Opening

72% Fast & Furious 6 May 24
21% The Hangover Part III May 23
63% Epic May 24
97% Before Midnight May 24
85% We Steal Secrets: The Story Of Wikileaks May 24
83% Fill the Void May 24
17% A Green Story May 24
—— Alyce Kills May 24

Top Box Office

87% Star Trek Into Darkness $70.2M
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55% Oblivion $2.3M
99% Mud $2.2M
36% Peeples $2.2M
8% The Big Wedding $1.2M

Coming Soon

—— After Earth May 31
—— Now You See Me May 31
100% The Kings of Summer May 31
90% The East May 31

The Great Debaters (2007)

tomatometer

78

Average Rating: 7/10
Reviews Counted: 130
Fresh: 102 | Rotten: 28

A wonderful cast and top-notch script elevate The Great Debaters beyond a familiar formula for a touching, uplifting drama.

73

Average Rating: 6.8/10
Critic Reviews: 41
Fresh: 30 | Rotten: 11

A wonderful cast and top-notch script elevate The Great Debaters beyond a familiar formula for a touching, uplifting drama.

audience

86

liked it
Average Rating: 3.8/5
User Ratings: 115,585

My Rating

Movie Info

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

PG-13,

Drama

Robert Eisele

May 13, 2008

$30.0M

MGM - Official Site External Icon

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Cast

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All Critics (137) | Top Critics (43) | Fresh (105) | Rotten (28) | DVD (12)

As for Mr. Parker and Ms. Smollett, there's no debating what awaits them -- stardom, very soon.

January 3, 2008 Full Review Source: Wall Street Journal
Wall Street Journal
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The Great Debaters succeeds in bringing a lump to the throat without, as is de rigueur these days, insulting our intelligence.

January 3, 2008 Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor
Christian Science Monitor
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The film may be manipulative in its construction, and cliché-ridden in some of the incidents it recounts, but it has a good, large heart.

December 28, 2007 Full Review Source: TIME Magazine
TIME Magazine
Top Critic IconTop Critic

...The Great Debaters soars with words and feeling.

December 28, 2007 Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Top Critic IconTop Critic

It's important, it's deeply inspiring, it's something from our not-so-distant past we must not forget, and it should be must-see viewing for high school and college students of all backgrounds.

December 26, 2007
Ebert & Roeper
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A rouser, a stunner, almost a jubilee of emotion and suspense by the old standards of Hollywood melodrama, circa the time the actual events themselves took place.

December 26, 2007 Full Review Source: Washington Post
Washington Post
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Washington directed as well as starred, and it is clear he has no trouble wearing both hats at once

September 8, 2008 Full Review Source: ReelzChannel.com

This is a wonderfully acted and directed movie, that has something important to say

August 22, 2008 Full Review
Sin Magazine

Inspiring true story confronts racism head-on.

July 9, 2008 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media | Comment (1)
Common Sense Media

I was having mediocre day and I walked out of the movie totally pumped up and ready for the rest of the day, even though it was 10pm at night.

June 1, 2008 Full Review Source: WJFK-FM (CBS Radio)
WJFK-FM (CBS Radio)

All of the fibs aside, there is still much to recommend here.

May 9, 2008 Full Review Source: NewsBlaze
NewsBlaze

There's a real organic sense in the film of how young minds can be nurtured and energized way beyond sex, sports and slacker attitude, into caring and evolving kid works-in-progress. And how debating can be pretty cool too, who knew?

May 2, 2008 Full Review Source: NewsBlaze
NewsBlaze

There's a real organic sense in the film of how young minds can be nurtured and energized way beyond sex, sports and slacker attitude, into caring and evolving kid works-in-progress. And how debating can be pretty cool too, who knew?

May 2, 2008 Full Review Source: NewsBlaze
NewsBlaze

The acting is great and care is taken to develop these characters into people we can root for.

April 10, 2008 Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope
Laramie Movie Scope

Enough fictional liberties were taken with The Great Debaters to make it fit neatly on the inspirational genre shelf, but it's grounded in enough reality to excuse Eisle's we-shall-overcome contrivances

March 17, 2008 Full Review Source: Las Vegas CityLife

Audience Reviews for The Great Debaters

Inspiring American story that''s told much like a sports movie - very much a "feel-good" film, not amazing but quite enjoyable.
January 28, 2008
danperry17

Super Reviewer

an amazing film without question. let me start with my disclaimer, denzel admitted to knowingly and willfully changing major facts in this story for the purpose of manufacturing extra "inspiration". I am strongly against this practice in films based on true stories. if the story is worth telling, tell it the way it happened, if you need to change the story too much then its not worth telling. the acting on every front was absolutely phenomenal, the story despite the inaccuracies was beautiful, and the film was shot well and very engaging.
December 21, 2007
sanjurosamurai
danny d

Super Reviewer

    1. James Farmer Sr.: Are you fooling around with that girl son?
    – Submitted by Jesse K (5 months ago)
    1. Henry Lowe: I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself.
    – Submitted by Agbomeji O (5 months ago)
    1. Melvin B. Tolson: Debate is blood sport. It's combat. But your weapons are words.
    – Submitted by Vishal S (7 months ago)
    1. Henry Lowe: Who is the judge?
    2. James Farmer Jr.: The judge is God.
    3. Henry Lowe: And why is he God?
    4. James Farmer Jr.: Because, he decides who wins or loses, not my opponent.
    5. Henry Lowe: And who is your opponent?
    6. James Farmer Jr.: He doesn't exist.
    7. Henry Lowe: And why doesn't he exist?
    8. James Farmer Jr.: Because, he is a dissenting voice to the truth I speak.
    – Submitted by Mani K (12 months ago)
    1. Harvard Debater #1: Nothing that erodes the rule of law can be mortal, no matter what name we give it.
    – Submitted by Mani K (12 months ago)
    1. Samantha Booke: Majority doesn't decide what is right or wrong, one's conscience does.
    – Submitted by Mani K (12 months ago)

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