Coach Carter
Promotional poster for Coach Carter
Directed by	Thomas Carter
Produced by	David Gale Brian Robbins Michael Tollin
Written by	Mark Schwahn John Gatins
Starring	Samuel L. Jackson Robert Ri'chard Rob Brown Debbi Morgan Ashanti Rick Gonzalez Antwon Tanner Nana Gbewonyo Channing Tatum
Music by	Kenneth Burgomaster DMX Paul Linford Trevor Rabin
Cinematography	Sharone Meir
Editing by	Peter Berger
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	January 14, 2005
Running time	136 min.
Language	English
Budget	$ 30 million
IMDb profile

Coach Carter is a 2005 film from Paramount Pictures, directed by Thomas Carter. It is based on a true story, in which Richmond High School (Richmond, California, USA) head basketball coach Ken Carter made headlines in 1999 for benching his undefeated team due to poor academic results. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (409x638, 53 KB)Promotional poster for Coach Carter This is a copyrighted poster. ... Thomas Carter is an African-American film and television director known for Swing Kids, Save the Last Dance with Julia Stiles, and Coach Carter with Samuel L. Jackson. ... Brian Robbins (born November 22, 1963) is an American actor and producer. ... Mark Schwahn is the creator and executive producer of The CWs hit show, One Tree Hill. ... Samuel Jackson redirects here. ... Robert Richard (born January 7, 1983, in Los Angeles, California) is an American television and movie actor. ... Rob Brown was born in Harlem and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where he graduated from Poly Prep in 2002. ... This article is about the actress. ... Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas (born October 13, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, actress, dancer, model, and fashion designer who rose to fame in the early 2000s. ... Rick Gonzalez (born June 30, 1979) is an American actor. ... Antwon Tanner (born 1975) is an American film and television actor. ... Nana Gbewonyo is an African-American actor who played the role of Junior Battle in the film Coach Carter that was released in January 2005. ... Channing Tatum (born Channing Matthew Tatum [1] on April 26, 1980 in Cullman, Alabama) is an American actor and former model. ... Earl Simmons (born on December 18, 1970 in Baltimore, Maryland), better known by his stage name DMX is an American rapper and actor who rose to popularity in the late 1990s. ... Trevor Rabin onstage with Yes, 1995 Trevor Rabin (born Trevor Charles Rabin on January 13, 1954) is a South African guitarist and film composer, best known for being the guitarist and songwriter for the progressive rock band Yes from 1983 - 1995, and since then, as a film composer. ... Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and distribution company, based in Hollywood, California. ... is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... USD redirects here. ... The year 2005 in film involved some significant events. ... Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and distribution company, based in Hollywood, California. ... Thomas Carter is an African-American film and television director known for Swing Kids, Save the Last Dance with Julia Stiles, and Coach Carter with Samuel L. Jackson. ... Richmond High School is a public high school located in Richmond, California, USA. It is part of the West Contra Costa Unified School District. ... Nickname: Coordinates: , Country United States State California County Contra Costa Government  - Mayor Gayle McLaughlin (G) Area  - City  52. ... Ken Carter is an American business owner, education activist and former high school basketball coach. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ...

The screenplay was co-written by Mark Schwahn, who created the hit TV series One Tree Hill. The movie also recycles a handful of plotlines from another hit TV series, The White Shadow, which director Thomas Carter co-starred in. Mark Schwahn is the creator and executive producer of The CWs hit show, One Tree Hill. ... One Tree Hill is a teen television drama created by Mark Schwahn that premiered on September 23, 2003 on The WB Television Network. ... The White Shadow was a U.S. drama television series that ran on the CBS network from November 27, 1978 to March 16, 1981. ... Thomas Tom F. Carter was the inventor of the Carterfone, a privately-manufactured radiophone that would strike the first blow against AT&Ts then-monopoly. ...

Tagline: It begins on the streets. It ends here.

