Coach Carter

Coach Carter is a 2005 American biographical teen sports drama film starring Samuel L. Jackson and directed by Thomas Carter. The film is based on the true story of Richmond High School basketball coach Ken Carter (played by Jackson), who made headlines in 1999 for suspending his undefeated high school basketball team due to poor academic results.[2][3][4] The story was conceived from a screenplay co-written by John Gatins and Mark Schwahn, who created the television series One Tree Hill. The film also recycles a handful of plot devices from another television series, The White Shadow, which director Carter also co-starred in. The ensemble cast features Rob Brown, Channing Tatum, Debbi Morgan, Robert Ri'chard and singer Ashanti.

Coach Carter
Theatrical release poster
Directed byThomas Carter
Produced byDavid Gale
Brian Robbins
Michael Tollin
Written byMark Schwahn
John Gatins
Starring
Music byTrevor Rabin
CinematographySharone Meir
Edited byPeter Berger
Production
company
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • January 14, 2005 (2005-01-14)
Running time
136 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$30 million[1]
Box office$76.7 million[1]

The film was a co-production between the motion picture studios of MTV Films and Tollin/Robbins Productions. Theatrically and for the home video rental market, it was commercially distributed by Paramount Pictures. Coach Carter explores professional ethics, academics, and athletics.[5] The sports action in the film was coordinated by the production company ReelSports. On January 11, 2005, the original motion picture soundtrack was released by the Capitol Records music label. The film score was composed and orchestrated by musician Trevor Rabin.

Coach Carter premiered in theaters nationwide in the United States on January 14, 2005 grossing $67,264,877 in domestic ticket receipts. The film took in an additional $9,404,929 in business through international release for a combined worldwide total of $76,669,806. Preceding its initial screening in cinemas, the film was generally met with positive critical reviews. With its initial foray into the home video marketplace; the DVD edition of the film featuring deleted scenes, a music video, and special features among other highlights, was released in the United States on June 21, 2005.

Plot

Ken Carter lives in Richmond, California. He becomes the coach for Richmond High School’s basketball team, the Richmond Oilers, having played for the team thirty years earlier. Initially, the team is rowdy, rude, and disrespectful. Carter gives the team contracts to sign and obey, requiring them to sit in the front rows of all their classes, and maintain a 2.3 (C+) grade point average. Carter asks the school's staff for progress reports of the players' grades and attendance. Despite anger from the players' parents, most players sign the contracts, though several team members walk out in disagreement, including Timo Cruz, a gifted player who also deals drugs for his cousin Renny. The school's principal, Principal Garrison, questions Carter's contracts, suggesting that the players will be unable to meet his conditions and that he would be better off sticking to coaching basketball.

Carter begins a strict, disciplinary training regime for the team, focused largely on conditioning and teamwork. Carter's son Damian joins the team, switching from the private school St. Francis, to play for his father. Cruz witnesses the team win a game, afterwards asking Carter to let him rejoin the team. Carter agrees, but only if Cruz completes a set number of exercises before that Friday. Cruz commits himself to this, though when it looks like he will fail, the rest of the team supports him and he is able to rejoin.

Kenyon Stone, the team's captain, struggles to come to terms with his girlfriend Kyra being pregnant. Kenyon is one of the few players on the team that takes school and going to college seriously. He is one of the most gifted players on the team and never argues with Carter. Kenyon’s relationship with Kyra becomes strained, leading the couple to have a falling out over Kenyon's inability to commit to fatherhood. Another player, Junior Battle, skips classes, leading Carter to suspend him from the team. Battle's mother Willa visits Carter, asking him to let Battle back on the team. Carter agrees after Battle apologizes.

The team continues to train and improve, bonding with Carter and becoming undefeated in the regular season. After winning the Bay Hill holiday tournament, the entire team sneaks out of the motel to attend a party at a nearby mansion while Carter is speaking to his wife on the phone. Carter discovers their absence, crashing the party to round up the team. Carter berates the boys on the way home, though Cruz points out the team are now winners as Carter intended. Later, Carter discovers the team have not been keeping to their contracts, skipping classes and receiving poor grades.

