In the 54 years since Diahann Carroll (“Julia”) blazed a trail as the first Black female recipient of a TV Golden Globe, the list of small screen Black actresses who have won the favor of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has grown to include 12 more names, including 2023 comedic and dramatic champs Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”) and Zendaya (“Euphoria”). While this roster has long since covered TV movies and both continuing program genres, no Black woman has yet been awarded a Golden Globe for a limited series performance. There is a decent chance of that soon changing, however, given the winning potential of possible 2024 Best TV Movie/Limited Series Actress contenders Uzo Aduba (“Painkiller”) and Dominique Fishback (“Swarm”).
Possible Golden Globes newcomer Fishback stars on Amazon Prime Video’s “Swarm” as Dre Greene, a mentally unstable young woman whose unhealthy obsession with a Beyoncé-esque pop star drives a wedge between her and her foster sister,...
Possible Golden Globes newcomer Fishback stars on Amazon Prime Video’s “Swarm” as Dre Greene, a mentally unstable young woman whose unhealthy obsession with a Beyoncé-esque pop star drives a wedge between her and her foster sister,...
- 10/4/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Ving Rhames is an American actor known for his powerful performances in film and television. Here are some interesting facts about him:
Rhames was born Irving Rameses Rhames on May 12, 1959, in Harlem, New York [1]. He attended the High School of Performing Arts in New York City and later graduated from the State University of New York at Purchase [2]. Rhames has appeared in numerous hit films, including “Pulp Fiction,” “Con Air,” “Mission: Impossible,” and “Dawn of the Dead” [1]. He has also had success on television, starring in shows such as “ER,” “Kojak,” and “The District” [1]. Rhames is known for his deep voice and imposing physical presence, which he has used to great effect in his roles. He has been nominated for numerous awards for his work, including a Golden Globe for his performance in the television movie “Don King: Only in America” [1]. In addition to his acting career, Rhames is a...
Rhames was born Irving Rameses Rhames on May 12, 1959, in Harlem, New York [1]. He attended the High School of Performing Arts in New York City and later graduated from the State University of New York at Purchase [2]. Rhames has appeared in numerous hit films, including “Pulp Fiction,” “Con Air,” “Mission: Impossible,” and “Dawn of the Dead” [1]. He has also had success on television, starring in shows such as “ER,” “Kojak,” and “The District” [1]. Rhames is known for his deep voice and imposing physical presence, which he has used to great effect in his roles. He has been nominated for numerous awards for his work, including a Golden Globe for his performance in the television movie “Don King: Only in America” [1]. In addition to his acting career, Rhames is a...
- 3/5/2023
- by Movies Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Exclusive: Apple has rounded out the cast for its crime drama series Sinking Spring with the addition of Golden Globe winner Ving Rhames (Mission: Impossible franchise), Dustin Nguyen (The Accidental Getaway Driver), Nesta Cooper (See), Idris Debrand (Dear Edward), Liz Caribel (Pussy Island) and Will Pullen (A Little Prayer).
The actors join an ensemble led by 2023 Academy Award nom Brian Tyree Henry (of the Apple drama Causeway) which also includes Michael Mando, Marin Ireland, Kate Mulgrew and Amir Arison, as previously announced.
Related Story ‘Presumed Innocent’: Chase Infiniti, Lily Rabe, Nana Mensah, Matthew Alan & Kingston Rumi Southwick Cast In Apple TV+ Series Related Story 'The Blacklist' Star Amir Arison Joins Ridley Scott's Apple Series 'Sinking Spring' Related Story Marin Ireland Joins Apple's 'Sinking Spring' TV Series
The eight-episode series created by Top Gun: Maverick scribe Peter Craig, entering production this week in Philadelphia,...
The actors join an ensemble led by 2023 Academy Award nom Brian Tyree Henry (of the Apple drama Causeway) which also includes Michael Mando, Marin Ireland, Kate Mulgrew and Amir Arison, as previously announced.
Related Story ‘Presumed Innocent’: Chase Infiniti, Lily Rabe, Nana Mensah, Matthew Alan & Kingston Rumi Southwick Cast In Apple TV+ Series Related Story 'The Blacklist' Star Amir Arison Joins Ridley Scott's Apple Series 'Sinking Spring' Related Story Marin Ireland Joins Apple's 'Sinking Spring' TV Series
The eight-episode series created by Top Gun: Maverick scribe Peter Craig, entering production this week in Philadelphia,...
