The Great Debaters - C

In 1935, the small all-black Wiley College in Marshall, Texas forms a debate team that will eventually beat the National Champs at Harvard. There are few surprises in the paint-by-numbers plot, including a love triangle and a developing father-son relationship. Everything is respectfully and ardently recreated and performed. But the whole thing just sits there, taking no risks, and giving us nothing we haven’t seen in hundreds of underdog movies since the original Rocky. Worst of all, for a story based on debate, which relies on historical references and accuracy to prove points, the movie makes egregious mistakes in its facts. I can look past a too-early reference to Hitler. But the real Wiley College faced the University of Southern California (not Harvard), and while they did “win”, they did not receive a trophy since they weren’t a recognized debate team.
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Produced by Oprah Winfrey, white people in the film are shit-kicking hillbillies, racist redneck cops, or snooty elitist pricks. The movie wants the viewer to realize black people have been unfairly maligned for generations and portrayed as stereotypes. But then returns the favor by using the worst stereotypes of white people. The debates also play up the white liberal guilt. When a black debater is about to lose, he’ll talk about lynching and win. It’s like a Jewish debater yelling “Holocaust!” or an Irish debater yelling “Potato Famine!”

Executive producer Harvey Weinstein did get one thing right. Denzel Washington was originally hired to only direct, but was convinced to take a major acting role. He’s his usual dynamite, charismatic self and impossible not to watch. But when he’s off-screen you’ll be checking your watch, which shouldn’t surprise since the movie is essentially about talking. Denzel the director doesn’t help things with the slow pacing and the clichéd changing of film stocks. Denzel the actor is a man on fire. It’s an afternoon made-for-cable movie starring one of our greatest working film actors. The intentions of all involved are magnanimous, but the result will leave you bored stiff - and leave you wondering: since you’re stressing the importance of education, reason, and verbal communication, why change major historical facts? You even have one debater repeatedly praised as the best fact-checker!?! C

Note: I’ve avoided the joke about the original title being "The Master Debaters" as long as I could.