Plot

The movie begins with a basketball team playing against St. Francis, only to end up with the teams fighting with each other. After the game, Kenneth Carter (Samuel L. Jackson) is officially offered a part-time, low-paying ($1,500 for the whole basketball season) job coaching the basketball team at his old high school, an inner-city public school in Richmond, California for which he had previously played and set as of yet unbroken records. Although he discovers the players to be unruly and disrespectful, he accepts and starts to gain their respect. Samuel Jackson redirects here. ... Nickname: Coordinates: , Country United States State California County Contra Costa Government  - Mayor Gayle McLaughlin (G) Area  - City  52. ...

Coach Carter sets strict new rules for the team in the form of contracts — they must maintain a 2.3 grade point average (not just the 2.0 GPA set by the CHSAA), they must attend classes and sit in the front row, and they must wear jackets and ties on game days. One of the players, Timo Cruz (Rick Gonzalez), walks out of practice on the first day after an altercation with Carter. Cruz is later seen hanging with his older, drug-dealing cousin. Two other team members walk out on the team, who were coincidently last season's scoring leaders. However, Carter's son Damien, a good student who attended and played basketball at the private school St. Francis, quits the private school (against his father's wishes) and transfers to Richmond High School to play basketball on his father's team. Carter only agreed after Damien signed a contract stating that he will maintain a GPA of 3.7. Rick Gonzalez (born June 30, 1979) is an American actor. ...

The movie shows the personal side of some players like Kenyon (Rob Brown), who's pregnant girlfriend, Kyra (Ashanti) has given up on her plans for college in favor of having the baby, even though she sees first-hand how that has gone for her cousin. Kenyon becomes confused, unable to decide whether he should continue with his academic life and play basketball in college or take care of the baby. Meanwhile, Cruz goes back and forth between dealing drugs and playing on the team. He walks in on practice on day, asking to return. Carter challenges him with the seemingly impossible task of 1000 suicides and 2500 pushups to be completed in less than a week. Cruz comes close to the set number but is unable to fully finish. His teammates impress Carter by offering to do the rest of the suicides and pushups for Cruz, after which Carter allows Cruz back on the team. Together, Carter and the team, after a heavy course of working out win their first match only to be followed by multiple consecutive wins while in the previous season the team had lost 22 games and only had four wins. Carter is also found on several occasions through out the movie asking Cruz what is his deepest fear. Two people go by the name of Rob Brown Rob Brown (music), member of the band, Autechre. ... Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas (born October 13, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, actress, dancer, model, and fashion designer who rose to fame in the early 2000s. ...

Despite the team's winning record, Carter eventually realizes the players are developing bad attitudes by being arrogant and taunting the other teams, and that many of them are not living up to his academic requirements. Carter solved the former problem by making fun of them in practice and eventually putting a rule that cocky behavior was prohibited. Later, the team is invited to play in a tournament which they winn in dramatic fashion over the home squad. Not only did they win the tournament but they also were invited to a rich girl's house for a party with her friends. They sneaked out only to be discovered missing when Carter went looking for his son. A taxi driver offers to tell Carter about the team's whereabouts. Carter goes to the house to confront his players, coming face to face with the home's owners who had just arrived home. Carter finds Damien in the pool with two girls, kissing one of them. Other members are also soon found including one player who was upstairs with the daughter of the owners. Carter is infuriated with the team's behavior, threatening them with the toughest practices they've had to date. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

After receiving the poor grades reports of the team, Carter cracks down on them and locks them out of the gym in the midst of the still undefeated season. He cancels basketball practice, forfeits games including the most important game of the season, and makes the team spend practice time in the library, being tutored by some of their teachers. Although a few of the players are fulfilling the contract (including one who protests that he has a 3.3 GPA), Carter insists that all the players must accept the consequences for their collective actions as a team. All of this leads to Cruz quitting the team a second time, eventually going back to work for his drug-dealing cousin.