- 2/13/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Sometimes there’s no better ratings boost for an unauthorized account of a celebrity’s life than that person speaking out against it. Or in the case of HBO’s “Winning Time,” several folks. Thanks to former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson’s documented displeasure with Hulu digging into his very public life, the eight-part limited series “Mike” has landed more eyeballs. The question, however, is will they be satisfied with what they see?
Initially, the answer is no. Unlike Tyson in his heyday, “Mike” takes a minute to heat up. Despite teasing Tyson shockingly biting rival Evander Holyfield’s ear to kick off the series, the first episode “Thief” travels back to Tyson’s rough Brooklyn upbringing as the youngest child being raised by a poor, single mother of three. It’s a bleak existence that’s truly hard to watch, mostly due to Zaiden James’ very effective performance as young Mike.
Initially, the answer is no. Unlike Tyson in his heyday, “Mike” takes a minute to heat up. Despite teasing Tyson shockingly biting rival Evander Holyfield’s ear to kick off the series, the first episode “Thief” travels back to Tyson’s rough Brooklyn upbringing as the youngest child being raised by a poor, single mother of three. It’s a bleak existence that’s truly hard to watch, mostly due to Zaiden James’ very effective performance as young Mike.
- 8/25/2022
- by Ronda Racha Penrice
- The Wrap
“Black Mirror’s” loss could be HBO’s gain. After three straight Best TV Movie Emmy victories for various episodes and not meeting the new 75-minute runtime requirement, “Black Mirror” is forced to compete in drama this year, paving the way for HBO to claim its record-extending 22 win in the category with “Bad Education.”
It may be hard to remember after the “Black Mirror’s” three-peat, which followed “Sherlock’s” victory in 2016 for its special episode “The Abominable Bride,” but the Best TV Movie category used to be HBO’s domain. The network started off with a bang in 1993, triumphing in a tie for its films “Barbarians at the Gate” and “Stalin,” and then ran the table for the rest of the decade.
Since 2000, HBO has racked up 13 wins; besides the last four years, its other 21st-century losses occurred in 2000 (ABC’s “Tuesdays with Morrie” won), 2003 (TNT’s “Door to Door...
It may be hard to remember after the “Black Mirror’s” three-peat, which followed “Sherlock’s” victory in 2016 for its special episode “The Abominable Bride,” but the Best TV Movie category used to be HBO’s domain. The network started off with a bang in 1993, triumphing in a tie for its films “Barbarians at the Gate” and “Stalin,” and then ran the table for the rest of the decade.
Since 2000, HBO has racked up 13 wins; besides the last four years, its other 21st-century losses occurred in 2000 (ABC’s “Tuesdays with Morrie” won), 2003 (TNT’s “Door to Door...
- 6/9/2020
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
The majority of Reach Me writer/director John Herzfeld‘s credits involve television, from TV series like Rob Lowe’s Dr. Vegas to TV films such as 1997’s Emmy-nominated Don King: Only in America. He’s done a bit of film work, notably 15 Minutes and 2 Days in the Valley, both films with enormous, famous casts that follow the lives of many supporting characters – falling in line closely with his latest. More importantly, he’s buds with Sylvester Stallone, who helped him crowdfund this project. In the movie, a mysterious author (Tom Berenger) has written a self-help book, entitled “Reach Me,” that’s found its way into the hands of many unsuspecting Californians, slowly changing their lives and bringing them together in ways they could not have imagined. Its themes are relevant to all: freed inmates (Kyra Sedgwick), rich rappers (Nelly), and the journalists who pursue its elusive author (Kevin Connolly and Sylvester Stallone). The book will cause...
- 11/21/2014
- by Emily Estep
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Over the summer, before Sylvester Stallone returned to the big screen with his action star goons in The Expendables 3, we got a look at a completely different kind of ensemble movie in the form of Reach Me. The drama looked like Crash 2.0 as it focuses on a motivational book written by a mysterious man (Tom Berenger) which goes viral and quickly gains popularity, inspiring a journalist (Kevin Connolly), his editor (Sylvester Stallone), a former inmate (Kyra Sedgwick), a hip-hop mogul (Nelly), an actor (Cary Elwes) and an undercover cop (Thomas Jane) and more to re-evaluate their choices and decisions by confronting their fears. If that sounds cheesy already, wait until you see this melodramatic trailer. Watch? Here's the latest trailer for John Herzfeld's Reach Me from Deadline: Reach Me is written and directed by John Herzfeld (2 Days in the Valley, Don King: Only in America). The drama follows...
