2008 Woodie Awards
"Pride" is proudly unoriginal
Caitlin Boersma
Issue date: 3/2/07 Section: A&E
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"Pride" is an inspirational sports movie that leads the characters through prejudice and adversity to see them miraculously triumph in the end. No, actually, you have not seen this movie before. It only seems like you have because of the gazillion other sports movies that follow the same formula as "Pride."
The Lion's Gate promoters claim that everyone will feel connected to this heartwarming story. That may be true, because we have all seen a movie like this one.
Sunu Gonera directs this film, and his only other film credentials are that he was an actor in the movie "In My Country." The cast is headed by Academy Award nominee Terrence Howard and the supporting cast includes Bernie Mac and Tom Arnold. I realize that this alone has probably convinced you to see the film, but perhaps I can persuade you otherwise.
The movie is based on the true story of Jim Ellis who began the PDR (Philadelphia Department of Recreation) swim team at the Marcus Foster Recreation Center in 1971. Ellis still coaches the nationally recognized, predominantly African-American swim team.
The movie begins with Ellis (Howard) being kicked out of a college swim meet for being African-American. He refuses to leave and is forcefully removed and arrested by brutal police officers. After stating the dominant themes, adversity and racism, the movie cuts to the post-graduate Ellis in 1974.
After applying for a job at the preppy, all-white Main Line swim club and being turned down by Coach Bink (Arnold), Ellis grudgingly accepts a job from the city. His assignment is to clean up the Marcus Foster Center in preparation for its demolition.
The center, which is essentially a dump, is only used for its yard. The local youth spend their days outside playing basketball where the neighborhood thug, Franklin (Gary Sturgis), sells drugs and tempts the well-meaning teens with a profitable life of crime.
Ellis, who only took the job as a last resort, suddenly brightens when he sees a dirty, broken lane line in a pile of junk through which he is sifting. In the next scene he is in his college Speedo and swimming morning laps. He apparently cleaned out the pool, which had previously been used only for storage, and filled it with water from a garden hose in the span of only a day.
The Lion's Gate promoters claim that everyone will feel connected to this heartwarming story. That may be true, because we have all seen a movie like this one.
Sunu Gonera directs this film, and his only other film credentials are that he was an actor in the movie "In My Country." The cast is headed by Academy Award nominee Terrence Howard and the supporting cast includes Bernie Mac and Tom Arnold. I realize that this alone has probably convinced you to see the film, but perhaps I can persuade you otherwise.
The movie is based on the true story of Jim Ellis who began the PDR (Philadelphia Department of Recreation) swim team at the Marcus Foster Recreation Center in 1971. Ellis still coaches the nationally recognized, predominantly African-American swim team.
The movie begins with Ellis (Howard) being kicked out of a college swim meet for being African-American. He refuses to leave and is forcefully removed and arrested by brutal police officers. After stating the dominant themes, adversity and racism, the movie cuts to the post-graduate Ellis in 1974.
After applying for a job at the preppy, all-white Main Line swim club and being turned down by Coach Bink (Arnold), Ellis grudgingly accepts a job from the city. His assignment is to clean up the Marcus Foster Center in preparation for its demolition.
The center, which is essentially a dump, is only used for its yard. The local youth spend their days outside playing basketball where the neighborhood thug, Franklin (Gary Sturgis), sells drugs and tempts the well-meaning teens with a profitable life of crime.
Ellis, who only took the job as a last resort, suddenly brightens when he sees a dirty, broken lane line in a pile of junk through which he is sifting. In the next scene he is in his college Speedo and swimming morning laps. He apparently cleaned out the pool, which had previously been used only for storage, and filled it with water from a garden hose in the span of only a day.
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