A story not to be missed
A film about a small-town group of outcast students who rise to the top while facing new freedoms and intense prejudices may strike a cord with some of the CU community.
Which is why it shouldn’t be missed.
Students were able to get a sneak peek on campus Wednesday night of “The Great Debaters,” a history lesson and a captivating story mixed into one movie inspired by true events.
“The Great Debaters” is set in Texas during the segregated times of 1935. Denzel Washington stars as Melvin Tolson, a professor and debate team instructor at Wiley College, who forms a debate team consisting of four top debaters, including the first woman to ever be on a team.
Samantha Booke, Henry Lowe, James Farmer Jr. and Hamilton Burgess are chosen to receive in-depth training on how to perfect their debate skills and arguments. As the film progresses, the team draws from real life experiences of prejudice and racism to incorporate them into their arguments to win numerous debates across their region.
All the while, Tolson writes to major universities attempting to gain invitations to debate against top teams, including the top white and black teams in the country.
But Tolson is not only leading the debate team; he is also the leader of a large group of Texas sharecroppers who are set on forming a union.
When suspicions arise in the still-segregated region of Tolson’s leadership, troubles begin for the team and their members’ futures.
Denzel Washington is fearless in the direction of his second film which does not hide by expressing the racism of only that time period.
The other lead actors and actresses must also be congratulated in their excellent portrayals of young college students who rise to the top against the racism and prejudice of the time period. Their performances are a display of both true talent and wonderful direction.
Never waning in its captivating portrayal of the lives of the individuals involved or the intense violence and segregation of the era, this film deserves all award nominations it has received this year.
Both Denzel Washington and Jurnee Smollett have been nominated for a NAACP Image Award; Washington is nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture and Smollett is nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture. The film is also up for Best Motion Picture (Drama) at the 2008 Golden Globes.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Lauren Maslen at lauren.maslen@colorado.edu