- 9/25/2014
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
"You're a fingerpainting. Be a masterpiece." If The Expendables 3 just isn't your cup of tea with Sylvester Stallone teaming up with a bunch of his action veteran friends like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham, Wesley Snipes, Harrison Ford, Jet Li and Kelsey Grammer for some reason, then maybe you'll want to check out Reach Me. This film also features Grammer along with Kyra Sedgwick, Kevin Connolly and more with a story that calls back to the Best Picture winning Crash. The film is a drama featuring an ensemble cast as a group of people who end up all being connected by a self-help book written by a mysterious author. This first trailer is just overflowing with melodrama, and it's not good at all. Watch? Here's the first trailer for John Herzfeld's Reach Me from YouTube: Reach Me is written and directed by John Herzfeld (2 Days in the Valley, Don King: Only in America...
- 7/7/2014
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
A trailer for the upcoming film Reach Me has been unveiled.
Lauren Cohan, Thomas Jane, Sylvester Stallone, Terry Crews, Kevin Connolly, Kelsey Grammer and Tom Berenger lead the cast of the ensemble drama.
Ryan Kwanten, Nelly, Kyra Sedgwick, Danny Aiello and Cary Elwes also have supporting roles in the story of people from disparate backgrounds who are drawn together by a self-help book.
However, the football coach-turned-author who wrote the self-help book has become a recluse following his success.
Reach Me has been written and directed by John Herzfeld, whose previous credits include 15 Minutes and Don King: Only in America.
The movie will hit cinemas on October 24 in the Us.
Lauren Cohan, Thomas Jane, Sylvester Stallone, Terry Crews, Kevin Connolly, Kelsey Grammer and Tom Berenger lead the cast of the ensemble drama.
Ryan Kwanten, Nelly, Kyra Sedgwick, Danny Aiello and Cary Elwes also have supporting roles in the story of people from disparate backgrounds who are drawn together by a self-help book.
However, the football coach-turned-author who wrote the self-help book has become a recluse following his success.
Reach Me has been written and directed by John Herzfeld, whose previous credits include 15 Minutes and Don King: Only in America.
The movie will hit cinemas on October 24 in the Us.
- 7/5/2014
- Digital Spy
It's not an Oscar moment - I should've remembered to post this when the Golden Globes were handed out - but it's still an awards moment worth sharing, and one that I'm not sure everyone is aware of. In short, Ving Rhames won a Golden Globe award in 1998 for Best Actor in a TV Mminiseries for his performance in HBO's Don King: Only in America. At the ceremony, Rhames, in tears over his win, called fellow nominee Jack Lemmon (nominated for 12 Angry Men as Juror #8) to the stage. And after Lemmon joined him, Rhames said, "I feel that being an artist is about giving, and I'd like to give this to you," and handed his Golden Globe trophy to Lemmon, who was...
- 2/24/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
I can't wait for the Golden Globes. As I like to say, the best Golden Globes drinking game is the Golden Globes. Home viewers can pretend they're detached and cynical, but they're not nearly as detached and cynical as everyone sitting at the Golden Globes. Here's a quick jaunt back through five moments I still think about, brought to you by the esteemed Hollywood Foreign Press.
1. Elizabeth Taylor announcing -- ahem -- "Guh-laaaaaad-ee-ehh-tor" as Best Picture
You know I love and appeciate Elizabeth Taylor like a post-accident Montgomery Clift, but even I had to laugh at the magic of her presence at the 2000 Golden Globes. (Yes, it was technically in 2001, but I think proper awards etiquette dictates that we name ceremonies by the year they honor. We're clear?) A discombobulated Liz read the teleprompter wrong, stared off at producers and asked, "Whaaaat?" and finally read Best Picture like she'd just discovered gold at Sutter's Mill.
