Although Disney is known primarily for its animated films and classic musicals depicting princesses and princes, its other films are sometimes overlooked such as its recent movie “McFarland, USA.”
The New York Times called the film “an entirely, mostly honorable movie” and “McFarland, USA” did not stray far from this assessment.
The movie tells the 1987 true story of a recently fired coach and his family as they travel to the rural central California valley town of McFarland for his new job. Jim White, played by Kevin Costner, and his family become the minority in this predominantly Latino town and struggle to find their place of belonging amongst people that are clearly different from them, both racially and culturally.
As the movie progresses, White and his family find life in McFarland anything but pleasant. Their new home is nowhere nearly as glamorous as their previous one, and the schools are overrun with juvenile delinquents. To White, this is the last place he wants to keep his family and plans to move to a neighboring town. However, they are unable to move because of their financial situation; McFarland is all they can afford.
White eventually forms a cross-country team in order to assist the school. White gradually bonds with his team of seven runners, and they expose him to a life different from the one he has always known.
“Rolling Stone” put it adequately when the magazine said, “Along the way, ‘McFarland, USA’ gives us a vital sense of hardscrabble lives and dreams of glory deferred.”
The movie, like many in the inspirational-sports genre, is expected to have the typical clichés people have come to expect, which could potentially turn people away from this movie. However, “McFarland, USA” uses those clichés to its advantage and adds its own twists.
While most sports movies of the same caliber normally focus on more popular sports like football or baseball, this film is centered on cross-country, making it a breath of fresh air.
Despite this twist to the plot, it has the standard, predictable storyline of a troubled sports team that overcomes its issues and ultimately succeeds after numerous hardships. What saves this movie from becoming cliche are all of the emotional scenes throughout the film.
There are plenty of times when the audience is left smiling, surprised or even close to tears as they watch the development of both White and his team. Another pleasing aspect of the movie is the reversed role of cultural acclimation. While it is common to hear of Hispanic immigrants trying to find their place among Americans, the film shows just the opposite.
There are times when White struggles to understand the way of life of the Latinos in McFarland, so to ensure the strength of his team, he actually makes an effort to learn and experience their culture first-hand.
Eventually, White and his family discover they feel at home among people that appear to be nothing like them on the surface. As USA Today put it, “’McFarland, USA’ is a feel-good sports movie that actually lives up to the notion.”
The refreshing change of pace in this movie will surely provide an enjoyable viewing experience, and just like the team in “McFarland, USA,” it is an underdog that should not be underestimated.
