The film, McFarland USA, is based on the true story of a cross country team from a mainly Latino high school in McFarland, California. It shows a the new school’s coach, Jim White, lead the team, that was underrated because where they came from, to win a state championship. The characters was important to the movie, but some were more exceptional than others. Most of the movie’s characters had major struggles, but they grew pass their struggles to exceed to their goals. This movie shows very important and inspirational lessons to everyone that watches it. Most of the characters it McFarland USA were terrific, but the best character was Tomas Valles. He had many obstacles in his life. Tomas was a troublemaker, he wasn’t going to go to college, …show more content…
One of those characters were the Palo Alto coach. He underrated the McFarland team and was very obnoxious. When the Jim and his team went to their first meet the Palo Alto coach very ignorant, cocky, and obnoxious to Jim. At the end of the movie, when the McFarland cross country team improved, that the coach wanted Jim to come to Palo Alto. So, at the beginning he was rude to Jim and the team and then he wants to take Jim away from them. That is very wrong. Jim almost took the job but turned it down at the end. The Palo Alto coach wanted to win no matter the cost and he thinks he’s above other coaches and other teams. In the end he lost. McFarland USA shows us not to underestimate the underdog, and to not have a big head about yourself. For those reasons he is the least acceptable character in the movie. Most of the characters in McFarland USA had struggles that most people would not experience in America. Jim got fired from coaching football at his old school. Tomas, David, Danny, and Damasio's parents didn't want them to run; they wanted them to pick in the fields to make money. Also, their parents didn't think they would have a future with them running cross country. Another struggle Tomas had was that he was trying to commit suicide. Luckily, Jim was there and saved him. All of these characters had struggles that were intimidating and they had to persevere through …show more content…
At the beginning of the movie Jim was forced to accept the McFarland coaching job because nobody else would take him. He didn't want to be there and the assistant football coach didn't like him. When he made the cross country team, it was rough at first. But, he kept working with them and he made them better. In the end he created cross country, state champions and he kept making cross country champions. When David, Danny, and Damasio quit the team to help out their parents, Jim talked to the parents and they made him understand why they need to do that. So, because of that Jim helped the Diaz family out by working out in the fields with them. They had to run and work in the fields every day. When Tomas wanted to quit, it was because he didn’t think that running would do anything for him, he thought he was just going to end up in the fields. But, as the film progresses he grows to love running and he wanted to go to college for it. All of the team grew from being a team wanted nothing to do with cross country to be state champions. If they would have quit, if they didn’t grow past their struggles, most if not all of those boys would have been what everyone expected of them. They would be picking in the fields for most of their lives. Instead, they went to college and became someone
A tragic hero is an individual who possesses a fatal flaw in their character that will bring about their own destruction or suffering. Aristotle believed that “A man doesn't become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall. (Aristotle #1)” This Ancient Greek philosopher also believed that each tragic hero has four characteristics. The first of these characteristics is that a tragic hero is born with either wisdom or high integrity, and in some cases both. Aristotle’s second characteristic is that they contain a fatal flaw in their character that may cause them to behave irrationally. The penultimate characteristic is that each hero will suffer a turnabout of fortune brought about by their own flaw in character. Finally, the last characteristic is that the tragic hero will find out that their own turnabout of fortune was brought about by their own actions. McCandless in into the wild is the ideal tragic hero mentioned by Aristotle. McCandless had everything in the world but he gave it up to live in the wilderness and through his own actions he paid the ultimate price. McCandless is seen by the world as a young man who left the corrupted society to embrace a journey only a few would dare. “That's what was great about him. He tried. Not many do. (Krakauer 96)” This journey ended up being the best time of his life and the fact that he attempted this wildlife adventure makes him look more like a daring hero than an idiotic teen.
