His impact on and off the camera is unmeasurable and is a large part of what made this movie so emotional for its viewers. The great debaters 2007 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. With denzel washington, forest whitaker, kimberly elise, nate parker. Rocket science, a film where policy is debated, won the dramatic directing prize at the sundance film festival and resolved is a documentary that takes a fresh look at the whole style and format of debating. The great debaters is a 2007 american biographical drama film directed by and starring. Aug 21, 2014 based on a true story, the plot revolves around the efforts of debate coach melvin b. 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 harvards elite squad a run for their money, denzel washingtons 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. During the great depressionan age when segregation was in full swing and black americans were seen by many white americans as intellectually inferiorwiley was an unlikely debating powerhouse. A wonderful cast and topnotch script elevate the great debaters beyond a familiar formula for a touching, uplifting drama. So, in the spirit of tomorrow, i introduce to you, today, the debaters from wiley college.
Dec 25, 2007 the great debaters is a great film for sparking conversation, especially with your kids. Inspired by a true story, the great debaters chronicles the journey of professor melvin tolson denzel washington, a brilliant but volatile debate team coach who uses the power of words to shape a group of underdog. The great debaters isnt the only film about debating released last year. From this, issues of predominantly black and white thought, sexism and racism arise and are critiqued heavily throughout the film. Smallest size with best quality and fast downloads at. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
This movie goes to show that great actors can also be great directors. It has mild sexual situations and some strong language. Movie speech the great debaters 2007 wiley college vs. The great debaters was inspired by wiley college, a traditionally africanamerican school in marshall, and melvin tolson, its iconic debate coach.
A wonderful cast and topnotch script elevate the great debaters. It is an inspirational movie based on the true story of the debate team consisting of four students and their professor from wiley college, in marshall, texas. It is based off of the debate team of wiley college, a small religious black school in east texas, during the great depression in the 1930s. In 1935, he inspired students to form the schools first debate team, which went on to. Dec 26, 2007 the great debaters is this years major entry to this rather dubious genre. The great debaters where to stream and watch decider. Tolson, a professor at wiley college in texas who, in 1935, inspired students to form the schools first debate team, which went on to challenge harvard in the national championship. From main characters to cameos and minor roles, these characters are a huge part of what made the movie so great. Released december 25th, 2007, the great debaters stars denzel washington, forest whitaker, nate parker, jurnee smollettbell the pg movie has a runtime of about 2 hr 7 min, and received a. The great debaters movie excerpts speech analysis first harvard debater. The great debaters takes to the dvd stage and delivers its message along with an audio commentary, deleted scenes, music videos, and a textphoto.
Although denzel has acted in over 40 movies and produced several more, this is only the second movie for him to. Civil disobedience is a moral weapon in the fight for justice. Throughout the great debaters, the line of division between black people and white people is drawn and depicted through the education of the wiley college students. The great debaters was written by robert eisele and produced by todd black, kate forte, oprah winfrey and joe roth. Dec 24, 2007 the most recent home video release of the great debaters movie is january 11, 2011. These characters from the movie the great debaters are ordered by their prominence in the film, so the most recognizable roles are at the top of the list. Inspired by the critically acclaimed hollywood film the great debaters, the real great debaters of wiley college unveils the true story of wiley colleges 1935 debate team and their groundbreaking. The 2007 film the great debaters shows viewers the triumphant rise of the 1935 wiley college debate team from littleknown team to national champion with a victory over the harvard university debate team. The movie starts in the 1930s when the northern states treated african americans better and the southern states continued to lynch and degrade african americans. The great debaters 2007 a drama based on the true story of melvin b. Based on a true story, the film offers glimpses into the jim crow south and the great. Stephen holden they changed the debate topics to always.
Tolson denzel washington at historically black wiley college to place his team on equal footing with whites in the american south during the 1930s, when jim crow laws were common and lynch mobs were a pervasive fear for blacks. Beginning in 1935, under the leadership of a professor, poet and political activist named melvin tolson played by denzel washington, who also directed, wiley college, a small black institution in marshall, tex. The great debaters is a 2007 american biographical drama film directed by and starring denzel washington. One of my favorite scenes in the movie is the final debate between wiley college and harvard. A black debate team competes with white schools during civil unrest in america.
Their debate topic is civil disobedience is a moral weapon in the fight for justice. This movie is a dramatic fiction, reflecting the challenges of racism. The great debaters is ultimately an uplifting movie because it is about triumph. Here are some details the great debatersreleases on bluray on january 11, 2011.
The great debaters chronicles the journey of professor melvin tolson denzel washington, a brilliant but volatile debate team coach who uses the power of words to shape a group of underdog students from a small african american college in the deep south into a historically elite debate team. There are also a couple of fight scenes, a confrontation between rural white bullies and an africanamerican professor, and a scene in which a bloodied, beaten. The great debaters is wellacted, deeply felt and delivers a positive message about the importance of education. The great debaters 2007 movie tickets theaters moviefone. Tolson, a professor at wiley college in texas who, in 1935, inspired students to form the schools first debate team, which went on to challenge harvard in the national championship directed by denzel washington. Feb 03, 2015 other talented debaters on tolsons team include fiercely independent student henry lowe nate parker, and samantha brooke jurnee smollett the first ever female ever to join the wiley. The great debaters the great debater is an entertaining educational, thoughtprovoking and inspiring story of selfactualization, selfreliance and triumph, of the underdogs beating all odds to win the national championship despite the obstacles they face. It is based on an article written about the wiley c. Dec 24, 2007 the great debaters is about an underdog debate team that wins a national championship, and some critics have complained that it follows the formula of all sports movies by leading up, through great adversity, to a victory at the end. From 1914 to 1918, for every single minute the world was at war, four men laid down their lives.
