Review of McFarland, USA (2015) by Greg B — 22 Feb 2015

"McFarland, USA" Is a paint-by-numbers Disney sports movie based on the true story of a high school cross country coach who led an underdog team of Hispanic migrant children in rural California to national fame.

McFarland is described in the movie as a place "you want to leave and only stay if you have to." The town, as shown in the movie, is a poor migrant town with one of the poorest demographics of Latinos in the country, and the kids who are forced to stay there work long, hot days in the fields and have no means of escape or every fully pursuing their dreams.

Kevin Costner's character is forced to get a job in the local high school after being fired from a former coaching job for committing battery on a student who wouldn't listen. This film is a quintessential piece about the American dream and about how many who want it can't pursue it.

I did find this film enjoyable, even though it is full of clichéd plot devices that come in just about every sports movie. This film feels like it came off a sports movie assembly line, with all the clichés pre-packaged.

The film still worked for me, but it could have been great if it wasn't full of derivative plot devices. The formulaic approach worked and made me feel good and inspired by the underdog story, but this plot framework is so inherent to Disney sports movies that it would be nice to see one that didn't play it safe -------------------------------------------- B.