The clear irony of this genre is that it seeks to tell the story of a rebel in as conventional a way as possible.
Coach Carter (2005)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:141
Fresh:90
Rotten:51
Average Rating:6/10
Consensus: Like a good point guard, Samuel L. Jackson is the clear leader on the floor in a film that critics say transcends its formula trappings to be inspirational. However, some have said the film is too preachy and too long.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for violence, sexual content, language, teen partying and some drug material.
Runtime: 2 hrs 16 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Jan 14, 2005 Wide
Box Office: $67,169,549
Synopsis: In the tradition of LEAN ON ME and DANGEROUS MINDS comes COACH CARTER, an inspirational drama starring Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson portrays real-life figure Ken Carter, who graduated from... In the tradition of LEAN ON ME and DANGEROUS MINDS comes COACH CARTER, an inspirational drama starring Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson portrays real-life figure Ken Carter, who graduated from California's Richmond High only to return there years later, in 1999, and take over as head coach of the boys' basketball team. Unfortunately, the troubled school he remembered as a teenager is an even more insufferable place in his adulthood. Determined to make a change in his players' lives, Carter makes each young man sign a contract that ensures he will maintain a 2.3 GPA, attend every class, and wear a jacket and tie on game day. Of course, the players reject the contract at first, but when they realize that they don't have any other choice, they give in. And when it appears that their tough-as-nails coach is actually turning them into winners on the court, they embrace their coach's philosophy even further. But when Coach Carter receives the incomprehensibly awful progress reports of his players, he does the unthinkable: he benches the entire team. Directed by Thomas Carter (SAVE THE LAST DANCE), COACH CARTER is a sensitive drama that features an impassioned performance by Jackson, as well as the impressive young cast (most notably Rob Brown, Rick Gonzalez, and Robert Ri'Chard). [More]
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Ri'chard, Rob Brown, Debbi Morgan
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Ri'chard, Rob Brown, Debbi Morgan, Ashanti, Antwon Tanner, Ramsey Gbelawoe
Director: Thomas Carter
Director: Thomas Carter
Screenwriter: Mark Schwahn, John Gatins
Producer: Brian Robbins, Mike Tollin, David Gale
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Get This Movie
Rent DVD
Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.
Buy DVD
Release:
Jul 21, 2009
Blu-ray Disc Features:
- Region 1
- NTSC
- Keep Case
- Letterbox - 1.85
- Widescreen - 1.78
Audio:
- Dolby Digital - English, French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
- Subtitles - English (SDH), English, French, Spanish
Additional Release Material:
- Deleted Scenes
- Music Video: Hope - Music Video by Twista featuring Faith Evans
- Trailers: Theatrical Trailer HD
- Behind the Scenes: Writing Coach Carter: The Two Man Game
Featurette:
- 1. Coach Carter: The Man Behind The Movie
- 2. Fast Break At Richmond High
- 3. Coach Carter: Making The Cut
Reviews for Coach Carter
If only Shaq and Kobe had Coach Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson) at the helm, the two fellas would be holding hands, frolicking in fields of daisies and racking up a few more NBA titles.
Samuel L. Jackson plays the real-life coach of a high school basketball team in this solid, unsurprising sports drama.
The kind of boot-strap-pulling, tear-duct-tickling, I-am-Spartacus-crowing movie-on-a-mission that might rankle more cynical movie goers but sets hearts aflutter for most everyone else.
Treats its subject in such a neutered, worshipful fashion that it ultimately does the actual accomplishment a disservice.
When critics join in accepting this junk, is it any wonder few directors bother with fresh visions?
Samuel L. Jackson's intense, dynamic presence lifts this film above the usual sports movie and makes it one to remember.
Not even Jackson's thundering dynamism lifts the drama from mediocrity.
The movie's 'message' -- life is more than just sports -- is delivered with the delicacy of a piano dropped from a fifth-story window.
God love Coach Carter and what he's done to improve real kids' educations. But movies shouldn't feel like school, even when their subject is learning.
Thank goodness then for go-to guy Jackson. He takes what could have been a cardboard cliche role and puts flesh on it with his flamboyant intelligence.
If you can claw your way through some ugly material and shoddy direction, there are some good messages here that can be warmly received.
By making the choices the filmmakers did here, we get a movie that may not be profound, but it's both highly entertaining for its sports and fascinating for its social issues.
If you've spent a week with CBS' prime-time lineup, you've heard this tune a million times.
Features bursts of humor and electrifying energy offset by speechifying and a dud of a subplot.
Inimitable, irrepressible and possibly the coolest man alive, Jackson ranks as the best reason to catch this Hoosiers in the 'hood. Happily, he's not the only one.
Latest News for Coach Carter
March 22, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Six New Films Try to Shoot Down Spartans From #1 Spot
A half-dozen new soldiers enter the marketplace this weekend trying to topple the kingdom of "300" which has reigned supreme at the box office for the past two weeks. More...
January 15, 2007:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: "Stomp" Steps All Over New Releases
Stomping into the number one spot over the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend was the college dance drama "Stomp the Yard," which grossed an estimated $22M in... More...
October 27, 2006:
The Weekly Ketchup: "Casino Royale" Goodies, "The Dark Knight" Heads East, No Governator In "Terminator 4," And More!
In this week's Ketchup, we get the latest scoop on "Casino Royale," "The Dark Knight" has a possible new filming location, and because he has other... More...
September 14, 2006:
Box Office Guru Preview: Rock's "Gang" Aims to Score Big
Following the worst box office weekend in three years, Hollywood has nowhere to go but up. It hopes. More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 24% 24% | G-Force |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 90% 90% | District 9 |
| 86% 86% | 500 Days of Summer |
| 63% 63% | Extract |
| 06% 06% | All About Steve |
| 78% 78% | It Might Get Loud |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- Coach Carter at Rotten Tomatoes
- Coach Carter at IGN
- Coach Carter at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Last week, MSN gave us their top 09 films. Now see what their favorites of the decade are!

Here's a list of the 50 best movies of 2009, according to the good people over at Moviefone.

Hollywood.com takes a stab at determining who in movies will be on Santa's naughty list in 2009.

TIME chimes in with their own list of the best films released this year.

Click through to see which movies BuzzSugar placed in their Best-of-Decade list!
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic



