SASQUATCH
01-17-2008, 08:44 AM
Directed by Denzel Washington who also portrays Melvin Tolson in the film. Other stars are Forest Whitaker as James Farmer, Sr., Denzel Whitaker as James Farmer, Jr., Nate Parker as Henry Lowe, Jurnee Smollett as Samantha Booke, and many others.
I could only describe this movie with one word, POWERFUL.
The Great Debaters has been nominated at the 65th Golden Globe Awards for Best Motion Picture - Drama.
The film was the first since 1979 to be allowed to film on Harvard's campus.
It is also the first film to feature two African Americans who had previously won the Academy Award for Best Actor (Denzel Washington for Training Day, and Forest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland).
The "film omits one reality: even though they beat the reigning champions, the Great Debaters were not allowed to call themselves victors because they were not truly considered to belong to the debate society; blacks were not admitted until after World War II."
In an interview here's what Denzel had to say about why he changed the format from USC to Harvard (It's a movie, so there are big dramatic strokes in it that maybe didn't happen in two hours in their life. Maybe it happened over 5 or 10 years. But the fact of the matter is, when they got up on that stage, they were not intimidated by anyone. In our film, we changed it. I said I wanted their opponent to be Harvard. In actual fact, the U.S. champions were USC. There was no question that everybody they went against they beat, so it didn't matter who we had them up against in the movie, Oxford, Harvard, USC. Didn't matter.)
I give this movie a 4 star and I will not be surprise if it's up for best picture
and more.
A big thumbs up for this movie.
I could only describe this movie with one word, POWERFUL.
The Great Debaters has been nominated at the 65th Golden Globe Awards for Best Motion Picture - Drama.
The film was the first since 1979 to be allowed to film on Harvard's campus.
It is also the first film to feature two African Americans who had previously won the Academy Award for Best Actor (Denzel Washington for Training Day, and Forest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland).
The "film omits one reality: even though they beat the reigning champions, the Great Debaters were not allowed to call themselves victors because they were not truly considered to belong to the debate society; blacks were not admitted until after World War II."
In an interview here's what Denzel had to say about why he changed the format from USC to Harvard (It's a movie, so there are big dramatic strokes in it that maybe didn't happen in two hours in their life. Maybe it happened over 5 or 10 years. But the fact of the matter is, when they got up on that stage, they were not intimidated by anyone. In our film, we changed it. I said I wanted their opponent to be Harvard. In actual fact, the U.S. champions were USC. There was no question that everybody they went against they beat, so it didn't matter who we had them up against in the movie, Oxford, Harvard, USC. Didn't matter.)
I give this movie a 4 star and I will not be surprise if it's up for best picture
and more.
A big thumbs up for this movie.