The Great Debaters (2007)

Director:

Denzel Washington

Writers (WGA):

Robert Eisele (screenplay)
Robert Eisele (story) ...

Release Date:

25 December 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

When the nation was in need, he inspired them to give us hope.

Plot:

A drama based on the true story of Melvin B. Tolson, a professor at Wiley College Texas. In 1935, he inspired students to form the school's first debate team, which went on to challenge Harvard in the national championship.

Plot Keywords:

Debate | College | Team | Student | Professor

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 7 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Denzel Washington	...	Melvin B. Tolson
Nate Parker	...	Henry Lowe
Jurnee Smollett	...	Samantha Booke
Denzel Whitaker	...	James Farmer Jr.
Jermaine Williams	...	Hamilton Burgess
Forest Whitaker	...	Dr. James Farmer Sr.
Gina Ravera	...	Ruth Tolson
John Heard	...	Sheriff Dozier
Kimberly Elise	...	Pearl Farmer
Devyn A. Tyler	...	Helen Farmer (as Devyn Tyler)
Trenton McClain Boyd	...	Nathaniel Farmer
Ritchie Montgomery	...	Deputy
Jackson Walker	...	Pig Owner
Tim Parati	...	Pig Farmer
Robert X. Golphin	...	Dunbar Reed

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for depiction of strong thematic material including violence and disturbing images, and for language and brief sexuality.

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #44005) | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Harpo Films

Trivia:

This movie was the first since 1979 to be allowed to film on Harvard's campus.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Prof. Tolson lectures his students about the origin of the word "lynching," he refers to the Willie Lynch Letter or Willie Lynch Speech, which are generally considered modern-day hoaxes. There is no historical or archival record of either before the 1990s, when they first appeared on the Internet. No 1930s professor could have cited them.

Quotes:

Henry Lowe: A brilliant young woman I know was asked once to support her argument in favor of social welfare. She named the most powerful source imaginable: the look in a mother's face when she cannot feed her children. Can you look that hungry child in the eyes? See the blood on his feet from working barefoot in the cotton fields. Or do you ask his baby sister with her belly swollen from hunger if she cares about her daddy's work ethics?

Movie Connections:

References Men in White (1934)

Soundtrack:

Delta Serenade

Exceptional Film, Extremely Talented Cast

Although "The Great Debaters" does not open until Christmas, I had the good fortune of seeing it at a preview -- and I can recommend it without reservation. It is a great story, based on real events that most of us never heard of, about a debating team from Wiley College, a small black institution in rural Texas, that performs extraordinary feats because the kids are good and the team is taught by Mel Tolson, a real person, acted by Denzel Washington, who also directs. Forest Whitaker, like Washington an academy award winner, plays James Farmer Sr., the school president and the father of one of the debaters, James Farmer Jr. (yes, that James Farmer Jr.). The participation in this enterprise of Washington, Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey and the Weinstein brothers should draw crowds (provided the film isn't cursed by being described as "uplifting," though it is). The revelation in this film are the performances of the three principal debaters: Jurnee Smollett as Samatha Booke (with an "e", as she proclaims when she tries out for the debate team), Nate Parker as Henry Lowe (also with an "e" as he announces in response to Samantha's declaration) and Denzel Whitaker as James Farmer Jr. (It's an amusing coincidence, but he is unrelated either to Denzel Washington or to Forrest Whitaker.) You may have seen Jurnee Smollett earlier in her career when she was a "cute kid" and a promising actress. This film could be her portal to stardom. In addition to being a gorgeous young woman, she's also an accomplished actress, ready for bigger parts in the future. You'll also be impressed with her colleagues, people whose names you may never have heard. You don't have to be black to find this film engrossing; I'm not. All you need to be is (a) a human being and (b) someone who appreciates a good movie. I hope it makes a ton of money at the box office but it is, above all, a quality film. It just happens to be about a difficult period in American history, the rural South in the 1930's. It just happens to be inspirational and uplifting and all that good, boring stuff that cause your eyes to roll when that's how the critics describe it. But it's better than uplifting. It's GOOD and it's REAL.