Late one night, his cousin is shot and killed on the sidewalk while Cruz is walking back to him after greeting his friends from the team. Cruz ends up at Carter's house that night, apologizing for his behavior and begging him to allow him back on the team.

Eventually, the school board and the parents fight back against Carters actions. The board eventually votes 4–2 to end the lockout, the dissenting votes being the school's principal and the chairwoman of the board. Carter is on the verge of quitting, but when he arrives at the gym to pack up his things, he finds the players sitting at school desks in the gym, with their teachers tutoring them. The players point out that even though the gym is reopened, the school board can't force them to play. Cruz is finally able to answer Carter's question, "What is your deepest fear?", by quoting Marianne Williamson: Marianne Williamson Marianne Williamson (born July 8, 1952)[1] is a spiritual activist, author, lecturer and founder of The Peace Alliance, a grass roots campaign supporting legislation currently before Congress to establish a United States Department of Peace. ...

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?' Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone, and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Carter is heartened and decides to stay, thanking the players.

After a fight with his girlfriend, Kenyon receives a full scholarship to Sacramento State University. He then goes back to his girlfriend, telling her that the college wants to help them, as married students with a baby only to discover that she chose to abort the pregnancy. Regardless, they get back together. California State University, Sacramento, better known as Sacramento State, Sac State, or CSUS, is a public university located in the city of Sacramento, California. ...

The team makes it into the state high-school championship playoffs. The big climactic game takes place at the state tournament's first round against the #1 ranked team in the state, St. Francis (starring a superstar NBA prospect). The score, with four seconds to go, is 68–67 Richmond. In the last possible second, St. Francis scores one last basket, taking the score to 70–68 St. Francis . The team is understandably disappointed by the loss, but Carter gives them an inspirational talk about all they've accomplished, and tells them that this loss wont ever take away what they've accomplished.

Over the closing song, it is told that six of the players went on to college (this was a school at which only about 50% of students graduated, and only 6% of those who graduate usually went to college). Junior Battle went to San Jose State University on a full scholarship. Jason Lyle went to San Diego State University and received a degree in Business Administration. Timo Cruz attended Humboldt State University where he became a starting guard. Worm (whose real name is Jaron Willis) received a scholarship to San Francisco State University where he played point guard for four years. Kenyon Stone attended Sacramento State University and received a degree in Communications. Damien Carter went on to break the Richmond High School scoring and assist records previously held by his father. Upon graduation, he attends the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. San Jose State University San José State University, commonly shortened to San Jose State and SJSU, is the oldest university in what became the California State University system. ... San Diego State University (SDSU), founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area (generally the City and County of San Diego), and is part of the California State University system. ... Not to be confused with Humboldt University of Berlin. ... San Francisco State University (commonly referred to as San Francisco State, SF State, State and SFSU) is a public university located in the southwestern San Francisco, California, bordering Lake Merced and Lowell High School, near Fort Funston and Daly City, near the San Mateo County line. ... California State University, Sacramento, better known as Sacramento State, Sac State, or CSUS, is a public university located in the city of Sacramento, California. ... Richmond High School can refer to one of these schools: Richmond High School in Richmond, California Richmond Community High School in Richmond, Virginia This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Alternate meanings: West Point (disambiguation). ...

Critical Reception

The reviews for the film were mixed, and as of 1 June 2008 it has a 63% fresh meter at rottentomatoes.com. Critics gave Jackson considerable praise for what they believed to be his strongest performance.

Box Office

The movie debuted at #1 on the U.S. Box Office and has grossed over $67 million to date. However, the movie was not as big of a hit worldwide, managing to bring in only $9 million overseas, for a total of $76 million.

