McFarland, USA (2015)
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A disgraced coach finds a new purpose by leading a group of underprivileged students to success in cross-country running.
The story
In 1987, high school football coach Jim White is fired after an incident in the locker room and must relocate his family from Idaho to McFarland, California. The local high school is predominantly Latino, and White initially struggles to adjust to the new environment. After being demoted from his football coaching position, White discovers that several of his students are talented runners. He convinces the principal to authorize cross-country as a sport and begins organizing an all-boys team. The students, many of whom face difficult personal circumstances and uncertain futures, begin training under White's guidance as they prepare for regional and state competitions.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After being fired from his job in Idaho, Jim White moves his family to McFarland, California, to coach at a predominantly Latino high school. After losing his football coaching status, he discovers the potential of his students as runners and forms a cross-country team. The team consists of boys like Thomas Valles and the Diaz brothers, who face significant hardships. As the team progresses, White's dedication leads to personal strain with his family. The team eventually qualifies for the State Tournament. During the journey, White's wife helps the family integrate into the local community. At the state championships, the McFarland team defies expectations and wins first place. Following the victory, White turns down a prestigious job offer in Palo Alto to remain in McFarland. The film concludes with a series of texts showing the team's continued success over 14 years, with all members becoming the first in their families to attend college or join the military.
- Original title
- McFarland
- First release year
- 2015
- Runtime (minutes)
- 129
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Niki Caro
- Writers
- Christopher Cleveland · screenplay; Bettina Gilois · screenplay; Grant Thompson · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Kevin Costner · Jim White; Maria Bello; Morgan Saylor
- Genres
- sports drama; drama
- Themes
- determination; community; overcoming adversity
- Tone and mood
- inspirational; feel-good
- Setting
- McFarland, California in 1987
- Premise and plot tags
- sports; based on true story; high school
- Source material / true-story basis
- true story
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics and was described as an inspirational sports drama that successfully follows its formula.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 80% · scale: percentage · review count: 133; Metacritic · score: 60 · scale: 100 · review count: 32
- Awards and nominations
- Teen Choice Awards · Choice Movie: Drama · 2015 · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was in development since 2004.; The film was originally titled McFarland and was slated for a 2014 release.; The film was released in Canada under its original title, McFarland.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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