1. Elizabeth Taylor announcing -- ahem -- "Guh-laaaaaad-ee-ehh-tor" as Best Picture
You know I love and appeciate Elizabeth Taylor like a post-accident Montgomery Clift, but even I had to laugh at the magic of her presence at the 2000 Golden Globes. (Yes, it was technically in 2001, but I think proper awards etiquette dictates that we name ceremonies by the year they honor. We're clear?) A discombobulated Liz read the teleprompter wrong, stared off at producers and asked, "Whaaaat?" and finally read Best Picture like she'd just discovered gold at Sutter's Mill.
- 1/12/2013
- by virtel
- The Backlot
By MoreHorror.com
The Boston International Film Festival (Biff) will be screening Slumber Party Slaughter, on Saturday April 14 at 5:30pm. AMC/Loews Boston Common, 75 Tremont St., Boston, Ma 021084.
Actors Tom Sizemore (Black Hawk Down, Pearl Harbor, Heat, and Hawaii Five-0), Robert Carradine (Revenge of the Nerds), Michael Bowen (Cabin Fever2), and Jarrod Bunch (Don King: Only in America, Good Time Max) will be attending the Boston International Film Festival for the Slumber Party Slaughter screening.
Check out the trailer below the details.
From The Press Release:
Horror feature directed by Rebekah Chaney stars Tom Sizemore, Ryan O’Neal, Robert Carradine, with Tyler Jacob Moore and Stephanie Romanov
Attending the festival screening, Sat. 4/14 @ 5:30pm, Rebekah Chaney (director), Tom Sizemore (Black Hawk Down, Saving Private Ryan, Hawaii 5-0), Robert Carradine (Revenge of the Nerds), Michael Bowen (Cabin Fever 2), Jarrod Bunch (Don King: Only in America).
Showing support for the film,...
The Boston International Film Festival (Biff) will be screening Slumber Party Slaughter, on Saturday April 14 at 5:30pm. AMC/Loews Boston Common, 75 Tremont St., Boston, Ma 021084.
Actors Tom Sizemore (Black Hawk Down, Pearl Harbor, Heat, and Hawaii Five-0), Robert Carradine (Revenge of the Nerds), Michael Bowen (Cabin Fever2), and Jarrod Bunch (Don King: Only in America, Good Time Max) will be attending the Boston International Film Festival for the Slumber Party Slaughter screening.
Check out the trailer below the details.
From The Press Release:
Horror feature directed by Rebekah Chaney stars Tom Sizemore, Ryan O’Neal, Robert Carradine, with Tyler Jacob Moore and Stephanie Romanov
Attending the festival screening, Sat. 4/14 @ 5:30pm, Rebekah Chaney (director), Tom Sizemore (Black Hawk Down, Saving Private Ryan, Hawaii 5-0), Robert Carradine (Revenge of the Nerds), Michael Bowen (Cabin Fever 2), Jarrod Bunch (Don King: Only in America).
Showing support for the film,...
- 4/13/2012
- by admin
- MoreHorror
Movie screenings are fun. Movie screenings with special guests are even better. And when Tom Sizemore is on the guest list, you know it's going to be a blast! He headlines a panel of celebrities scheduled to attend Boston International Film Festival's screening of Slumber Party Slaughter.
The screening will take on Saturday, April 14, read on for all the info. Also in attendance will be other stars of Slumber Party Slaughter, Robert Carradine, Michael Bowen, Jarrod Bunch and the film's writer/director Rebekah Chaney. Take a look at the trailer below, and if you're in the Boston area this weekend, go see Sizemore and the rest of the Slumber Party Slaughter crew.
From the Press Release
The Boston International Film Festival (Biff) will be screening Slumber Party Slaughter, on Saturday April 14 at 5:30pm atAMC/Loews Boston Common, 75 Tremont St., Boston, Ma. Attending the festival screening will be the film's director,...
The screening will take on Saturday, April 14, read on for all the info. Also in attendance will be other stars of Slumber Party Slaughter, Robert Carradine, Michael Bowen, Jarrod Bunch and the film's writer/director Rebekah Chaney. Take a look at the trailer below, and if you're in the Boston area this weekend, go see Sizemore and the rest of the Slumber Party Slaughter crew.
From the Press Release
The Boston International Film Festival (Biff) will be screening Slumber Party Slaughter, on Saturday April 14 at 5:30pm atAMC/Loews Boston Common, 75 Tremont St., Boston, Ma. Attending the festival screening will be the film's director,...
