“The Great Debaters” (MGM Pictures)
Wins On Logic, Loses On Emotion
“The Great Debaters” is one of those movies based on a true story that should grab you by your emotions and hang on. It tells the story of a small black college in Texas in the 1930’s that produces an award winning debate team. The team is so successful it gets the chance to debate the famed Harvard team. That is a dynamite story but somehow the emotional impact of the film is never delivered.
Denzel Washington directs and stars in the movie as Melvin Tolson, a professor at the college and the head of the debate team. He is good at what he does but his personal life causes him problems. At the same time he is coaching the debate team he is also trying to organize the sharecroppers in the area. People think he is a Communist and pressure the school to reign him in.
The members of the debate team are Hamilton Burgess (Jermaine Williams), Henry Lowe (Nate Parker), Samantha Booke (Jurnee Smollett), and James Farmer, Jr. (Denzel Whitaker). Farmer is only fourteen years old but has earned his place on the team. He has a crush on Samantha but her eye is on Henry. Burgess is a talented debater but he has problems with Tolson’s other activities.
Farmer’s parents are played by Forest Whitaker and Kimberly Elise. Gina Raven appears as Tolson’s wife. John Heard plays the local sheriff. All of these actors are great in their roles but they do not get the chance to make a very big impact on the story. Tolson and the debate team are center stage throughout the film.
We get a chance to see the debaters interact with each other and with Tolson but somehow the emotional pull of the story and these characters is never strong. The audience is always watching the story but never becomes a part of it.
The film is rated PG-13 for profanity, violence and adult situations.
There is a lot to be learned from “The Great Debaters” about how our country once was and how far it has come. The people whose stories are told here went on to even greater achievements. That makes the movie worth seeing. However you can’t help but wish the filmmakers had delved into the characters in a way as to make us feel a part of the story and not just a viewer of history.
I scored “The Great Debaters” a logical 6 out of 10.
