not good enough.
Outside of the coach, which character interested you most?
Liam: Timo Cruz assumes the anti-hero role well. His criminal ties and distrust of authority leads to his ejection from the team in CC's opening scenes, which eventually brings about the film's most powerful scene for me. When set the impossible task of 2500 push-ups and 1000 suicides in one week in order to rejoin the Oilers, Cruz perseveres through the exercises despite Carter hurling ‘give up Mr Cruz’ at him on occasion, only to fall agonisingly short of the mark. Promptly asked to leave the gym by Carter, his teammates step in and get him over the line by offering to complete the remaining sets themselves. Cruz's initial butting of heads with coach Carter eventuates in Jackson's character constantly asking him "what is your deepest fear", evoking thought where the answer turns out to be that ‘'we are powerful beyond measure” — another motif CC seeks to portray.
Alex: I was super conflicted on Cruz — as the character was clearly designed to be viewed. For all his good heart (grinding to get back on the team, standing up for his teammates), he continuously walked out on the team, disregarded the selfless on-court game plan and never learned the lesson Carter was trying to teach him. Witnessing the shooting death of his cousin perhaps got him into line, as he was one of the players that headed to college.
Favourite scene?
Liam: One scene that encapsulates the entire film is when Carter stages a meeting with the team members’ families to discuss their terms of playing. Their attitude accentuates the generational belief the boys’ lives will plateau within the realm of high school basketball, with the parents’ overall negative stance towards Carter highlighting their skewed views and lack of understanding of what he is trying to achieve. Carter's refusal to succumb to their demands is repeated later by the schooling body and media, but the message is most powerful in the aforementioned scene where parents are essentially arguing against the importance of an education ahead of sport — a scarily common reality in underprivileged neighbourhoods.
Alex: Without question, that is the deepest scene of the film. But setting this whole movie in motion is my personal favourite — Carter's introduction as coach. He asserts command of the group from the jump and is so true to his ethos that he'd rather the boys know his academic standards immediately and risk losing star players (just like he did) rather than pussyfoot around. He subtly flexes (telling players if they want to know his resume they can read the honour boards behind them), shuts down disrespectful backchat and puts his cards on the table — "winning in here is the key to winning out there".
Best quote?
“Oh you got jokes to go along with that ugly jump shot of yours?" — Carter to point guard Worm at the first training session.
“If you need to know my credentials, as Coach White said, they’re on the wall there behind you.” — Carter flexes on his team at the first training session.
“Do you even know who I am?” “From what I can see, a very confused and scared young man.” — Carter roasts Cruz after kicking him out of training.
“Are you serious? That’s bullsh*t.” “Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. Good answer Mr Battle. Johnny, tell him what he’s won. Because you gave such a good answer and you gave the coach attitude, you win the bonus prize of 500 push-ups. Would you like to go for the grand prize of 1000?” — Never one to cop backchat, Carter shuts Junior Battle down when he gives some lip.
“Ima visit you in county dog.” — Jason Lyle predicts prison for Cruz after he pretends to rob him at gunpoint.
“Unfortunately Mr Carter, both you and I know that for some of these kids, this basketball season will be the highlight of their lives.” “Well I think that’s the problem — don’t you?” — Carter tells the school's principal to switch her priorities.
“Sir they can cut the chain off the door, but they can’t make us play.” “Yeah so leave us be coach, we got sh*t to do sir.” — Lyle and Worm let Carter know they will continue to study before basketball returns.
Alex: The jokes are great and help viewers build loving relationships with all characters, but no lines get the tears rolling like the boys telling their coach they will ignore the school board's decision to end the lockout and continue to study before playing ball.
Liam: For pure comedic value, “Oh you got jokes to go along with that ugly jump shot of yours?" wins hands down.
But in terms of power and poignancy, Carter's retort of “From what I can see, a very confused and scared young man" to Cruz's challenge exposes his wisdom and strips the young baller of his macho defence instantaneously. It captures the essence of who Carter is as a mentor, and establishes his lack of tolerance for disrespect straightaway.
Fun facts?
Alex: St Francis’ star Ty Crane — aka "the next LeBron James" — is based on NBA journeyman Tyson Chandler, who was heavily recruited out of a Californinan high school before going pick two in the 2001 NBA Draft. While nothing like James (or his movie representation) as a player, being a shot-blocking big man rather than a slashing, mid-range shooting forward, Chandler has had a long NBA career that included the 2011 championship and an Olympic gold medal in 2012.
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