- 4/13/2012
- by Doctor Gash
- DreadCentral.com
Fans of Weeds star Mary-Louise Parker have cause to celebrate. A new movie role has been announced for the actress. Her Weeds character is no stranger to crime, and her new character may be a little bit of the same. The drama is called Jamesy Boy.
Joining Parker are Ving Rhames and James Woods for the Trevor White directed and co-written project. This is White’s feature film debut. Shooting starts March 4th in Baltimore, Maryland. The lead role of James was won by newcomer Spencer LoFranco.
James is based on a real life teenager by the name of James Burns. He goes from life in a street gang, to a stint in a scary maximum-security prison populated with the worst kind of criminals. Believe it or not, it is in prison where James bonds with a convicted murderer. Are you thinking this story is just a tad like Shawshank?...
Joining Parker are Ving Rhames and James Woods for the Trevor White directed and co-written project. This is White’s feature film debut. Shooting starts March 4th in Baltimore, Maryland. The lead role of James was won by newcomer Spencer LoFranco.
James is based on a real life teenager by the name of James Burns. He goes from life in a street gang, to a stint in a scary maximum-security prison populated with the worst kind of criminals. Believe it or not, it is in prison where James bonds with a convicted murderer. Are you thinking this story is just a tad like Shawshank?...
- 2/24/2012
- by Sasha Nova
- Boomtron
An Aardman Production For Sony Pictures Animation Martin Freeman, David Tennant, Imelda Staunton, Jeremy Piven, Salma Hayek, Brian Blessed, Brendan Gleeson, Russell Tovey, and Ashley Jensen Also On Board
Culver City, Calif. – Hugh Grant will voice the lead role alongside an all-star cast in The Pirates! Band Of Misfits, the new stop-motion, 3D, animated film produced by Aardman Animations for Sony Pictures Animation. The film, which will be distributed by Columbia Pictures, will be released March 30, 2012 in North America.
Hugh Grant, starring in his first animated role, is the luxuriantly bearded Pirate Captain – a boundlessly enthusiastic, if somewhat less-than-successful, terror of the High Seas. With a rag-tag crew at his side (Martin Freeman, Brendan Gleeson, Russell Tovey, and Ashley Jensen), and seemingly blind to the impossible odds stacked against him, the Captain has one dream: to beat his bitter rivals Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) to...
Culver City, Calif. – Hugh Grant will voice the lead role alongside an all-star cast in The Pirates! Band Of Misfits, the new stop-motion, 3D, animated film produced by Aardman Animations for Sony Pictures Animation. The film, which will be distributed by Columbia Pictures, will be released March 30, 2012 in North America.
Hugh Grant, starring in his first animated role, is the luxuriantly bearded Pirate Captain – a boundlessly enthusiastic, if somewhat less-than-successful, terror of the High Seas. With a rag-tag crew at his side (Martin Freeman, Brendan Gleeson, Russell Tovey, and Ashley Jensen), and seemingly blind to the impossible odds stacked against him, the Captain has one dream: to beat his bitter rivals Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) to...
- 5/17/2011
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Exclusive: Ving Rhames has been tapped to play the title character in Comedy Central's pilot Black Jack, lifting the contingency on the project. The single-camera comedy, directed and executive produced by Pineapple Express helmer David Gordon Green, hails from Rough House, Green's production company with Danny McBride, Jody Hill and Matt Reilly. Written by Michael Starrbury, it centers on Black Jack (Rhames) who, after 20 years as the most kick-ass special ops agent the Us government has had on its payroll, finally goes too far and is de-commissioned. Comedy Central picked up the pilot last month contingent on finding the right actor for the lead. Green, Starrbury, McBride, Hill and Reilly are exec producing. This is the second time Rhames, repped by Innovative and Kramer Management, would play the title role in a series, following his starring turn on USA's Kojak remake in 2005. He also played the title character in...
- 4/27/2011
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
HBO is back in business with writer Kario Salem, who won an Emmy for penning the channel's 1997 biopic Don King: Only in America.
Salem is developing a miniseries about the Third Crusade, the 12th century clash between Islam and Christianity, told through the eyes of their respective leaders, Saladin and Richard the Lionheart.
"This is not some dry historical costume drama," Salem said. "This is a personal story. I think it of it as a medieval gangster epic."
The project would be a co-production between HBO and U.K.'s Channel 4, with executive producers attached who are longform veterans at HBO: Tony To (From the Earth to the Moon) and George Faber (Elizabeth).
