McFarland is one of those movies that have a story that’s such a feel good vibe that it screams hopecore. Now I know that the whole “white man comes to save the day” is a trope that some have criticized over the course of cinema with various films but I don’t know I really like the way it’s done here. As someone who used to practice sports in the hopes of reaching professional levels, sometimes great talent is hidden just as much as it is eventually lost because of the lack of opportunities as well as the people with the ability to open those doors not identifying the right places to search for. These kids were obviously full of potential and talent, and I think Kevin Costner’s character works profoundly well in this movie at doing that. The scene where he takes them to the beach for them to see the ocean with their own eyes for the first time in their lives is so incredibly moving it’s one of my favorites scenes ever put to film.

MCFARLAND USA – Inspiration at its best. The best sports films always seem to have less to do with sports than you might think. Movies like ROCKY, FIELD OF DREAMS and even THE BLIND SIDE work on such an inspirational level because the sports at their center are really only being used as a backdrop to the real human drama that is being told. MCFARLAND USA is so effective because it works with this same principle in mind. Director Niki Caro understands that the sport of cross-country running is just a plot device to be used in order to get the audience involved with what’s most important - the people. The film gets its inspiration from an incredible true story. Kevin Costner stars as Jim White, a football coach who, after losing his temper with a player and being fired, must accept an assistant coaching job in the small town of McFarland, CA. When the job doesn’t go as planned he decides to start up a cross-country team made up of some of the young boys that he has witnessed running around town. While the students seem to have already accepted their future of picking crops, he takes it upon himself to inspire them into realizing their true potential. The story may seem very familiar to fans of the sports genre, but there is something very special here. Writers Grant Thompson, Christopher Cleveland and Bettina Gilois handle the material with a real sense of the truth. Deciding to concentrate on the struggles of the student’s and their families instead of the sport of cross-country itself, they successfully tap into a true humanity that seems to be missing from so many movies today. We see these kids as they struggle to do their best on the cross-country track while also having to deal with the day-to-day struggles of picking crops in the fields. It’s a hard life for these kids and we grow to understand this through the eyes of coach Jim White and his family, who are just as clueless to this way of living as a lot of us in the audience may be. Caro and her writers really understand that, although the bigger sports moments are what drive the plot forward and scenes of training and competition are important to any movie of this kind, it is the smaller moments that really matter. From the tiny scene where Coach White accepts a gift of a chicken from the old woman that lives next door, to the quinceañera that the members of the community help him put together for his daughter - it is these moments that draw us into the films real human emotions and make us truly care about everything that is going on. Kevin Costner, an actor who has been in his share of great sports films (BULL DURHAM, FIELD OF DREAMS), gives one of his best performances here. As Coach Jim White, he effectively embodies the spirit needed to play a man who must teach these kids to believe in themselves while also developing the discipline needed to work in the fields, attend school, and train for cross-country all at the same time. Jim White is not all about teaching either. As the film goes on, the kids and community have plenty to coach him on as well. It is the supporting cast that really stands out though. Each character, from the kids to their parents, are all given their own stories. Each role, no matter how big or small, is written with so much passion that nothing ever feels fake. The emotions always feel genuine and never manipulative. One scene in particular has Coach White talking to one of his students up on a bridge. When it is revealed that the student has a black eye given to him by his dad we immediately predict the obvious, until it is revealed that the truth of the situation is not an actual movie cliché, but something more real and powerful. MCFARLAND USA is exactly what it needs to be. It’s both inspirational and real. Niki Caro and her writers have crafted and amazing sports tale about overcoming the obstacles that are placed in our way in order to accomplish all that we want. It is a must see for everyone, whether you are a sports fan or not.