Pun Salad

A "based on a true story" movie, produced by Oprah Winfrey, directed by Denzel Washington, starring Washington and Forest Whitaker.

Set in the 1930s, It's about the debate team at tiny historically black Wiley College in Marshall Texas. Denzel plays the coach, faculty member Melvin B. Tolson. His team is exceptionally sharp, but has many obstacles in its way: primarily, a legal system that denies black people equal protection of the laws. But the team members are also experiencing the usual college-student turmoil with sex, drugs (hooch, in this case), and rock and roll (1930s blues, in this case).

It's good, important, uplifting, etc. Washington and Whitaker give their usual great performances. But it's on the long side, and, even though the sport is debate, the normal sports-movie clichés are not avoided, just transplanted.