Movie Review: The Great Debaters
“A drama based on the true story of Melvin B. Tolson, a professor at Wiley College Texas. In 1935, he inspired students to form the school’s first debate team, which went on to challenge Harvard in the national championship.”-imdb.com
The Great Debaters, directed by Denzel Washington, is a great film to see with your family. Although, I wouldn’t recommend taking very small children, because there are some scenes that might not be appropriate. Otherwise, this is a very pleasant film to watch.
Denzel is extremely promising as a director. If he keeps following his intuition, he’s right on it. The movie was well directed. Now when I first saw the trailer, I have to say that I was afraid this would be another lifetime movie.
Surprisingly, it was not cheesy. It was a bit predictable and some of the events were somewhat difficult to believe considering the circumstances and the time in which the movie is set.
There isn’t much to say about this film. The screenplay was well written. It’s meant to be inspirational. So if you are in the mood for being uplifted or inspired then you should drop by the cinema and check this film out. Otherwise, it’s okay to wait until you can rent the DVD.
Filed under: Entertainment, Movie Review | 2 Comments
Tags: Andrew Bamberg, Antravian D. Carter, Brian D. Evans, Charissa Allen, Denzel Washington, Denzel Whitaker, Devyn A. Tyler, Forest Whitaker, Jeffrey Porro, Jurnee Smollett, Marcus Lyle Brown, Michael Beasley, Nate Parker, Robert Eisele, Ron Auguste, Sean Paul Cormier, Southey Blanton, The Great Debaters, Trenton McClain Boyd
Overall, very good movie. Obviously a “fell good” move, but woven into the disturbing mistreatment of blacks in the 1930’s south. This is not only the story of young motivated black intellectuals, but of courageous young people who aspired to go against the tidal wave of social injustice that was so dominant during that time.
I am a member of the Wiley College faculty and was honored to observe the making of the film. Mr. Washington spent several years researching the movie—two on our campus and the east Texas/northwest Louisiana region. The movie created a more positive appreciation for our college in the city of Marshall. It is entertaining on several levels and we are presently hoping to cash in on the success by inviting speakers, entertainers, academicians, and other scholars.