"Coach Carter" simply doesn't know when to shut up — the movie, that is. . . .
While this sports drama does have some good things to say about education and athletics — in particular, its views on the concept of "student athletes" — it continues driving its message home with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.
In addition, the film comes to what seems like a logical stopping point — and then continues for another 30 minutes to a conclusion that only muddles its messages. In the end, what could have been a decent little sports drama is bloated and overlong. (And the content here is a little strong for a PG-13 movie, especially the nearly constant use of racial epithets.)
The movie is very loosely based on the experiences of the real-life Ken Carter, a successful California basketball coach whose emphasis on academics made him somewhat controversial. As played by Samuel L. Jackson, he's a businessman who takes a low-paying job as a high school coach simply for love of the game.
However, what he sees on his roster of players sickens him. The teens have no discipline and lack the fundamental ball-playing skills needed for a winning team. So he makes them sign an agreement to be on time, to attend their classes and to be better citizens.
And he means business. In fact, the coach dismisses one troublesome and troubled player (Rick Gonzalez) and even disciplines his own son (Robert Ri'ichard), who transferred schools so he could play for his father.
To nearly everyone's surprise, the team begins winning games. But when the players don't hold up their end of the educational bargain, the coach shuts down the entire season — even padlocking the gym — until they meet his strict academic goals.
The message about the importance of education is refreshing and welcome. But the filmmakers undercut it by placing emphasis on the game action rather than the classroom and classwork scenes.
Still, there's no denying how forceful Jackson is in the role. That the film is watchable is due largely to his performance, as well as those by his younger co-stars — especially Ri'ichard and Rob Brown, who plays a team member with a dilemma (his girlfriend is pregnant; she's played by singer Ashanti).
"Coach Carter" is rated PG-13 for occasional use of strong profanity (including one usage of the so-called "R-rated" curse word), some sports-related violence (as well as a shooting), use of racial epithets and crude sexual slang terms, drug content (drug dealing and talk of drug use), and some brief sexual contact. Running time: 135 minutes.
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com