Steve Rider
Drawing inspiration from the true story of a temperamental debate coach who molded the students of a small East Texas college into a formidable team that gave even Harvard's elite squad a run for their money, Denzel Washington's The Great Debaters features the director himself as the ambitious educator, and Forest Whitaker as the resentful father of a student whose loyalties now lie almost exclusively with his coach. Melvin B. Tolson (Washington) is the kind of educator who truly recognizes the remarkable power of knowledge. An outspoken Wiley College professor who boldly challenged the discriminatory Jim Crow laws of the 1930s, Tolson's recognizes that his young debate students possess the spark of a new generation. Convinced that they could invoke great change if given the confidence and tools needed to do so, the tireless educator implores his students to take responsibility for the future while furtively attempting to protect them from his clandestine role as an organizer for the Southern Tenant Farmers Union. Chief among Tolson's promising young students is a 14-year-old prodigy named James Farmer, Jr. (Denzel Whitaker). Farmer's father, James Sr. (Forest Whitaker), is a renowned scholar and an important presence in the emerging student's life. Yet despite his formidable reputation, James Sr. has not yet learned how to truly harness the power of knowledge through action and assertion. James Jr. has seen the raving effects of racism all around him, and longs to live in a future where no one must be in fear simply because of the color of their skin. Other talented debaters on Tolson's team include fiercely independent student Henry Lowe (Nate Parker), and Samantha Brooke (Jurnee Smollett) -- the first ever female ever to join the Wiley College debate team. While most educators may not have recognized the remarkable potential of assembling such a disparate team, Tolson's unique vision truly set him apart from the pack as the team begins to experience a series of consecutive victories on their road to challenging Harvard at the National Championships. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, (more)
- 2003
- AddFrench & Saunders: The Ingenue Yearsto QueueAddFrench & Saunders: The Ingenue Yearsto top of Queue
This collection of material from the BBC sketch comedy program French & Saunders focuses on the show's earliest episodes, from the late '80s. The duo's signature film and TV parodies are in short supply, although Dawn French does essay the role of Elizabeth Taylor as Maggie the Cat in a send-up of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Jennifer Saunders, meanwhile, performs a parodic show tune in the guise of Doris Day. Much of the rest of the material focuses on music and dance, from a deadpan Pet Shop Boys impersonation to a mock awards show in which a decrepit Ginger Rogers is forced to dance, despite her wheelchair, with a phalanx of Solid Gold-style dancers. As a framing device, French and Saunders parody girl groups of the ages, from flappers to hippies. The comedians also get their digs in at conceptual art, safer sex, Liza Minnelli, and the foibles of British schoolgirls. Additional performers include comedy duo Raw Sex. Those with sharp ears will also notice a joke about June Whitfield, the British actress who would go on to appear with Saunders in Absolutely Fabulous. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, (more)