As previously mention the films main focus is on the United States economic relationship and impact on Latinos and Latin countries. Primarily we see how Latinos are treated here in the U.S. and the hardships the face along with how the U.S. affected other countries like Guatemala, or more specifically how influential United Fruit Company was, and how its presence affected the nation. One major example of this was the coup that the US backed to overthrow the democratically elected government of Guatemala after they confronted the United Fruit Company. We also see how the U.S. military affected these nations, one well known example being the
This film represents our indigenous culture and regardless of what happens we can find good in a situation. Together the black and white community can come together and achieve more than they could ever do by themselves.
There were really no very interesting characters in this book. I was never one to be interested in history. There were some interesting parts though, for instance, the chapter about the railroad man was pretty good, and it was kind of cool that he got promoted to vice-president of the railroad he work on within a year after he started the job. Some of the wars he was in were ok as well. It sometimes amazes me that there were so many unnamed heroes.
He is a troubled teenager who has just moved towns to Los Angeles with his family. Jim has become the target of many of the bullies in his new town which make his life tougher than it has to be. Jim became close to two people he met at the police station the night he was arrested for being drunk in public. Plato was a boy younger than Jim who wanted nothing more than to have Jim as a friend considering his parents were never around, and Judy who ended up falling in love with Jim and separating herself from the bully group. Jim feels that his father is incapable of upholding and opposing his mother; which we find out for certain in the film when he asks his father, “What do you do when you have to be a man?” He has major issues with his parents, for he feels they are unable to support him as well as be caring of the person he yearns to be. Buzz Gunderson is the leader of the school bullies. He has made it his life’s mission to be a complete nuisance to Jim and instigate a clash no matter the conditions. This clash lead to the climax of the movie; the knife fight and the chickie run. After watching the bullies slash a tire for absolutely no reason, Buzz challenged Jim to a duel with knives in which Jim won, although both parties were walking away with slight injuries. After the embarrassing loss Buzz needed to one up the stakes by provoking a “chickie” run. The “chickie” run was a catastrophe; Buzz got stuck on the door handle
The movie follows the lives of three students as they go through their first year at Columbus University. These students are faced with issues of race, sexual
The first character that intrigued me, probably because I could relate to him the most was Andrew, the "jock." A jock is the group of people that are athletically inclined and are usually part of a sports team. When all the students were confessing what they had done he seemed the most regretful of his actions. Andrew being a great wrestler at school saw an unsuspecting teammate that was much smaller than he was and decided to jump on him and start beating up on him. What made his case so extreme was that not only did beat up on his teammate but he taped his butt cheeks together. The perception that I, as well as the members of the breakfast club, had of Andrew was that he couldn't think for himself. He also thought the same thing because he said that he felt pressured by his dad to do something mischievous because he (his dad) used to get into mischievous acts often while he was in high school. So while he was looking at his smaller teammate he said that all he could here was his father telling him about being a winner and doing so many unnecessary things just because he was an exceptional athlete. When Andrew told his story it seemed that all the other people were going to cry because they could see that he regretted doing what he did.
This movie is based on changing the lives of Mexican Americans by making a stand and challenging the authority. Even when the cops were against them the whole time and even with the brutal beatings they received within one of the walk out, they held on. They stuck to their guns and they proved their point. The main character was threatened by the school administrators, she was told if she went through with the walkout she would be expelled. While they wanted everyone who was going to graduate to simply look the other way, the students risked it all and gave it their all to make their voices
Glory Road is a 2006 sports film directed by James Gartner starring Josh Lucas and Derek Luke. The film portrays the story of how Don Haskins had the first all black starting lineup in the NCAA and led Texas Western to a national championship. Along the way, the players and Coach Haskins face great adversity throughout the season because of their all black starting lineup. As the season progresses, the threats continuously grow worse and eventually are directed towards the family of Coach Haskins. This problem continues to grow due to the fact that Texas Western’s team gains national recognition not only for being the first with an all black starting lineup, but for making i through the regular season with only a single loss As the movie progress the audience sees one of the players get beaten because of his race. Another scene shows a hotel room that has been completely trashed because it was where the black athletes were staying. I will prove that that this scene where the hotel room is trashed is racist towards the black athletes.