"Tony has been there with me from the beginning on this," Salem said of To, whose credits also include Band of Brothers. Salem also has worked with HBO before, receiving an Emmy nomination for another biopic, The Rat Pack.
Salem is particularly enthused about offering a fresh angle on the storied life of Richard the Lionheart, best known from the classic The Lion in Winter.
HBO is no stranger to the sword-and-sandal genre, having finished work on two seasons of the series Rome, which returns to the channel next month.
Salem is developing a miniseries about the Third Crusade, the 12th century clash between Islam and Christianity, told through the eyes of their respective leaders, Saladin and Richard the Lionheart.
"This is not some dry historical costume drama," Salem said. "This is a personal story. I think it of it as a medieval gangster epic."
The project would be a co-production between HBO and U.K.'s Channel 4, with executive producers attached who are longform veterans at HBO: Tony To (From the Earth to the Moon) and George Faber (Elizabeth).
"Tony has been there with me from the beginning on this," Salem said of To, whose credits also include Band of Brothers. Salem also has worked with HBO before, receiving an Emmy nomination for another biopic, The Rat Pack.
Salem is particularly enthused about offering a fresh angle on the storied life of Richard the Lionheart, best known from the classic The Lion in Winter.
HBO is no stranger to the sword-and-sandal genre, having finished work on two seasons of the series Rome, which returns to the channel next month.
- 12/12/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Taking its cue from the life of Ken Carter, a California high school basketball coach who turned a team of underachievers into winners both on the court and in the classroom, Coach Carter essentially serves up nothing that we haven't seen countless times before in the Stand and Deliver⁄Lean on Me⁄Hoosiers⁄Remember the Titans tradition.
But even though it adds very little to that well-traveled inspirational genre, it goes to show that you can hit all the usual posts and still manage to stand out from the pack if you've got a guy the caliber of Samuel L. Jackson on your team.
Thanks mainly to his considerable presence, Coach Carter works more effectively than expected, although, carrying the unnecessary weight of an almost 21⁄2-hour running time, it doesn't always move with the grace of a trained athlete.
The big question is how many people will come out and pay to see something that seems so familiar, however truthful the source or noble the intention. Obviously Paramount and Tollin⁄Robbins, the production team who has done well in this arena in the past with such movies as Varsity Blues and Radio, are hoping for big turnouts, but the picture will probably have its greatest payoff on video.
Directed with a sturdy efficiency by Emmy winner Thomas Carter (Don King: Only in America), who, incidentally, is not related to his subject, the film takes a straight-ahead approach in retelling the events that brought Ken Carter first cheers and then jeers in his efforts to turn around the members of the Richmond High Oilers.
When Carter Jackson) returns to the school he attended -- still holding a number of his old team's records -- it's late 1998, and things at Richmond High have definitely taken a turn for the worse.
As it turns out, Carter has more than the basketball championship on his agenda. Sure, he successfully turns his team into contenders who have an enviable undefeated record, but when his players fail to keep their part of the bargain on the academic front -- he had them all sign contracts -- he padlocks the doors to the gym and benches the entire team until their grades improve.
That decision causes an uproar among parents and teachers alike, attracting national news coverage and assuring Carter a place in the inspirational sports movie pantheon.
The script, credited to One Tree Hill creator Mark Schwahn and busy Tollins⁄Robbins scribe John Gatins (Hardball, Summer Catch), gets the job done without really ever breaking a sweat on the originality front.
Although director Carter, who did well by Save the Last Dance, occasionally allows the necessary element of tension to slacken and the movie never sufficiently builds to a crowd-rousing crescendo, he gets committed performances out of his young cast, including singer Ashanti, who makes an impressive acting debut as the pregnant girlfriend of one of the players.
But it's ultimately Jackson, with a winning combination of no-nonsense authority and quirky charisma, not to mention a love of flashy neckties, who breathes life into the film bearing his character's real name.
He makes Coach Carter a guy you'd like to meet, even though you could have sworn you've met him many times before.