A livid Carter locks the gym, directing the team to the library where they will study with their teachers until their grades improve. A disillusioned Cruz quits the team again. Carter enforces his lockdown, garnering media attention after he forfeits several games, enraging the local community. Carter reasons that aside from basketball, the boys have no other options in Richmond aside from crime, and he is hoping their commitment to their studies will give them better options in life.

After a drug deal goes bad, Cruz watches Renny gunned down in front of him. Distraught, Cruz goes to Carter, begging to be let back on the team. The school board hold a hearing, where Carter explains his rationale, and promises to resign if the lockdown is lifted. Though Principal Garrison and the board's chairwoman vote in his favor, every other councilor votes to end the lockdown. Carter prepares to leave, but discovers the team is refusing to play, choosing to continue with their studying and hold to their goal. Cruz, whom Carter had repeatedly asked "what is your greatest fear," answers by quoting from A Return to Love.

Carter decides to stay, and the team soon succeeds in their academic goal. Kenyon reunites with Kyra, learning she has had an abortion. They make up, and Kenyon asks Kyra to come with him to college, to which she agrees. The team play in the State Quarter finals match against St. Francis, but lose by two points. Though they did not win, Carter expresses his pride that the team came together to persevere, give themselves options, and achieve the "ever elusive victory within." The film ends with the team celebrating with the community, as graphics explain how six players went on to college.

Cast
Actor Samuel L. Jackson who portrayed real-life basketball coach Ken Carter.

Production

Production started in mid of 2004 and then ended in late of 2004.

Filming locations for the motion picture included, Long Beach, California and Los Angeles.[7]

Soundtrack
Main article: Coach Carter (soundtrack)

The original motion picture soundtrack for Coach Carter was released by the Capitol Records label on January 11, 2005. The score for the film was orchestrated by Trevor Rabin. An extensive list of songs are featured on the soundtrack, which differs from the soundtrack recording. The recording includes five songs which were not featured in the film: "About da Game" by Trey Songz; "Balla" by Mack 10 featuring Da Hood; "Beauty Queen" by CzarNok; "What Love Can Do" by Letoya; and "Wouldn't You Like to Ride", by Kanye West, Malik Yusef, and Common.

Coach Carter: Music from the Motion Picture
No.TitleLength
1."All Night Long"3:33
2."No Need for Conversation"3:38
3."Professional"3:36
4."Southside"4:13
5."Roll Wit' You"3:23
6."Wouldn't You Like to Ride"3:51
7."Hope"4:12
8."Your Love (Is The Greatest Drug I've Ever Known)"3:34
9."This One"3:06
10."Beauty Queen"3:44
11."Balla"4:07
12."Time"4:52
13."What Love Can Do"4:04
14."About Da Game"3:39
15."Let the Drummer Kick" 
Total length:53:23

Release

Following its cinematic release in theaters, the Region 1 edition of the film was released on DVD in the United States on June 21, 2005. Special features for the DVD include; two commentaries: Coach Carter: The Man Behind the Movie, Fast Break at Richmond High, Deleted Scenes and Music Video "Hope" by Twista Featuring Faith Evans.[8] The film was also released on VHS.

A restored widescreen high-definition Blu-ray Disc version of the film was released on December 16, 2008. Special features include two commentaries - The Man Behind the Movie; Fast Break at Richmond High; 6 Deleted scenes; "Hope" music video by Twista featuring Faith Evans; Writing Coach Carter: The Two Man Game; Coach Carter: Making the Cut; and the theatrical trailer in HD.[9] An additional viewing option for the film in the media format of Video on demand has been made available as well.[10]

Response

Critical reception

Coach Carter received generally positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 64% based on 150 reviews, with an average rating of 6.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Even though it's based on a true story, Coach Carter is pretty formulaic stuff, but it's effective and energetic, thanks to a strong central performance from Samuel L. Jackson."[11] On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average, the film has a score of 57 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[12] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on a scale of A+ to F.[13]

Box office

Coach Carter premiered in cinemas on January 14, 2005 in wide release throughout the United States.[1] During that weekend, the film opened in 1st place grossing $24.2 million from 2,524 locations, beating out Meet the Fockers ($19.3 million).[14] The film's revenue dropped by 24% in its second week of release, earning $8,015,331. For that particular weekend, the film slipped to 5th place with a slightly higher theater count at 2,574. The thriller film Hide and Seek opened in 1st place with $21,959,233 in box office business.[15]

During its final week in release, Coach Carter opened in 61st place grossing a marginal $26,554 in revenue. For that weekend period, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy starring Martin Freeman opened in 1st place with $21,103,203 in box office receipts.[16] Coach Carter went on to top out domestically at $67,264,877 in total ticket sales through an initial 16-week theatrical run.[1] For 2005 as a whole, the film would cumulatively rank at a box office performance position of 36.[17]

Accolades

The film was nominated and won several awards in 2005–06.

