Kinyon great debaters essay 6 march 20 the great debaters based on a true story, the movie the great debaters is about a four person debate team at the historically black, wiley college in marshall, tx. 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. The great debaters is an inspiring story of courage, creativity and resolve. The movie was very enjoyable and interesting to watch. Although the running time is 123 minutes, the pace never flags. Discover what genre great debaters, the, 2007, directed by denzel washington, with denzel washington, forest whitaker, kimberly elise, belongs at turner classic movies. The plot of the movie centers on the four main protagonists, melvin i. The great debaters is a movie about a black college debate team from texas. Though the odds seemed stacked against them with lowe having more debating experience than booke and farmer, it is booke and farmers time to shine brighter than they ever have. The great debaters marred by inaccuracies, imbalance movie. Julia pittman psyc 0501 reflection of the great debaters before beginning the great debaters directed by denzel washington in 2007, i had thought it was a documentary about a very good debate team.
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. Samantha booke courageously debates against tolson. The great debaters is about an underdog debate team that wins a national. 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. Dec 26, 2007 the great debaters is this years major entry to this rather dubious genre. Nate parker henry lowe, jurnee smollett samantha booke, denzel. At that time, government still mired the law which was created since 1870s to develop the implementation of apartheid or racial discrimination. Samantha booke jurnee smollett has transferred to wiley with the hopes of being the schools first female debater. The great debaters, directed by denzel washington, is an inspirational movie about a specific debate team overcoming racism in the segregated south. 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 college debate team. The great debaters the great debaters is a very nice movie, and also inspiring. The great debaters the great debaters the great debaters.
There is a novelty factor in the fact that the sport the movie follows is debate, but the great debaters cares more about montages and the teams sideline activities than the process of forming and performing a debate. Sep 15, 2014 this weekend, i watch a very nice movie called the great debaters. The great debaters is a wellmade movie, and denzel washington wows audiences with his usual superb performance. At that time, government still mired the law which was created since 1870s to develop the implementation of apartheid or racial. According to the student, henry lowe, what is the only place other than school where one can. Apr 29, 2010 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. It is loosely based on a true story about an allblack debate team that challenged the best debate teams. Schools the only place you can read all day, except prison. Smollett are cast as the three debate students in the the great debaters. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Instead, the great debaters has scenes of people talking about ideas within what boils down to a standard, formula sports movie.
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. The great debaters the great debaters is a true story of the debate team consisting of four students. 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. The great debaters was released on dvd on may, 2008 on 1disc and 2disc editions. Using a perspective developed from paul ricouers time and. The latter shows promise but needs polishing, and tolson thinks he can provide that. Tolson, during his time at the wiley college in texas. It has a fascinating, genuinely inspiring central theme about how the ideas and ideals of one generation can incite action.
The movie which was released in 2007 is based on a true story but does not trumpet that fact in an opening caption, takes place on the campus of wiley college during 1935. Hamilton is more of a verbal and tactile character than the other debaters. Feb 01, 2008 the great debaters is a magnificent movie. A brilliant young woman i know was asked once to support her argument in favor of social welfare. Teaching the great debaters connected teaching and. Heres a movie about ideas thats a bit too timid to actually be about them. Now is always the right time to do the right thing. Another character on the team, samantha booke, is based on the real individual. Henry lowe body henry nate parker is introduced hitting on a young lady at a party. This movie tell a story that happened in 1930s in texas. Quotes will be submitted for approval by the rt staff. The great debaters is a movie based on the true story of wiley college debate team in marshall texas. The great debaters is this years major entry to this rather dubious genre. Stephen holden they changed the debate topics to always.
The argument that samantha booke gave at debate team tryouts. The movie is thoroughly inspiring to all who have dreams and feel at odds with. The characters reactions to these events, it implies, sow the seeds of the. The great debaters is a 2007 film about the true story of melvin b. The great debaters is a drama film based on the true story of professor melvin b. In addition to tolson, henry lowe nate parker is based on henry heights, who, according to teammate henrietta bell upon whom the character of samantha brooke, played by. In the 2disc edition, the first disc includes no extra material, but the second disc includes an audio commentary, a making of documentary, deleted scenes, featurettes, and a still gallery. In 1935 in the deep south racism is a major problem as established by one of the the opening scene with the arrival of samantha booke played by jurnee smollett at the. In the great debaters, the growth of henry lowe and the relationship between james farmer jr. Over time they all white debate teams that are prejudice of the black students.
