The Great Debaters (2007)

Director:

Denzel Washington

Writers (WGA):

Robert Eisele (screenplay)
Robert Eisele (story) ...

Release Date:

25 December 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

When the nation was in need, he inspired them to give us hope.

Plot:

A drama based on the true story of Melvin B. Tolson, a professor at Wiley College Texas. In 1935, he inspired students to form the school's first debate team, which went on to challenge Harvard in the national championship.

Plot Keywords:

Debate | College | Team | Student | Professor

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 7 wins & 8 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Dec. 26	8:45 AM	SHOW
Wed. Dec. 30	7:30 AM	SHOW
Sun. Jan. 3	8:00 PM	TMC

Cast

Denzel Washington	...	Melvin B. Tolson
Nate Parker	...	Henry Lowe
Jurnee Smollett	...	Samantha Booke
Denzel Whitaker	...	James Farmer Jr.
Jermaine Williams	...	Hamilton Burgess
Forest Whitaker	...	Dr. James Farmer Sr.
Gina Ravera	...	Ruth Tolson
John Heard	...	Sheriff Dozier
Kimberly Elise	...	Pearl Farmer
Devyn A. Tyler	...	Helen Farmer (as Devyn Tyler)
Trenton McClain Boyd	...	Nathaniel Farmer
Ritchie Montgomery	...	Deputy
Jackson Walker	...	Pig Owner
Tim Parati	...	Pig Farmer
Robert X. Golphin	...	Dunbar Reed

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for depiction of strong thematic material including violence and disturbing images, and for language and brief sexuality.

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #44005) | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Harpo Films

Trivia:

On December 19, 2007, Denzel Washington announced a $1 million dollar donation to Wiley College so they could re-establish their debate team.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Prof. Tolson lectures his students about the origin of the word "lynching," he refers to the Willie Lynch Letter or Willie Lynch Speech, which are generally considered modern-day hoaxes. There is no historical or archival record of either before the 1990s, when they first appeared on the Internet. No 1930s professor could have cited them.

Quotes:

Melvin B. Tolson: Who is the judge?
Samantha, Henry Lowe, James Farmer Jr., Hamilton Burgess: The judge is God.
Melvin B. Tolson: Why is he God?
Samantha, Henry Lowe, James Farmer Jr., Hamilton Burgess: Because he decides who wins or loses. Not my opponeent.
Melvin B. Tolson: Who is your opponent?
Samantha, Henry Lowe, James Farmer Jr., Hamilton Burgess: He does not exist.
Melvin B. Tolson: Why does he not exist?
Samantha, Henry Lowe, James Farmer Jr., Hamilton Burgess: Because he is a mere dissenting voice of the truth I speak!

Movie Connections:

References Bright Eyes (1934)

Soundtrack:

Stompin' the Blues

You should see this film

I say this because: 1) The acting is remarkable. Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett, Denzel Whitaker, and Kimberly Elise are all stunningly good 2) The cinematography is very well done and the score is beautifully and uplifting. 3) The story is great. It has multiple underdog themes which when watching, you root so much for the underdog it actually hurts :). These would be: a) the black people in the south in the 1930s b) little Wiley collage (especially when they are vs Harvard) c) the 14 year old boy James P. Farmer Jr. (Denzel Whitaker) who is seemingly incapable at first of debating. Do yourself a favor and see "The Great Debaters". You are going to love it.