Product Details

• Actors: Samuel L. Jackson, Rick Gonzalez, Robert Ri'chard, Rob Brown, Nana Gbewonyo
• Directors: Thomas Carter
• Writers: John Gatins, Mark Schwahn
• Producers: Brian Robbins, Caitlin Scanlon, David Gale, Michael Tollin, Nan Morales
• Format: AC-3, Blu-ray, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish
• Dubbed: French, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1 (Read more about DVD/Blu-ray formats.)
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Paramount
• DVD Release Date: December 16, 2008
• Run Time: 136 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (192 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001GMH8T2
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #111,373 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Coach Carter [Blu-ray]" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Based on a true story of the man who locked his boys out of the gym until they focused on their schoolwork, this by-the-numbers crowd-pleaser holds together because a steely Samuel L. Jackson refuses to notice the parade of clichés he's trumpeting (the dialogue sticks to platitudes like, "Success in here is the key to success out there"). Coach Ken Carter (Jackson) takes over an unruly team of Richmond, California basketball players and teaches them how to play--and behave--like champions. His plight, which pits him against an uncooperative school board and parents who've given up hope, holds some interest, but the film is too concerned with giving us a Big Game every twenty minutes or so. The teens all have the spark of life in them (including pop star Ashanti, who features in a surprisingly well-handled teen pregnancy subplot), though the film's plodding familiarity means it's never really rousing, adding up to simply a good-natured amalgam of Stand and Deliver, Hoosiers, Dangerous Minds, and even Dead Poet's Society (one of the tougher players actually recites some inspirational poetry).--Steve Wiecking

Product Description

Academy Award nominee Samuel L. Jackson stars in the inspiring true story of controversial high school basketball coach Ken Carter, who benched his entire undefeated team for poor academic performance, in order to teach his players the importance of education.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 48 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A SPORTS MOVIE WITH A GREAT MESSAGE... July 4, 2005

By Lawyeraau HALL OF FAMETOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

My daughter came over to visit this weekend, and she suggested that we rent this film. Since it stars Samuel L. Jackson and is about a high school basketball coach, I thought that it sounded promising. Well, it turned to be more than just promising. It is a movie that held me riveted to the screen the entire time it was on. Samuel L. Jackson is simply outstanding in the role of a high school coach who sees basketball as the means to an end and not the end itself.

Based upon a true story that took place in Richmond, California, it centers on a man named Ken Carter. He was asked by the retiring basketball coach of Richmond High School to return as a part-time basketball coach to the school from which Ken had graduated and left his mark many years earlier. The school is one of those schools in which people barely graduate and, of those that do, most do not go on to college. The basketball team was no great shakes either, having won only four games in the entire previous year.

Finally, Carter is prevailed upon to take over as coach. He has, however, decided that he wants to make a difference. He starts off by letting the team know who is boss and by trying to instill discipline and respect. He wants to go back to fundamentals. He wants to put the emphasis on being a student athlete. To this end, he makes it clear just what his expectations are. He drafts a contract that those who wish to remain on the team, as well as their parent, must sign. Some of the conditions are that the players must attend class, do their schoolwork, and pass their classes. Those who signed the contract ended up making the best move of their lives.

Coach Carter keeps his side of the bargain, turning the team into a formidable one on the court. Suddenly, basketball at Richmond High School begins commanding attention. Notwithstanding this, he still emphasizes that they are to be just as committed to their studies. While one might expect some resistance from the student athletes to such a change, one would expect support from the educators themselves. What is amazing is the resistance that he experiences from the teaching community who are reluctant to give him progress reports on how his players were doing academically.

When Coach Carter finally gets his long awaited progress reports and discovers that some of his student athletes are not holding up their end of the contract, all hell breaks loose. Even though they have had an undefeated season so far, he basically locks the gym and tells his players that there will be no more basketball, until he sees some academic improvement. To his surprise, the school board, as well as the parents, does not support him in this matter, and the situation becomes a media sensation on the West Coast. Support comes from an unexpected source, the student athletes themselves.

This is a heartwarming story about a coach who cared and dared to make a difference in the lives of kids that had little or no future. What he did for those students was incomparable, as he basically gave them a chance for a better life. Samuel L. Jackson is sensational as Coach Carter, dynamic and totally believable in the role. The young men who play his student athletes likewise give excellent performances. Ashanti also gives a surprisingly well nuanced performance as the girlfriend of one of the student athletes. Moreover, for those who enjoy great basketball, the on court scenes are extremely well done.

At the end of the film, there is a summary of what happened to these young men. When the viewer sees what happened to them, the viewer cannot help be but touched by the turn of events. Moreover, the DVD has a featurette on the real Coach Carter and the real student athletes for whom the appointment of Ken Carter was literally a life saving measure. This is a very well acted, deftly directed, inspirational film and one that is worthy of being in one's personal collection.

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good sports movie January 27, 2005

By Michael Bird

I'm usually not a huge fan of the sports movie genre, but I do like them when they are well done. This movie had a lot going for it, based on a true story, the film didn't glorify sports, rather it had a solid message for living up to one's responsibilities.

A hard luck basketball team in a bad neighborhood gets a hard core coach, one who believes in honor and integrity. Because he puts his ideals above simply winning, he creates a lot of conflict within the team, the school and the surrounding community.

In the end the coaches beliefs are able to sway opinion and his behavior becomes a standard for which to strive. I believe the message here, as well as the presentation of it, made it a much better movie than Friday Night Lights, also reality based, but not really a story of redemption like this one was. I think this is a good film for the father/teenage son crowd and I'd recommend owning it as well.

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Uplifting -- makes you want to hit the court December 13, 2004

By David Schappell

I saw an advance screening of this film, and really enjoyed it -- Samuel L. Jackson was very compelling in this "White Shadow"-like role. Uplifting story about a man who takes over as high school basketball coach for an inner city school. He turns the team around from a team that can't win, to one that goes virtually undefeated, and along the way instills discipline and an emphasis on studying that impacts the players lives in a much deeper way. The ending was a little surprising, but given that it was a true story, sometime hollywood endings need to take a backseat. I'd highly recommend this movie to high school students and for those who enjoy sports and stories about beating the odds.