The film is directed by denzel washington and stars washington, forest whitaker, jurnee smollett, nate parker, denzel whitaker, and kimberly elise. The great debaters is een amerikaanse film uit 2007 geregisseerd, geproduceerd en gespeeld door. Find out where the great debaters is streaming, if the great debaters is on netflix, and get news and updates, on decider. Great debaters ws dvd 2007 region 1 us import ntsc this is an excellent movie in every word every young african, africanamerican, afrocaribbean and man of black origin should watch this movie. The great debaters film analysis by jack weiler on prezi. The great debaters is like one of those sentimentally revved youthsportsteam crowdpleasers. The great debaters 2007 poet and professor melvin b. The great debaters is a 2007 film about the true story of melvin b. The great debaters, directed by denzel washington, is an inspirational movie about a specific debate team overcoming racism in the segregated south. Denzel is one of the most famous and highly praised actors of this time period. Feb 06, 2018 the great debaters is a 2007 american biographical drama film directed by and starring denzel washington. Tolson who formed a debate team at an african american college in the 1930s. Dec 25, 2007 read the the great debaters movie synopsis, view the movie trailer, get cast and crew information, see movie photos, and more on.
The great debaters is about an underdog debate team that wins a national championship, and some critics have complained that it follows. This time, though, the sport is debating, and the setting is an elite black college in marshall, tex. Denzel washington is the director and main character in the great debaters. A relevant topic in 1930 as dialogues, such those shown in the debates, were the beginnings of what would evolve into the battle cry of the civil rights movement. From twotime academy award winner denzel washington and an ensemble cast lead by washington that includes academy award winner forest whitaker, comes the great debaters. It is based on an article written about the wiley college debate team by tony scherman for the spring 1997 issue of american legacy the film costars forest whitaker, denzel whitaker no relation, kimberly elise, nate parker, gina ravera, jermaine williams and jurnee smollett. American rhetoric movie speech from the great debaters. Two hundred and forty brave young men were hurled into eternity every hour, of every day, of every night, for four long years. The great debaters 111 movie clip revolution 2007 hd. Free essays on essay about the movie the great debaters.
One topic of discussion will definitely be of the intense hatred and racism portrayed in the movie. The great debaters is based on a true story that centers on a time when america was starting to change the status of african americans. Inspired by a true story, the great debaters chronicles the journey of professor melvin tolson denzel washington, a brilliant but volatile debate team coach who uses the power of words to shape a group of underdog students. There are also a couple of fight scenes, a confrontation between rural white bullies and an africanamerican. It makes you feel and relate to the people in the film. Second point it pulls you in and relates to the harsh history. The journey is affecting and honest without feeling manipulative and the screenplay and direction are handled with care and sensitivity for the subject matter. The great debaters is a 2007 american biographical drama film directed by and starring denzel. It is based on an article written about the wiley college debate team by tony scherman for. Tolson denzel washington teaches at the predominately black wiley college in 1935 texas. The great debaters the great debaters, directed by denzel washington, is an inspirational movie about a specific debate team overcoming racism in the segregated south it is based off of the debate team of wiley college, a small religious black school in east texas, during the great depression in the 1930s. In the movie, the wiley team eventually succeeds to the point where they are able to debate harvard university. Download all yts the great debaters movies torrents for free in 720p, 1080p, 4k and 3d quality.
It is based on an article written about the wiley college debate team by tony scherman for the spring 1997 issue of american legacy. The great debaters is rated pg parents strongly cautioned. The great debaters reflection paper the great debaters is one of the great inspirational movies that ive watched. In 1935, he inspired students to form the schools first debate team, which went on to challenge harvard in the national championship.
Parents need to know that the great debaters is an inspirational factbased drama that includes unvarnished discussions and representations of 1930s racism, including a brutal lynching scene the victims body is shown burned and hung. The movie explores social constructs in texas during the great depression, from daytoday insults african americans endured to lynching. The great debaters 2007 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Professor melvin tolson, a brilliant but volatile debate team coach, uses the power of words to shape a group of underdog students from a small african american college in the deep south into a historically elite debate team. In the movie, the wiley team eventually succeeds to the point. It is the mid1930s and professor tolson assembles a black debate team at wiley college. List of the great debaters characters, with pictures when available. Dec 25, 2007 there are enough things to admire about the great debaters, the heavily fictionalized true story of the little debate team that could, that your impulse is to forgive the movie its shortcomings. How many sports movies, or movies about underdogs competing in any way, have you seen that end in defeat. The great debaters is about an underdog debate team that wins a national championship, and some critics have complained that it follows the formula of all sports movies by leading up, through great adversity, to a victory at the end. Met denzel washington, forest whitaker en nate parker. This movie is awesome because at first glance, the film is a classic underdog tale of wiley college debate team set in the backdrop of the jim crow south with caliber acting and very resilient characters.