Coach Carter
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures presents an MTV Films Tollin/Robbins production
A Thomas Carter film
Credits: Director: Thomas Carter
Screenwriters: Mark Schwahn, John Gatins
Producers: Brian Robbins, Mike Tollin, David Gale
Executive producers: Van Toffler, Thomas Carter, Sharla Sumpter, Caitlin Scanlon
Director of photography: Sharone Meir
Production designer: Carlos Barbosa
Editor: Peter Berger
Costume designer: Debrae Little
Music: Trevor Rabin
Music supervisor: Jennifer Hawks
Casting: Sarah Halley Finn, Randi Hiller
Cast:
Coach Ken Carter: Samuel L. Jackson
Damien Carter: Robert Ri'chard
Kenyan: Rob Brown
Tonya Carter: Debbi Morgan
Kyra: Ashanti
Timo Cruz: Rick Gonzalez
Worm: Antwon Tanner
Junior Battle: Nana Gbewonyo
Jason Lyle: Channing Tatum
Maddux: Texas Battle
Principal Garrison: Denise Dowse
MPAA rating PG-13
Running time -- 140 minutes...
But even though it adds very little to that well-traveled inspirational genre, it goes to show that you can hit all the usual posts and still manage to stand out from the pack if you've got a guy the caliber of Samuel L. Jackson on your team.
Thanks mainly to his considerable presence, Coach Carter works more effectively than expected, although, carrying the unnecessary weight of an almost 21⁄2-hour running time, it doesn't always move with the grace of a trained athlete.
The big question is how many people will come out and pay to see something that seems so familiar, however truthful the source or noble the intention. Obviously Paramount and Tollin⁄Robbins, the production team who has done well in this arena in the past with such movies as Varsity Blues and Radio, are hoping for big turnouts, but the picture will probably have its greatest payoff on video.
Directed with a sturdy efficiency by Emmy winner Thomas Carter (Don King: Only in America), who, incidentally, is not related to his subject, the film takes a straight-ahead approach in retelling the events that brought Ken Carter first cheers and then jeers in his efforts to turn around the members of the Richmond High Oilers.
When Carter Jackson) returns to the school he attended -- still holding a number of his old team's records -- it's late 1998, and things at Richmond High have definitely taken a turn for the worse.
As it turns out, Carter has more than the basketball championship on his agenda. Sure, he successfully turns his team into contenders who have an enviable undefeated record, but when his players fail to keep their part of the bargain on the academic front -- he had them all sign contracts -- he padlocks the doors to the gym and benches the entire team until their grades improve.
That decision causes an uproar among parents and teachers alike, attracting national news coverage and assuring Carter a place in the inspirational sports movie pantheon.
The script, credited to One Tree Hill creator Mark Schwahn and busy Tollins⁄Robbins scribe John Gatins (Hardball, Summer Catch), gets the job done without really ever breaking a sweat on the originality front.
Although director Carter, who did well by Save the Last Dance, occasionally allows the necessary element of tension to slacken and the movie never sufficiently builds to a crowd-rousing crescendo, he gets committed performances out of his young cast, including singer Ashanti, who makes an impressive acting debut as the pregnant girlfriend of one of the players.
But it's ultimately Jackson, with a winning combination of no-nonsense authority and quirky charisma, not to mention a love of flashy neckties, who breathes life into the film bearing his character's real name.
He makes Coach Carter a guy you'd like to meet, even though you could have sworn you've met him many times before.
Coach Carter
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures presents an MTV Films Tollin/Robbins production
A Thomas Carter film
Credits: Director: Thomas Carter
Screenwriters: Mark Schwahn, John Gatins
Producers: Brian Robbins, Mike Tollin, David Gale
Executive producers: Van Toffler, Thomas Carter, Sharla Sumpter, Caitlin Scanlon
Director of photography: Sharone Meir
Production designer: Carlos Barbosa
Editor: Peter Berger
Costume designer: Debrae Little
Music: Trevor Rabin
Music supervisor: Jennifer Hawks
Casting: Sarah Halley Finn, Randi Hiller
Cast:
Coach Ken Carter: Samuel L. Jackson
Damien Carter: Robert Ri'chard
Kenyan: Rob Brown
Tonya Carter: Debbi Morgan
Kyra: Ashanti
Timo Cruz: Rick Gonzalez
Worm: Antwon Tanner
Junior Battle: Nana Gbewonyo
Jason Lyle: Channing Tatum
Maddux: Texas Battle
Principal Garrison: Denise Dowse
MPAA rating PG-13
Running time -- 140 minutes...
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