Tonight I went out with friends that my brother found for me. I must say they are very fun girls. Both are teachers and in grad school, so they took a break from studying and I took a break from doing nothing and we headed out to the movies. One thing you have to love about Ohio are that the dollar theatre is only fifty cents when you go in groups of three or more on Monday. How awesome is that! So off we went to see The Great Debaters.
I didn’t know much about the movie other than it was produced by Oprah, stars Denzel and its about a professor inspiring his group of young debaters. I honestly was expecting Stand and Deliver, Dead Poets Society, or Music of the Heart - all films about teachers coming in to save the day and inspire their students above their circumstances to overcome. A moving story set to a stirring score that leaves you with a warm fuzzy.
And yes this film contains elements of that but it’s more, The Great Debaters is a history lesson to remind us where we’ve been. It’s a story of finding your voice amongst cruelty, injustice and oppression, which started for three young, black students at Wiley College in the tiny town of Marshall, Texas as they learned how to debate.
It is very well done. Because it is based on a true story it has the haunting chill of reality that makes you cringe sometimes, but a reality we can’t ever forget. Denzel is a supporting character to the cast of students who are learning how to live in a 1930s America. It’s a little slow in the middle, but worth it. It’s a great rental.
Filed under: Living in Ohio, Pop Culture , denzel washington, forrest whitaker, wiley college
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