Soundtrack

Main article: Coach Carter (soundtrack)

The film features the song "Hope" by Twista and Faith Evans as the main song off the film's soundtrack. An extensive list of songs is featured on the soundtrack which differs from the soundtrack recording. The recording has five songs which were not featured in the film : About da game by Trey Songz; Balla by Mack 10 featuring Da Hood; Beauty queen by CzarNok; What Love Can Do by Letoya; and Wouldn't You Like to Ride, Kanye West; Malik Usef, Common. Coach Carter: Music from the Motion Picture is the official soundtrack to the 2005 movie Coach Carter, starring Samuel L. Jackson as the hard-line coach of a high-school basketball team. ... Hope is a song performed by Twista and features Faith Evans performing the chorus. ... Carl Terrell Mitchell, (born on November 27, 1973 in Chicago, Illinois) better known by his stage name Twista, is an American rapper that held the title of fastest rapper in the world according to the Guinness World Records in 1992, being able to rap 11. ... Faith Renée Evans (born June 10, 1973) is a Grammy Award-winning American R&B singer, songwriter and producer. ... -1... Dedrick Rolison (born August 9, 1971) is an American gangsta rapper and actor best known by his stage name Mack 10. ... LeToya Luckett // Biography Mix Tape: What it do! U got what I need LeToya Luckett (born on LeToya Nicole Luckett in March 11, 1981 in Houston, Texas) is an African American R&B Grammy Award winner singer. ... Kanye Omari West (pronounced /kÉ‘njÉ›j/) (born June 8, 1977) is an American record producer and rapper who rose to fame in the mid 2000s. ... Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. ...

Awards/Nominations

• Black Movie Awards
  • Outstanding Achievement in Directing: Thomas Carter (Winner)
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture: Samuel L. Jackson (Nominated)
  • Outstanding Motion Picture: David Gale, Brian Robbins & Michael Tollin (Nominated)

• Black Reel Awards
  • Best Director: Thomas Carter (Winner)
  • Best Actor: Samuel L. Jackson (Nominated)
  • Best Breakthrough Performance: Ashanti (Nominated)

• Image Awards
  • Outstanding Motion Picture: (Nominated)
  • Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture: Samuel L. Jackson (Winner)
  • Outstanding Director for a Motion Picture: Thomas Carter (Nominated)
  • Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Ashanti (Nominated)

• MTV Movie Awards
  • Best Female Breakthrough Performance: Ashanti (Nominated)

Thomas Carter is an African-American film and television director known for Swing Kids, Save the Last Dance with Julia Stiles, and Coach Carter with Samuel L. Jackson. ... Samuel Jackson redirects here. ... David Gale is a mathematician credited with the discovery of the Gale transform (or Gale diagram) of a point or vector configuration. ... Brian Robbins (born November 22, 1963) is an American actor and producer. ... The Black Reel Awards began in 2000 and were designed to annually recognize and celebrate the achievements of African-Americans in feature, independent and television films. ... Thomas Carter is an African-American film and television director known for Swing Kids, Save the Last Dance with Julia Stiles, and Coach Carter with Samuel L. Jackson. ... Samuel Jackson redirects here. ... Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas (born October 13, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, actress, dancer, model, and fashion designer who rose to fame in the early 2000s. ... The NAACP Image Award is an award presented annually by the NAACP to honor the top African-Americans in film, television, music and literature. ... Samuel Jackson redirects here. ... Thomas Carter is an African-American film and television director known for Swing Kids, Save the Last Dance with Julia Stiles, and Coach Carter with Samuel L. Jackson. ... Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas (born October 13, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, actress, dancer, model, and fashion designer who rose to fame in the early 2000s. ... The MTV Movie Awards is a film awards show presented annually on MTV (Music Television). ... Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas (born October 13, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, actress, dancer, model, and fashion designer who rose to fame in the early 2000s. ...

Trivia

• The move is set in 2004 instead of 1999 when the actual events took place.
• "Our greatest fear" by Marianne Williamson is referenced throughout the film by Coach Carter, and a wayward youth (Timo Cruz) recites an edited version of the poem to prove his reformation. Leaving out the sentences "Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God." "We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us."
• The school that actually beat the Oilers was not St. Francis, but Monte Vista High School.
• The movie states that Coach Carter attended George Mason University. In actuality, Carter attended George Fox University.

