Coach Carter (2005) * * *

 

Directed by:  Thomas Carter

Starring:  Samuel L. Jackson, Channing Tatum, Ashanti, Ron Brown, Rick Gonzales

Ken Carter (Jackson) is a former star player at Los Angeles' Richmond High School who has assumed the thankless role of basketball coach.  Carter makes it clear at the outset he doesn't take guff and he is there not only to win games, but to mold his players into lives beyond basketball.  He demands his players sign contracts to attend classes and sit in the front row.  He expects teachers to provide him with progress reports on his players' attendance and grades.  When the players and teachers ignore him, he locks the players out of the gym and forfeits games, which brings national attention and community outrage.  

Coach Carter's message (both the movie and person) is simple:  Only a miniscule fraction of players ever reach the NBA.  It is wise to get an education and secure a better future than life on the streets where you'll more than likely be killed before your next birthday.  Coach Carter is kinder version of Joe Clark (from Lean on Me) but he's rigid in his standards.  Samuel L. Jackson commands the screen in his own inimitable way in Coach Carter.  He is someone who hasn't given up on his players even if the rest of the world has.

The players themselves aren't out of Welcome Back, Kotter, but each has their own story and all fall in line once they understand Coach Carter knows what he's talking about.  The scenes outside the school and basketball courts maintain a familiar rhythm, and of course there's The Big Game, which almost contrasts the point of the movie.  However, Coach Carter for the most part remains involving.