Award Category Nominee Result
2005 BET Awards[18] Best Actor Samuel L. Jackson Nominated
2005 Black Movie Awards[19] Outstanding Achievement in Directing Thomas Carter Won
Outstanding Motion Picture David Gale, Brian Robbins, Michael Tollin Nominated
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Samuel L. Jackson Nominated
Black Reel Awards of 2006[20] Best Director Thomas Carter Won
Best Actor Samuel L. Jackson Nominated
Best Breakthrough Performance Ashanti Nominated
Best Film David Gale, Brian Robbins, Michael Tollin Nominated
ESPY Awards 2005[21] Best Sports Movie ———— Nominated
2005 37th NAACP Image Awards[22][23] Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Samuel L. Jackson Won
Outstanding Directing in a Feature Film/Television Movie Thomas Carter Nominated
Outstanding Motion Picture ———— Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Ashanti Nominated
2005 MTV Movie Awards[24] Breakthrough Female Ashanti Nominated
2006 38th People's Choice Awards[25] Favorite Movie Drama ———— Nominated
2005 Teen Choice Awards[26] Choice Movie Actor: Drama Samuel L. Jackson Nominated
Choice Movie Breakout Performance - Female Ashanti Nominated
Choice Movie: Drama ———— Nominated

See also

References
Footnotes
  1. "Coach Carter (2012)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  2. Turner, Miki (January 19, 2005). "The real Coach Carter is a class act". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  3. "Coach scores points for academics". San Francisco Chronicle. SFGate.com. January 8, 1999. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  4. McManis, Sam (January 12, 1999). "Richmond Rebound". San Francisco Chronicle. SFGate.com. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  5. Thomas Carter. (2005). Coach Carter [Motion picture] Production Notes. United States: Paramount Pictures.
  6. However, in the dialogue of the movie, the character played by Debbi Morgan referred to herself as the "girlfriend" of Ken Carter
  7. "Coach Carter Production Details". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  8. "Coach Carter DVD Widescreen". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  9. "Coach Carter Blu-Ray". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  10. "Coach Carter VOD Format". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  11. Coach Carter (2005). Rotten Tomatoes. IGN Entertainment. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  12. Coach Carter. Metacritic. CNET Networks. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  13. "Coach Carter". CinemaScore. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  14. "January 14-16, 2005 Weekend". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  15. "January 28-30, 2005 Weekend". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  16. "April 29-May 1, 2005 Weekend". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  17. 2005 DOMESTIC GROSSES. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  18. "BET Awards 2005". BET.com. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  19. "2005 Nominees and Winners". Black Movie Awards. Archived from the original on 2012-08-05. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  20. "Black Reel Awards winners". Black Reel Awards. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  21. "The 2005 Espy Awards Nominees". ESPN. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  22. "37th Image Awards Nominees". NAACP Image Awards. Archived from the original on 2012-02-04. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  23. "Jackson, Samuel L." Marquis Who's Who in America, edited by Marquis Who's Who, Marquis Who's Who LLC, 70th edition, 2016. Credo Reference.
  24. "MTV Movie Awards 2005". MTV.com. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  25. "People's Choice Awards 2006 Nominees". People's Choice Awards. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  26. "The 2005 Teen Choice Awards nominees". TV.com. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
Further reading
  • Carter, Ken (2012). Yes Ma'am, No Sir: The 12 Essential Steps for Success in Life. Business Plus. ISBN 978-1-455-50234-9.
  • Niemiec, Ryan (2008). Positive Psychology At The Movies: Using Films to Build Virtues and Character Strengths. Hogrefe Publishing. ISBN 978-0-889-37352-5.
  • Johnson, Rick (2009). The Power of a Man: Using Your Influence as a Man of Character. Revell. ISBN 978-0-800-73249-3.
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