Beyond his academic duties, tolson was an accomplished poet, journalist and social activist. Which argument does henry lowe use to win the first debate. The great debaters is so earnest and wellmeaning that it wont even matter that youve seen it all before. The great debaters julia pittman psyc 0501 reflection. View notes the great debaters from afrs 2215 at university of north carolina, charlotte. So, the other three debaters, feisty samantha booke jurnee smollett, her womanizing boyfriend henry lowe nate parker, and hefty hamilton burgess jermaine williams are fictional. It puts everything in context and builds to a crescendo. Never would i have thought it was about racial segregation, education, and civil rights.
The great debaters are based on a true story about an all black debate team journey to the top. The great debaters offers a fictionalized and limited account of the exploits of the awardwinning wiley college debate team headed by melvin b. The debaters are hamilton burgess, henry lowe, with alternates samantha booke and james farmer jr. April 9, 2008 the great debaters is an emotionally powerful film about race relations in the united states during the great depression. While most educators may not have recognized the remarkable potential of assembling such a disparate team, tolsons unique vision truly. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing the great debaters near you. The movie begins with a scene following henry lowe that is simultaneously overlaid. How many sports movies, or movies about underdogs competing in any way, have you seen that end in defeat. It is the mid1930s and professor tolson assembles a black debate team at wiley college. Remember, if a question has multiple parts, you must answer all parts of the question to receive full credit for that question.
It makes you feel and relate to the people in the film. Henry lowe, who is somewhat unstable, also decides to only allow samantha booke and james farmer jr. Nevertheless, tolson sets out to motivate his students, choosing james jr. The great debaters questions choose 6 of the following 16 questions to complete for fridays class. 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. Tolson, played by washington, first appears on screen he is dressed as a sharecropper running through what. The story takes place in 1935 and wiley college is an all black college. A quote can be a single line from one character or a memorable dialog between several characters. The great debaters 2007 nate parker as henry lowe imdb. There are enough things to admire about the great debaters, the heavily. All four debaters have their own personality and learning style. Henry lowe starts off as a misguided young man who responds to conflicts with walking away and surrounds. I will do the reflection and recommend this movie to you.
This makes the closing credits a tad misleading, since it relates tolsons and farmers subsequent actual exploits along with alleged later achievements of. In her first debate attempt, samantha booke cites one of president franklin. Second point it pulls you in and relates to the harsh history. It is the mid1930s and professor tolson assembles a. Reflection of the movie the great debaters charless blog. Denzel washingtons second directorial effort hits all the high and low notes with.
Sep 12, 2012 the great debaters is a movie based on the true story of wiley college debate team in marshall texas. The great debaters film analysis by jack weiler on prezi. The great debaters is one of the great movies of 2007. The great debaters is based on the true story of the wiley college debate team, and the events in the film take place in 1935 at the small historical black college in marshall, texas. Inspired by a true story, the great debaters chronicles the journey of professor melvin tolson, 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. What keeps it from becoming a completely generic formula movie are scenes that show the disturbing social and racial. The entire town has become so inspired by the development of the young debaters, to the point of rebelling when tolson is imprisoned, and winning his freedom from jail. This essay argues that the great debaters is a text that is not simply a story about wiley colleges debate triumphs during the 1930s, but that the film shares a temporal bond to the time in which it was released in. He offers her a drink from his own personal flask and leans in to kiss her. For smolletts character, samantha brooke, its about never quitting. Dec 25, 2007 a quote can be a single line from one character or a memorable dialog between several characters. This weekend, i watch a very nice movie called the great debaters. The film is about how the professor inspired his student to form the first debate team in the school, in 1935, and how he mentored the team and guided them through various competitions to finally, challenge.
The debaters debate other national black colleges until they start getting noticed by white colleges. Jurnee smollett as samantha booke jermaine williams as. 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. It is loosely based on a true story about an allblack debate team that challenged the best debate teams in the country, both black and white. This team made up of one girl, samantha booke, and three young men, james farmer jr. A narrative analysis of the film the great debaters and. A controversial figure, professor tolson challenged the social mores of the time and was under. The great debaters is a good case study in all three areas.
The great debaters, first and foremost, is an episodic plot film, which is inspired by the true story of the undefeated wiley college. Remember, if a question has multiple parts, you must answer all parts of. The great debaters a powerful film about race by robert roten, film critic. The great debaters is a 2007 american biographical drama film directed by and starring. Although it is fictionalized, the characters are based on real people. The great debaters marred by inaccuracies, imbalance. Jurnee smollett plays samantha brooke and nate parker plays henry lowe. The great debaters 29 words 9 pages the great debaters the credits. A narrative analysis of the film the great debaters and its. Before this film was produced, very little was generally known about wiley, a. 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. Inspired by the critically acclaimed hollywood film the great debaters, the real great debaters of wiley college unveils the true story of wiley college s 1935 debate team and their groundbreaking defeat of the allwhite reigning national championship debate team at the university of southern california. Tolson, an africanamerican english professor, during the depression years.