Marianne Williamson Marianne Williamson (born July 8, 1952)[1] is a spiritual activist, author, lecturer and founder of The Peace Alliance, a grass roots campaign supporting legislation currently before Congress to establish a United States Department of Peace. ... Monte Vista High School is a four year public high school in Danville, California. ... George Mason University, also known as GMU or simply Mason, is a large public university in the United States. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

TV Series

A TV pilot is being developed for the 2009-10 season. Robert Ri'chard is set to return as Damien Carter. Ving Rhames has been cast as Coach Carter. Chris Brown and Tahj Mowry have been cast in unknown roles. Ashanti has expressed interest in returning for a guest spot. Tiffany Evans has recently been cast as Seria. Seria is a love interest for Chris Brown's character Chris. Robert Richard (born January 7, 1983, in Los Angeles, California) is an American television and movie actor. ... Irving Rameses Rhames (born May 12, 1959) is a Golden Globe-winning American actor. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Tahj Dayton Mowry (born May 17, 1986) is an American actor and singer. ... Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas (born October 13, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, actress, dancer, model, and fashion designer who rose to fame in the early 2000s. ... Tiffany Evans (born August 4, 1992) is an African-American singer and occasional actor. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...

The show may be moved forward to mid-season as CBS is interested in picking it up as competition with Friday Night Lights from NBC. Friday Night Lights is an award-winning American television serial drama adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book of the same name. ...

Cast

• Samuel L. Jackson — Coach Ken Ray Carter
• Rob Brown — Kenyon Stone
• Robert Ri'chard — Damien Carter
• Rick Gonzalez — Timo Cruz
• Nana Gbewonyo — Junior Battle
• Antwon Tanner — Jaron 'Worm' Willis
• Channing Tatum — Jason Lyle
• Ashanti — Kyra
• Texas Battle — Maddux
• Denise Dowse — Principal Garrison
• Debbi Morgan — Tonya Carter
• Mel Winkler — Coach White
• Vincent Laresca — Renny
• Sidney Faison — Ty Crane
• Octavia Spencer — Willa Battle
• Adrienne Bailon — Dominique
• Dana Davis — Peyton
• Bob Costas - Himself

Samuel Jackson redirects here. ... Ken Carter is an American business owner, education activist and former high school basketball coach. ... Rob Brown was born in Harlem and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where he graduated from Poly Prep in 2002. ... Robert Richard (born January 7, 1983, in Los Angeles, California) is an American television and movie actor. ... Rick Gonzalez (born June 30, 1979) is an American actor. ... Nana Gbewonyo is an African-American actor who played the role of Junior Battle in the film Coach Carter that was released in January 2005. ... Antwon Tanner (born 1975) is an American film and television actor. ... Channing Tatum (born Channing Matthew Tatum [1] on April 26, 1980 in Cullman, Alabama) is an American actor and former model. ... Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas (born October 13, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, actress, dancer, model, and fashion designer who rose to fame in the early 2000s. ... Texas Battle is an African-American actor. ... This article is about the actress. ... Mel Winkler (1952-present) has recorded the voice and foley effects for a number of next-generation video games. ... Vincent Lasresca is a Puerto Rican American actor who first appeared in film in 1992 in the movie Juice as Radames. ... Octavia Spencer (Born May 25, 1972) is an American actress. ... Adrienne Eliza Bailon (born October 24, 1983) is an American actress, the oldest member of the singing group The Cheetah Girls with Kiely Williams and Sabrina Bryan, and formerly a part of the singing group 3LW, which disbanded in 2007. ... Dana Davis is an American actress who is probably most notable for playing Felicia Jones on the ABC drama The Nine. ... Robert Quinlan Bob Costas (born March 22, 1952) is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s. ...

External links

• Official movie site
• Official Coach Carter Soundtrack
• Coach Carter on Rotten Tomatoes
• Coach Carter at the Internet Movie Database
• Coach Carter (non-film)