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About this movie

Genres:
Family
Language:
English
Running time:
2:06:46
Partner rating:
PG-13
Released:

Cast & Crew

Cast

  1. Denzel Washington Melvin B. Tolson
  2. Forest Whitaker James Farmer Sr.
  3. Nate Parker Henry Lowe
  4. Jurnee Smollett Samantha Booke
  5. Denzel Whitaker James Farmer Jr.
  6. John Heard Sheriff Dozier
  7. Kimberly Elise Pearl Farmer
  8. Jermaine Williams Hamilton Burgess
  9. Gina Ravera Ruth Tolson
  10. Devyn Tyler Helen Farmer
  11. Trenton McClain Boyd Nathanial Farmer
  12. Ritchie Montgomery Deputy
  13. Jackson Walker Pig Owner
  14. Tim Parati Pig Farmer
  15. Robert X. Golphin Dunbar Reed
  16. Justice Leak Harland Osbourne
  17. Glen Powell Jr. Harvard Debater #1
  18. Brad Watkins Harvard Debater #2
  19. Brian Smiar Harvard Dean
  20. Damien Leake Wilson

Directors

  1. Denzel Washington

Producers

  1. Bob Weinstein
  2. Harvey Weinstein
  3. David Crockett
  4. Todd Black
  5. Kate Forte
  6. Oprah Winfrey
  7. Joe Roth

Writers

  1. Robert Eisele

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The Great Debaters

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Trailer for The Great Debaters

Drawing inspiration from the true story of a temperamental debate coach who molded the students of a small East Texas college into a formidable team that gave even Harvard's elite squad a run for their money, Denzel Washington's The Great Debaters features the director himself as the ambitious educator, and Forest Whitaker as the resentful father of a student whose loyalties now lie almost exclusively with his coach. Melvin B. Tolson (Washingt... Drawing inspiration from the true story of a temperamental debate coach who molded the students of a small East Texas college into a formidable team that gave even Harvard's elite squad a run for their money, Denzel Washington's The Great Debaters features the director himself as the ambitious educator, and Forest Whitaker as the resentful father of a student whose loyalties now lie almost exclusively with his coach. Melvin B. Tolson (Washington) is the kind of educator who truly recognizes the remarkable power of knowledge. An outspoken Wiley College professor who boldly challenged the discriminatory Jim Crow laws of the 1930s, Tolson's recognizes that his young debate students possess the spark of a new generation. Convinced that they could invoke great change if given the confidence and tools needed to do so, the tireless educator implores his students to take responsibility for the future while furtively attempting to protect them from his clandestine role as an organizer for the Southern Tenant Farmers Union. Chief among Tolson's promising young students is a 14-year-old prodigy named James Farmer, Jr. (Denzel Whitaker). Farmer's father, James Sr. (Forest Whitaker), is a renowned scholar and an important presence in the emerging student's life. Yet despite his formidable reputation, James Sr. has not yet learned how to truly harness the power of knowledge through action and assertion. James Jr. has seen the raving effects of racism all around him, and longs to live in a future where no one must be in fear simply because of the color of their skin. Other talented debaters on Tolson's team include fiercely independent student Henry Lowe (Nate Parker), and Samantha Brooke (Jurnee Smollett) -- the first ever female ever to join the Wiley College debate team. While most educators may not have recognized the remarkable potential of assembling such a disparate team, Tolson's unique vision truly set him apart from the pack as the team begins to experience a series of consecutive victories on their road to challenging Harvard at the National Championships.

Reviews by Rotten Tomatoes

Scored 'fresh' by Rotten Tomatoes

78%Tomatometer score: 78% positive reviews from professional critics.

percent positive reviews

  1. Positive review
    Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal As for Mr. Parker and Ms. Smollett, there's no debating what awaits them -- stardom, very soon. Full review External link
  2. Positive review
    Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor The Great Debaters succeeds in bringing a lump to the throat without, as is de rigueur these days, insulting our intelligence. Full review External link
  3. Positive review
    Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine The film may be manipulative in its construction, and cliché-ridden in some of the incidents it recounts, but it has a good, large heart. Full review External link
  4. Positive review
    Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly ...The Great Debaters soars with words and feeling. Full review External link
  5. Positive review
    Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper It's important, it's deeply inspiring, it's something from our not-so-distant past we must not forget, and it should be must-see viewing for high school and college students of all backgrounds.
  6. Positive review
    Stephen Hunter, Washington Post A rouser, a stunner, almost a jubilee of emotion and suspense by the old standards of Hollywood melodrama, circa the time the actual events themselves took place. Full review External link
  7. Negative review
    Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star It's ultimately less a movie than a high-gloss civics lesson. Full review External link
  8. Positive review
    Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle The goal here is to educate and to inspire, and that's what The Great Debaters does. Full review External link

Read more reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

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YouTube Movie Extras

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    The Making of The Reader: Adapting a Timeless Masterpiece

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    Scoring The Great Debaters with James Newton Howard and Peter Golub

    Composers James Newton Howard and Peter Golub take you behind the camera to demonstrate how they created the score for the drama THE GREAT DEBATERS.

    by weinsteinextras
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    The Great Debaters - A Heritage of Music

    Come behind the scenes of THE GREAT DEBATERS and see how the celebrated 1930's inspired music from the motion picture was created.

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    The Great Debaters - The 1930s Wardrobe of Sharen Davis

    Costume Designer Sharen Davis discusses how she created the period costumes for some of the central characters, and the general attire for everyone on set.

    by weinsteinextras
  5. ThumbnailPlay video in overlay8:57

    The Great Debaters - Production Design of David J Bomba

    Come behind the scenes of the drama THE GREAT DEBATERS and see how modern day Mansfield, Louisiana was transformed to represent 1935 remarkably.

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  6. ThumbnailPlay video in overlay21:54

    The Great Debaters - Learning the Art

    Watch the young cast of THE GREAT DEBATERS learn how to debate at "Debate Camp", and an exclusive interview with Dr. Thomas Freeman who provides insight into...

    by weinsteinextras
  7. ThumbnailPlay video in overlay3:58

    The Great Debaters - Forrest Whitaker on Becoming James Farmer, Sr

    The cast and crew of THE GREAT DEBATERS discuss the techniques of Academy Award winning actor Forest Whitaker, and how immersed he became in the role of Jame...

    by weinsteinextras
  8. ThumbnailPlay video in overlay9:46

    The Great Debaters - A New Generation of Actors

    The cast and crew of THE GREAT DEBATERS discuss what it was like working with the talented group of unknown actors, and what each of them did to get into the...

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