The Great Debaters
Directed by
Denzel Washington

Oprah Winfrey produces “afterschool specials” for the big screen. Films that are supposed to be morally uplifting, educational and generally good for the kiddies, in other words, fluff. Even though, they show a lynching, that's precisely what it is.

Robert Eisele and Tom Epperson's script is a fictionalized account of what was a real incident, the clash between Wiley College's debate team, and Harvard's, the first championship in that sport between a white and black college in American history. How close it is to the real events, I dunno, but that's not really the point, now is it?

 

Professors Melvin Tolson (Denzel Washington) and James Farmer(Forest Whitaker) are all about words. They teach literature and theology respectively, and they are both passionate about their subjects and what they stand for, Tolson particularly so, as he's also secretly a labor organizer. Publicly, he's the debating coach.

He's a hard ass when it comes to picking the best team, and picks four: James Farmer Jr.(Denzel Whitaker), a fifteen year old genius; Samantha Booke(Jurnee Smollett), who has to be the first female black something, Henry Lowe(Nate Parker), a brilliant ne'er-do-well; and Hamilton Burgess (Jermaine Williams), who is disposable and is only here to give Junior something to rebel against after said disposal. While based on real people, they're primarily stereotypes.

 

There's some attempts at drama here, Tolson is arrested for his union activities, there's conflict between James and his father, and James and Henry, because James has the hots for an older woman, Sam, who isn't exactly a pedophile.

Still the acting is top rate, Washington has learned something as to how to direct a film and does a pretty good job, but it's still too damn uplifting for it's own good and that hurts the entertainment value, so is the political correctness angle. This is being billed as a great Oscar-worthy movie. It's not. That doesn't mean that it's not, it's a good movie, not great. It might be good to take the kids to if one is feeling they need to repent of something.


 


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