This is
a positive film about positive black characters in a negative
environment trying their best to do some positive things.
In
Coach Carter, Samuel Jackson plays the title character,
Ken Carter, the successful owner of a sporting goods store, who
decides to give 
back
to the community that raised him by coaching his high school alma
mater.
The
school has changed a lot since Carter last graced the court as
a two-time All-American guard. Drugs, teenage pregnancy and violence
are everywhere. And we haven’t even gotten to the basketball
team, yet. The knuckle-head players predictably reject the discipline
Carter tries force upon them during the team’s initial practice,
with one player even attempting to physically attack Coach Carter.
But, you know Samuel L. took the young boy out…sheeiiiit.
After
seeing their teammate get his ass beat, the boys conclude that
Coach Carter just might be worth listening to after all. Soon,
they’re winning games and they’re the talk of the
town. The community rallies around them and everything is positive
and going well.
Then,
Ashanti shows up, all pregnant and shit, talking about some baby
she’s about to have and her future. Her boyfriend, Rob Brown
(shorty from Finding Forrester), is blown like a muthafucka.
Can’t we just have a positive black movie without all the
drama? Then, we find out most of the players are failing and that
the team’s best player, played by some tall African kid,
can’t even read? DAMN! WHY?!?!?!?!?! WHY? WHY HOLLYWOOD?
WHY?
However,
the team overcomes it all. Ashanti (giving a performance far better
than anything Beyonce could ever muster, even staying in ghetto
girl character by refusing to wear a weave) and Rob Brown work
things out, Samuel Jackson screams and shouts the team to playoff
glory and that dude from Sunset Park gets another gig
playing a high school basketball player nearly a decade later.
Wonderful.
Go
see this positive film.
