This earnest effort pairing Denzel Washington (right) and Forest Whitaker as academics who encourage youngsters to become college debaters gets bogged down in its predictable premise. Set in the racist Deep South (circa 1935), the African-American Wiley College team takes on Harvard brainiacs in the movie’s leaden climax. With Oprah Winfrey on board as producer and James Newton Howard conducting the orchestra, director Denzel settles for uplift and tears rather than disappointment and rage.
Posted at TheLMagazine.com
# posted by Steve Bloom @ 6:06 PM
