Watching a movie- Coach Carter is such an interesting movie to be watched. This American drama film starring by Samuel L. Jackson and was directed by Thomas Carter, released by Paramount Pictures in 2005. This movie actually based on a true story. It was happened in 1999 when head basketball coach for Richmond High School made headlines for locking out his undefeated team due to their poor achievement in academics.
This story begin when Ken Carter, an owner for a sporting goods store takes over as the basketball coach at his former high school, Richmond High School in California. During his time in high school, he has previously played for the school’s team and he has sets an unbroken record for the school. He takes the opportunity to lead the team as a coach because of the team especially the players has unruly attitudes and their poor performance in the basketball tournament. He intends to change the team to become a champion in the tournament, but the most important is that he desire to ensure that his players will not follow their parent’s footsteps for being arrested in jail. Thus, to make the dream become a reality, Coach Carter sets strict rules for the players such as respectful behavior among themselves, a smart dress code, the players must get 2.3 grade pointer averages in their exam and they also must sit in the front row in the class. If the players want to play for the team, the must follow all the rules and regulations that had been set up by Coach Carter. Most players signing the contract agreeing to fulfill his standards, but some players decide to leave the team such as Timo Cruz. His son, Damien Carter, a great student in academic at the private school St Francis transfers to Richmond High School because he want to play for his father’s team but his father has set that he must maintains 3.7 CGPA in his exam and he had agreed. Under Carter and his players determinations, the team changes and becomes season undefeated, even wins the holiday tournament. However, the coach realizes that his team becomes arrogant and their bad attitudes begin to develop. They also do not fulfill the requirements by the coach. They do not attend their classes and thus, they get poor result in their academic performances.
The climax for this story is that when Coach Carter locks up the gym after he receives his player’s achievements in academic. He cancels the practices in the midst of the still undefeated season and he also cancels all the important games. He pushes the students to spend their times in the library and studying to get a better achievement in academic thus, will fulfill his requirements. Despite of his action, the school board and the player’s parents strongly oppose his action. They think that his action will make the school’s team performances in basketball decrease. During the meeting, the school board has votes of 4-2 to end the lockout and thus, makes Carter to quit from his job. After that, when he arrives at the gym to pack his belongings, his players are studying inside the gym with teachers tutoring them. Upon the gym is reopened, the school board could not force them to play. Cruz, the former player for the team decided to rejoin the team. Carter is heartened and decides to stay for the team. Upon of their determination, the players manage to achieve the grade point that is needed by Carter and they make into the state championship playoffs. However, in the first round, they have to face the first ranked team in the state, St. Francis. Richmond High School has loss to St. Francis High School for a tight match with score of 70-68. The team is really disappointed by the loss, but Carter gives them advices and tells them that they should proud of their achievement. Although they cannot win the tournament, six of them manage to get scholarships and go to study in college.
In this movie, there are several social problems that have been pointed out. First and foremost, lack of concern for education. Most of the players in the team feel that they just have to play basketball rather than study. It is because of their parent’s behavior. Their parent just concern about their son’s achievement in basketball and they think that study is something not important and time wasting. Secondly, is the disrespectful attitude of the youngsters toward the older or among themselves. Bad words such as ‘dog’, ‘ass’, ‘shit’ are commonly use in their daily life. When Carter starts to take over the job as the coach, he starts to use the term ‘sir’ for the symbol of respect. Thirdly, when Richmond wins the holiday tournament, they are invited to go to a party in a rich girl’s house. During the party, Damien gets the chance to kiss a girl and others too flirting around with other girls. This show that the social problem faces by them is that the unhealthy lives of the teenagers. Timo Cruz, a character in this movie is a drug dealer but for the same time he is also a player for the schools team. During a night, he sees by himself that his cousin has been killed and because of that, his life has changes totally. Teenage pregnancy is also a social problem that is shown in this film. Kyra, Kenyon’s girlfriend is pregnant and she has gives up her plan to continue her study in college because of her responsibility to take care of her baby. But Kenyon still confused whether he should continue to play basketball in college or to take care of his baby.
I think this movie gives me a lot of moral values and messages. Firstly, in order to get success in life, the most important word is hard work and determination. Although Richmond High School’s basketball team always loss before Coach Carter comes to lead them, their determinations during practices after that can be seen when they win holiday tournament. Secondly, in order to success in future, we should concern of the importance of education. Carter realizes that education is the most important than basketball game. Because of that, he has locked the gym when he gets his player’s result in exam. He pushes his players to study in library but after that, their result in exam changes. Most interesting is that six of them can continue their study in college with full of scholarships. Thirdly is that we should respect towards the older and among ourselves. Coach Carter uses the term ‘sir’ in order to show the meaning of respectful to his players.
As a nutshell, I think this movie is interesting and enjoyable to be watched by all the group of ages. There are a lot of good values embedded in this movie such as hard working, respect to the older, determination to achieve something and many more. Our life is in our own hand. We are the owner of our own life. We have the rights to shape it in other words to color it or to ruin it. The choices are in our own hand. Decide the best for the future.
Staring in this film:
· Samuel L Jackson- Coach Carter
· Rob Brown- Kenyon Stone
· Antwon Tanner- Worm
· Robert Richard- Damien Carter
· Nana Gbewonyo- Junior Battle
· Rick Gonzalez- Timo Cruz
· Channing Tatum- Jason Lule
· Ashanti- Kyra
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