McFarland, USA (Niki Coro, 2015): USA

Reviewed by e Howard Green. Seen at the Arlington Theatre, Santa Barbara, February 7, 2015.

How can the “feel good” Walt Disney Pictures movie McFarland, USA, about youthful runners overcoming disadvantages, dilute the warm glow from an audience?  By repeated product placement of a beverage product!  One that was so blatantly featured that it diverted the viewers attention from the beauty of the settings, the courage of the runners, and the chutzpah of the coach.  Even if a variety of different branded products were included, such presence would add nothing to the story.  The crass commercial inclusion of this one product was upsetting to this viewer, and I can believe to many in the audience.

The story line begins with the move of a high school sports coach Jim White (Kevin Costner) to a “last grasp” type of teaching job in a rural, mostly Hispanic community in California’s San Joaquin Valley, where his family may be the only “Anglo” residents in this Latino town.   Eventually White discovers a hidden skill among the students, the ability to run fast, and helps them to found a Cross Country Team.  It is no spoiler to reveal that after losses in initial meets, they train hard and become competitive runners.

Credit must be given to the seven young men who played the roles of the runners; they were awesome in their acting.  Also impressive was the closing roll where the real life 1987 team was shown, still running regularly, a quarter-century later, with their life stories and present occupations shown.  The festivals closing night audience burst out in applause as each man’s mini-bio was presented.

The Ventura Star newspaper reported that some scenes were filmed in nearby Camarillo. Also recognized were vistas and trails in the hills above Stanford University.  The beauty of the locations and photography contributed to the overall story line, despite the inclusion of the poor community of McFarland itself.

This is a sports drama genre film, with special appeal to Californians and Latinos.