3.5 stars out of 5
The Great Debaters, starring Denzel Washington, is the latest in the Rocky series. It is the Rocky of debating. Sound implausible? Well, actual sports do lend themselves better to the Rocky formula, but when the story is based on a true story, as this one is, it is able to pull it off alright.
The story is set in 1935 at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas. Wiley is an African-American college and Denzel Washington is the headstrong debate coach. They rise to prominence in spite of the virulent racism of the deep South in the early 1900s. It's a good story, though it is hard to get the full flavor of the debates when you only get sound bites. Football and basketball lend themselves well to highlight reels, but you really need the full picture on debates.
In any event, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to most audiences. Probably not suitable for kids, unless they are up for understanding lynchings and racism.
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