COACH CARTER

Four Stars - Inspiring

When we look back at our youthful days in high school, what was it that gave us inspiration and hope for the future? Was it the life-long prodding of parents that painted a picture of future success? Was it the possibility of fame, fortune, or a comfortable life?

Most of us have never experienced a sense of hopelessness at an early age. And, for those of us who have been reared in well-fed suburban lifestyles, the impacts of poverty are viewed academically rather than through experience.

“Coach Carter” tells the true story of one man’s commitment to bring a group of Richmond, California, high school basketball players into adulthood with a sense of achievement. In 1999, Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson) reluctantly takes on a job as the high school basketball coach of his hometown school and finds himself face-to-face with boys who only dream of celebrity sports. For these young men, there is only a fantasy of the life of a sports star, not the reality of personal achievement.

So ingrained in this low-income urban culture is the belief that basketball is the only time in these student’s lives that they’ll have a sense of glory that their parents are willing to forgo their academic achievement in order to give them this momentary happiness. Age 17 is seen as the age of fond memory. After that, the cycle of inadequate education, teenage pregnancy, and meaningless jobs will be all to which each one has to look forward.

Ken Carter’s own son Damien (Robert Ri’chard) attends a private school and is a basketball star in his own right. He is stunned when his father, whom he idolizes, leaves his side as his mentor in order to take on a part-time job coaching kids who disrespect him and are seen as losers.

There are many stories that parallel “Coach Carter” from the classic “Hoosiers” to “Remember The Titans.” In this version, though, Ken Carter faces the adversity of parents and teachers who don’t care and students who resent his autocratic authoritarian style. Through the slings and arrows of angry parents, Coach Carter fights to give these students dignity and a chance to grow in body, mind, and spirit. He also gives them the underpinning that they need to go on to college and have a better life.

When we are impoverished, it is very hard to see the possibilities before us. In order to make a breakthrough to our hearts and minds, there has to be a role model: someone who is willing to do something so profound that it humbles us and forces us to consider that our path could be different. Not only does Ken Carter make this sacrifice, but so too does his son. Damien transfers from his private school to the rough and tumble life of Richmond High so he can work with his father, the one person he respects most. With Damien’s sacrifice, Carter becomes a complete role model, especially to his own son.

The happy ending of “Coach Carter” is not that these boys become basketball heroes, but rather that they become men of self discipline, motivation and integrity, who go on to accomplish far more than they – or anyone thought possible.

Discussion:

When Ken Carter accepted responsibility as coach, it is clear that he was more concerned with the people under his care than winning games. Yet when he cared about their future, the team became winners. How often do you believe coaches set their sights on winning and harm the lives of their student-athletes?
The power of a coach to impact the lives of his or her athletes is clearly known. Yet often the people hired to coach our students are not good role models. Do you agree or disagree? If you agree, what can you do to help change this in the specific examples in your life?
The struggle between good and evil is depicted in this story as the struggle between becoming a drug dealer and a basketball player. This is often true in life, where the choice is concrete and very black and white. How has this struggle been played out in your own life?
The pressure the media, principal and parents put on Coach Carter are effective in stopping him, yet by then, his team understood what he was trying to do and chose it for themselves. How often do you believe the system actually harms us rather than helps us? How can we “band together” for our common good?

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Cinema In Focus is a social and spiritual movie commentary. Hal Conklin is former mayor of Santa Barbara and Denny Wayman is pastor of the Free Methodist Church. For more reviews: http://www.cinemainfocus.com.