McFarland USA

From the trailers, you know what this movie is about. But it turns out to be so much more. Not only are the kids down and out with no future, so is the coach. This is a chance for all of them to change their lives for the better, a second chance, so of course we are rooting for them to succeed. There's a lot more that transpires as the running season goes on, for both the kids, the coach, and the coach's family. That's what makes the movie, how this affects their individual lives. I don't buy a lot of DVDs, but I'm going to add this one to my collection.

There have been many movies about a misfit team of underdogs and this one is so firmly fixed in the formula that almost every plot point is predictable. Kevin Costner plays a coach, who's made so many mistakes that the only job he can find is in the titular town that's dominated by Mexican farm workers. When he discovers how tough and fast the students are, he forms a cross country track team. Usually, each team member has a personality, but this one only revolves around 2. It's also missing any humor, which would have added warmth. The only thing that sets this one apart is the focus on the Latino culture. Even though it is earnest (and based on a true story), it hits all of the clichés.

The show had some drama but was over cooked and under done. Too much effort to make the kids seem like superheros and that was the overdone. Maybe a few poor white and black kids added would have made this work better. I was given tickets to this and should have stayed home.

There is almost no effort to create an uplifting drama here. The premise, which is solid, doesn't blend well with what Director Niki Caro, wants to achieve. There is the good performance by Kevin Costner and the brilliant cinematography that you get to see, also great shots of farmlands. But all this doesn't matters if the movie isnt good. This is a movie that clearly wants to be Field Of Dreams, but doesn't have the balls to be it. There are painfully injected jokes and tear jerking moments included for attention. But this movie really looks good and has solid performances, but really it is turd, polished and scamming you for a movie that is uplifting.

The story of the McFarland runners is an inspirational one, but 'McFarland USA' isn’t an inspirational sports movie. The runners win some but with no real thrill of victory. The runners lose some but with no real agony of defeat. There is only running and picking, occasionally interrupted by attempts at drama and humor, and all of it completely devoid of any sustained excitement or tension.