Coach Carter

Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Ashanti

Rated PG-13

            “Coach Carter” is the inspirational true story of Ken Carter, the new basketball coach for underclass Richmond High School. His theory? Students should only be allowed to play basketball if they maintain a 2.3 grade point average, attend all of their classes, and become better students. If one student fails, the entire team fails, and the basketball game is cancelled.

            Carter (Samuel L. Jackson, perfect for the part) is a noble man who has only good intentions for the student’s futures, but neither the basketball players, their parents or the community understand his actions.

            The ideal audience for this picture is that of the “Boyz N Da Hood” generation and fans of basketball themselves; to me, the film was overlong but efficient. Jackson is terrific, and music singer Ashanti is not bad in her first major film role.

            January is usually a terrible month for films, but “Coach Carter” stands out and does its job well.

Return to Archive List