McFarland, USA

MPAA Rating: PG for thematic material, some violence and language.
Run Time: 129 Minutes
My Rating: 5/5
So today my wife and I saw Walt Disney Pictures' McFarland, USA starring Kevin Costner (Black or White) and Maria Bello (Prisoners).  The film follows the true story of Jim White, a struggling coach and teacher who has to move to McFarland, California (one of the poorest cities in America) with his family due to several incidents at his previous employments.  While him and his family begin to get settled, Jim discovers potential among many of his high school students.  As he begins training these boys to be cross-country runners, he realizes that these boys and this new community has a lot more to teach him about life than he could have ever expected.
So first off, I must admit that when it comes to sports movies, I can't help but love them.  There is just something about them that reaches into my soul and inspires me.  In fact, for the most part, sports movies are the only movies where I will shed a tear or two. With that being said, I naturally loved this film.  Probably the best thing about this film was the many lessons that this film teaches its audience.  The first lesson that this film teaches is that no matter what background you come from, you can always achieve greatness.  Seeing how these kids grew up and how they made something of themselves is amazing.  They had every reason to just give up due to their circumstances, but they chose not to and to believe in themselves and in each other.  The next lesson that this film teaches is that hard work really can pay off.  These kids woke up every morning at 4:30 to work with their families, then they went to school all day, then worked with their families for another couple of hours and then they would train for their cross country meets.  Talk about hard work and dedication.  Each one of these activities shaped these kids and though we may not be asked to do all of this in our own lives, we should work just as hard as they do in what we do every day. These are just a few of the many wonderful lessons that this film teaches.
Though I thought the film was amazing, that doesn't mean I don't think that the film had its flaws. For one thing, the film was a little long.  However, with that being said, I don't know what I would cut out of it.  Also with such a young, inexperienced cast the acting could have been better at times, but then again I really enjoyed how the film didn't relay heavily on its more experienced actors.
Overall, as if you couldn't tell, I absolutely loved this film.  I would recommend this film to anyone. This film has things in it that all audiences will enjoy.  If you have time this week, definitely go see this film because I promise you that you will not regret doing so.

Thanks again for reading!! If you have any questions,comments, or ideas just let me know!!!