People are voting emotionally.

One of my all time favorites.

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Niki Caro's "McFarland USA" is a film filled with pure heart and soul, dedication, determination, and pure inspiration, which this is a movie that is also based on a true story. The movie stars Kevin Costner as Jim White a high-school teacher who just got fired from his job as a football coach and takes up a job as a cross-country coach. After Coach White assembled a cross-country team the team isn't really that inspired at first, but then White pushes them to their real hidden potential so that they can perform as well as they can and how he would want them to in cross-country meets. With this movie Niki Caro who directed the movie really proves she knows how to direct a very well made sports movie. While I was watching the movie I was reminded of another sports movie called "Remember the Titans" (2000) which was made 15 years earlier with Denzel Washington in the leading role. I was reminded of that movie for two main reasons, the first one being because the things that coaches White and Boone are that when they started in their respective sports as the new coach in town everyone practically hated them and then came to respect them, and the second reason being that both White and Boone pushed them to their limits with their approaches being totally different with White being more laid back and encouraging, and Boone being tough and hard as nails, as well as being very strict. This movie also happens to be one of the best sports movies ever made. Kevin Costner gives one of the best performances of his career as a simple but flawed man who proved that his coaching skills were still good. This is a great movie as well as a near masterpiece that shouldn't be missed at all, and it is even a gem of a movie for all kids to enjoy.

Rounding off my look back at Kevin Costner's career, I come to McFarland USA from 2015Plot In A Paragraph: Jim White (Costner) a struggling coach and teacher takes a job in one of the poorest cities in America: McFarland, California. There he discovers buried potential in several high school boys, and slowly turns them into a track team and brings them closer than even he could ever imagine.Hands down my favourite movie of 2015. No matter how many times I watch it, I still get chills at the end. It's funny how many reviews read something like this "predictable, routine, generic" etc however whilst it's true that Disney's sports movie formula is pretty well-worn. You can apply this plot to a lot of movies "Fish out of water comes and turns a team of losers into champions while learning valuable life lessons along the way." Yes It happens every time. However McFarland USA is a true story. Kevin Costner is playing a real man in Jim White, and no they didn't change his name to make it for better. I can't speak highly enough about this movie. It's in my Top 10 Kevin Costner movies."That's not Danny Diaz....... THATS NOT DANNY DIAZ!!!"

Nothing wrong to call it an another version of 'Spare Parts', but it dealt with a different subject. It is a biographical-sport film, about a running race team involving seven high school students from one of the poorest towns in America, McFarland. But the tale begins with the coach Jim White, who finally arrives with his family there after got fired frequently in the other cities. Not intended to stay for a long period, but he has no other choice. He finds hard to fit in the society and get along with his students, but he manages to get going when he forms a team for the upcoming cross-country running race. So their journey puts the small town on the map.A very inspiring film, not just sports personalities, but anyone who wants to achieve in life should see it. So a must see film for the students and the youngsters. It is not just about the sport, but culture and society. The first act was an introduction, where and how everyone comes together was revealed. Followed by the middle part focused more on the game. Getting prepared for it and facing other troubles that stands obstacle to it. And finally in the third act, it kind of loses what originally intended as a theme, but brings the social matter into it before getting back to where it belongs to curtain.There was lots of modification in the cinema version compared to the original story. Characters, locations, events, all were kind of randomised from the actuality to the different timelines just to tell a good story. After all, this is a Disney film and Disney always seeks a decent family theme, yet it still remains true to the real. From the New Zealand director of 'Whale Rider' fame, another brilliant film. Apart from the super Kevin Costner and his family, the rest of the cast was so perfect. One of the best sport-dramas of the year and Disney done it again. You no need to analyse it to choose, just go for it and it won't disappoint you.8/10

I had read the story of Jim White and the McFarland cross country team long before the movie came out. I was glad to see it made into a feature film, but Disney's heavy hands keep it from being fully satisfying.Most of the actors playing larger roles acquit themselves well. Yes, Kevin Costner is his overly familiar world-weary self, but there's always a certain charm in seeing him inhabit that role. Many of the young men portraying McFarland's runners are both charming and believable, and some of the quirky townspeople (such as the mother of three runners and the owner of the local variety store) add nice depth to the story.In addition, the scenery is interesting, from the running trails to the fields where the McFarland runners pick crops.One real turnoff was when, repeatedly, opposing runners were shown talking smack before the start of races, and opposing coaches made snarky comments about the McFarland team. I've coached youth sports for many years and am accustomed to seeing much better sportsmanship than that. The movie makers apparently needed to set up cartoonish villains so that the audience would root even harder for the good guys.Another clunker came at the first race, the "Palo Alto Invitational." The race director was surprised when McFarland showed up - but if it was an "invitational," then either they'd been invited (so he shouldn't have been surprised) or they hadn't been (in which case they had no business going to the race).This was a generally pleasant two hours, and it was good to know that the basic heartwarming events took place in real life. Could have been better (or at least less bad in some parts), but it was OK. I recommend you find the story "Running for Their Lives" by Gary Smith, the captivating real-life tale of Jim White and McFarland (told as only the brilliant Smith could).