Movie review – “Coach Carter” (2005) **1/2

Sam Jackson as a bad ass – only this time a bad ass in a suit who wants to emphasise the importance of a good education. He coaches a high school basketball team to victories but shuts them out when his grades fall. Apparently the real Coach Carter was supported by the headmaster but here there is some movie-ish conflict put it; I also didn’t buy the parents throwing bricks through windows (I mean, Carter’s coaching is what turned the team around – and he is pushing for an education). It would have been more believable if, say, he got opposition from coaches or teachers who are threatened by Carter’s actions (NB something along this line is shown but not really gone into). The most interesting thing about the movie is a subplot where one of the player’s girlfriends gets pregnant and wants to have a baby; I was watching “this film is shoving the pro-life message down our throats a bit strong”... but then she has an abortion. And isn’t punished for doing so. There are some nice flashy visuals and Jackson is in strong form; interesting subplot with his son one of the players.