The Great Debaters (2007)
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.
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.
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Average Rating: 3.8/5
User Ratings: 115,585
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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
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Cast
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Denzel Washington
Melvin B. Tolson -
Forest Whitaker
James Farmer Sr. -
Nate Parker
Henry Lowe -
Jurnee Smollett
Samantha Booke -
Denzel Whitaker
James Farmer Jr. -
Jermaine Williams
Hamilton Burgess -
Gina Ravera
Ruth Tolson -
John Heard
Sheriff Dozier -
Kimberly Elise
Pearl Farmer -
Devyn Tyler
Helen Farmer -
Trenton McClain Boyd
Nathanial Farmer -
Ritchie Montgomery
Deputy -
Jackson Walker
Pig Owner -
Tim Parati
Pig Farmer -
Robert X. Golphin
Dunbar Reed -
Justice Leak
Harland Osbourne -
Glen Powell Jr.
Harvard Debater #1 -
Brad Watkins
Harvard Debater #2 -
Brian Smiar
Harvard Dean -
Damien Leake
Wilson -
Voltaire Rico Sterling
Paul Quinn Debater #1 -
Steve Rider
Paul Quinn Debater #2 -
Gordon Daniels
Paul Quinn Debate Judge -
Donny Boaz
Oklahoma City College D... -
Sam Whisnant
Oklahoma City College D... -
Bonnie Johnson
Dr. Jennings -
Charissa Allen
Benita -
Michael Beasley
Trudell -
Gary Mathis
Enormous Man -
George Wilson
Samuel -
Fahnlohnee R. Harris
Clementine -
Harold Evans
William Taylor -
J.D. Evermore
Captain Wainwright -
Sharon Jones
Lila -
Kelvin Payton
Joseph -
Southey Blanton
White Labor Organizer -
Michael Mattison
White Sharecropper #1 -
Jeff Braun
White Sharecropper #2 -
Milton R. Gipson
Prairie View Professor -
Frank Ridley
Security Guard -
Jeremiah Kissel
Radio Announcer at Harv... -
Jack Radosta
White Man at Lynching -
Marcus Lyle Brown
Howard Debater #1 -
Alvin Youngblood Hart
Juke Joint Musician #1 -
Dominique Flemons
Juke Joint Musician #2 -
Justin Robinson
Juke Joint Musician #3 -
Rhiannon Giddens
Juke Joint Musician #4 -
Ahmad Powell
Fisk Professor -
Gregory Nicotero
Puppeteer -
Gino Crognale
Puppeteer -
Michael Deak
Puppeteer -
Alex Diaz
Puppeteer
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The Great Debaters Trailer & Photos
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.
Top CriticThe Great Debaters succeeds in bringing a lump to the throat without, as is de rigueur these days, insulting our intelligence.
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.
...The Great Debaters soars with words and feeling.
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.
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.
Washington directed as well as starred, and it is clear he has no trouble wearing both hats at once
This is a wonderfully acted and directed movie, that has something important to say
Inspiring true story confronts racism head-on.
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.
All of the fibs aside, there is still much to recommend here.
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?
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?
The acting is great and care is taken to develop these characters into people we can root for.
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
Audience Reviews for The Great Debaters
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
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- James Farmer Sr.: Are you fooling around with that girl son?
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- Henry Lowe: I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself.
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- Melvin B. Tolson: Debate is blood sport. It's combat. But your weapons are words.
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- Henry Lowe: Who is the judge?
- James Farmer Jr.: The judge is God.
- Henry Lowe: And why is he God?
- James Farmer Jr.: Because, he decides who wins or loses, not my opponent.
- Henry Lowe: And who is your opponent?
- James Farmer Jr.: He doesn't exist.
- Henry Lowe: And why doesn't he exist?
- James Farmer Jr.: Because, he is a dissenting voice to the truth I speak.
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- Harvard Debater #1: Nothing that erodes the rule of law can be mortal, no matter what name we give it.
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- Samantha Booke: Majority doesn't decide what is right or wrong, one's conscience does.
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