Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2572 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-08-15
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Dubbed, PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Danish, German, Norwegian, Swedish, Turkish
• Dubbed in: German, Turkish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 131 minutes

Synopsis
In the tradition of LEAN ON ME and DANGEROUS MINDS comes COACH CARTER, an inspirational drama starring Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson portrays real-life figure Ken Carter, who graduated from California's Richmond High only to return there year later, in 1999, and take over as head coach of the boys' basketball team. Unfortunately, the troubled school he remembered as a teenager is an even more insufferable place in his adulthood. Determined to make a change in his players' lives, Carter makes each young man sign a contract that ensures he will maintain a 2.3 GPA, attend every class, and wear a jacket and tie on game day. Of course, the players reject the contract at first, but when they realize that they don't have any other choice, they give in. And when it appears that their tough-as-nails coach is actually turning them into winners on the court, they embrace their coach's philosophy even further. But when Coach Carter receives the incomprehensibly awful progress reports of his players, he does the unthinkable: he benches the entire team. Directed by Thomas Carter (SAVE THE LAST DANCE), COACH CARTER is a sensitive drama that features an impassioned performance by Jackson, as well as the impressive young cast (most notably Rob Brown, Rick Gonzalez, and Robert Ri'Chard).

Customer Reviews

More than worth a look.
I love it when I watch a film that that wasn't big enough to receive any pre-release hype nor did I go to see it at the cinema- and then it proves to be one of the better films of the year. I'm sure we've all watched films like this and this was definitely one of those for me. It is a bit of tired story though team doing badly gets new coach who then saves the day and I think that if anyone else was cast instead of Samuel L Jackson then this film would be lost to mediocrity. For me it succeeded being cheesy without actually being cheesy or corny if you know what I mean and there is an interesting twist to the coaches methods. Anyhow I won't spoil the story for you but it is very good, and if you're a basketball and/or Jackson fan it's worth adding to your collection but rent it first as I don't think I could sit through it too often!

More than just a basketball film
Sam.L.Jackson shows that education is just as important to professional athletes as sport itself.His character develops from what appears to be a hard-line grades before games teacher rather than coach to a committed successful coach. Instead of him educating the young people, they themselves teach him a lesson as well.

Through his grit and determination, Ken Carter silences all doubters through showing the young people of Richmond that even in basketball there is stuff to learn. He helps to turn immature ballers, into respectable young basketball players.

The film contains some great basketball action, and a great hip-hop soundtrack to make it look and feel like you are a member of the Richmond community and experiencing it first-hand. There is genuine soul and meaning in this film.

The best, most inspirational sports film in years
They seem to come out with a couple of these "coach transforms team" movies every year, and I'll be doggoned if they don't keep getting better and better. It's not hard to make a sports movie; throw some B-ball and cheerleaders in there somewhere, and we guys will watch it. It is hard, however, to make a good sports film. Coach Carter is the best kind of sports film because, when it comes down to it, the heart of the story really isn't about sports at all. It's about changing kids' lives and inspiring/threatening them to go out there and make a better life for themselves. Coach Carter succeeds where Friday Night Lights fails - yes, Friday Night Lights is a terrific film, but the message it conveys in the end is that sports, especially winning, is more important than anything else. Coach Carter cares about his kids a whole lot more than he cares about winning.

The basic story is pretty simple. Coach Carter takes over a team of undisciplined players who are used to losing games and underachieving in the classroom. Things are going to change. He tells the kids that they will win if they do as he says, but they will have to earn it, and they will have to hit the books as well as the courts if they are going to play for him. He makes them sign a contract: they have to agree to maintain a 2.3 GPA, attend all their classes (and sit on the front row), and dress up on game days. These requirements go beyond state guidelines for academic eligibility. Initially, many of the players balk, and one even walks. Coach has his guys ready to play, however, and they start out on a tremendous run. The kids get big heads and so some stupid things - and they pay for it. Things hit rock bottom, though, when Coach Carter finds out that many of his kids have not lived up to their agreements: several are skipping class and failing. That's when Coach Carter locks up the gym and cancels practice as well as key games until such time as his team has lived up to their agreement.

The tragic part of this story is not the kids, it's the school administration and the parents. Some of the parents have fits over the stipulations of the coach-player contracts, but the whole community goes apoplectic when Carter actually starts forfeiting games. Let the kids play, they yell, because basketball is all these kids have in life. Boy, that's a great message to give your kids, isn't it? Then you have the school principal who is seemingly satisfied with mediocrity; only half of her students actually graduate, and she seems to think that's just the ways things have to be. She doesn't approve of the academic requirements Coach Carter institutes with his team, and she doesn't like the lockout one bit. Worst of all, she completely stymies Carter's request for academic progress reports from his players' teachers - that's why he doesn't find out half of them are flunking until well into the season. The school board is no better, clearly putting sports before academics. Coach Carter has to fight an uphill battle not only with his kids, but with the very people charged with educating them. That is a disheartening reality in two many school districts today - and few schools will be lucky enough to have a Coach Carter to stir things up.

Naturally, the movie takes us to a number of basketball games, but they don't dominate the story, not by a long shot. The only quibble I have about the games concerns the big game at the end. During the obligatory win-or-lose shot hanging in the air for an eternity, some of the fans in the crowd seem to be smiling. I've lived through a number of these eternity-stretching last shots, and never have I smiled - I've grimaced, certainly; I've gotten down on my hands and knees on many an occasion; I've lifted my hands in earnest supplication to the Almighty; I've grabbed my hair and hung on for dear life - but never, ever have I smiled in such moments.

Based on a true story, Coach Carter is a wonderful, inspirational film, and Samuel L. Jackson is terrific in the role of Coach Carter. This movie sends all the right messages to youngsters, especially those whom society basically expects to fail, using various compelling subplots to validate the whole story in reality. It also serves as a clarion call to parents; you can't always depend on the school system to educate your children - and if you don't care about your child's education, he or she probably won't care either.