In one of the scenes, Jim is caught between trying to prove his masculinity or staying home and being the good son that his parents have yearned for. He struggles emotionally and physically, mainly because his parents do not live up to society’s expectations of
Back in the 1950’s the idea of masculinity was a loosely-defined term. It was a time in which the country was dealing with men returning from years at war and struggling to assimilate back into society. As a result, many were forced with the challenge of being the breadwinner of the family while maintaining what were considered conventional fatherly characteristics of that time. Rebel Without a Cause challenges this notion through the portrayal of Jim’s father Frank Stark. Frank is not the typical post-world war two breadwinner of a father, rather, Carol Stark provides for the family. Additionally, Frank lacks the ability to stand up to his wife, something Jim longs for. As a result, Frank lacks the ability to control his own son. Jim’s insecurities about his father further influence his impulsive nature. We first see this when the teenagers take a field trip to the planetarium. Jim is approached by Buzz and his friends who start clucking like a chicken. At first Jim doesn’t want any trouble, but after Buzz kicks Plato, a switch goes off in his head and a fight breaks out. Acting on impulse, Jim yells, “All right--you want it, you got it!” (Stern). Jim’s impulsive nature and need to prove himself gets him into even more trouble when he agrees to a chicken-run with Buzz. Jim doesn’t want to race, but does not back down as his pride is questioned. This feeling of peer pressure is one that is all too familiar with any teenager. When Jim asks his father for advice on the situation, he replies, You know I never stop you from anything. In ten years you'll look back on this and wish you were a kid again” (Stern). Unsatisfied with his father’s answer, Jim storms out of the house as his desperate father tries to reason with him. The chicken-race that follows is a great illustration of masculinity, for what is more masculine than loud, powerful American automobiles.
The movie I decided to analyze was Remember the Titans. I examined the dilemmas and ethical choices that were displayed throughout the story. In the early 1970s, two schools in Alexandria Virginia integrate forming T.C. Williams High School. The Caucasian head coach of the Titans is replaced by an African American coach (Denzel Washington) from North Carolina, which causes a fury among white parents and students. Tensions arise quickly among the players and throughout the community when players of different races are forced together on the same football team. Coach Boone is a great example of a leader. He knows he faces a tough year of teaching his hated team. But, instead of listening to the hating town or administrators, Boone pushes his team to their limits and forces good relationships between players, regardless of race. His vision for the team involves getting the players concerned in what the team needs to become, and not what it is supposed to be; a waste. Boone is a convincing leader with a brutal, boot camp approach to coaching. He believes in making the players re-build themselves as a team. When Boone says, You will wear a jacket, shirt, and tie. If you don't have one buy one, can't afford one then borrow one from your old man, if you don't have an old man, then find a drunk, trade him for his. It showed that he was a handy Craftsman and wanted done what he wanted done no matter what it took.During training camp, Boone pairs black players with white players and instructs them to learn about each other. This idea is met with a lot of fighting, but black linebacker Julius Campbell and stubborn white All-American Gerry Bertier. It was difficult for the players to cope with the fact they had to play with and compete with ...
The film is concentrated on Mexican-American nationalism and immigration. In the beginning of the film, the main character sees himself more of an American rather than Mexican. He speaks fluently in English but does not know how to speak or comprehend proper Spanish. This is an example of involuntary language loss. Rudy, the main character, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, does not see himself as a white man but does not see himself as a pure Mexican either and is stuck in the in-betweens of both ‘Mexican’ and ‘American’ culture. Because of this, he is not of specific origin or descent but rather a Chicano. A mix between both cultures instead of just one.
Out of all of the characters in the movie, I thought that Daniel Ruiz, portrayed by Michael Peña, was the most likeable and that you get to see and understand more of his background and personal life compared