They Never Debated Harvard


They never debated Harvard. It's fake.

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Oh, the outrage! Maybe it was still too raw a wound for the University of Southern California to say it was actually them, hmmmm?

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The filmmakers have repeatedly said that they changed the school to Harvard to make it more dramatic. That hardly makes the movie fake.

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Hahaha! Man that hit my funny bone.



I guess he forgot we watch movies primarily for entertainment and, on the critical mind, the substance that the movie portrays.

We always have the books and other documentaries for the fact seekers.

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[deleted]

It is not totally a lie. It is "BASED" on a true story. Most, if not all movies, that are based on a true story change the characters, events and places. The main point of the movie was how a black university was able to make an impact in a predominantly white arena. Harvard was used to demonstrate the impact and significance that they achieved.

The debate in the movie was actually a match up between Wiley and the University of Southern California (USC), who at the time were the reigning debate champions. Wiley College DID WIN this matchup and that is what is significant in the movie. In the 1930's there was much stake when a black college debated ANY WHITE SCHOOL, particularly one with the stature of Harvard.

The film omits another reality: even though they beat the reigning champions, the Great Debaters were NOT allowed to call themselves victors because they were not truly considered to belong to the debate society because they were black (blacks were not admitted until after World War II). I hope this helps.

Peace,
tman


Im the one thats gonna die when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to

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I wish filmmakers of movies like this would stick to the facts more because the alterations just get more scrutiny and overshadow the film in the criticisms and press. I don't see anything wrong with keeping the University of Southern California as the team Wiley College defeated, along with keeping the reality that they were not to call themselves victors. Harvard is overexposed in pop culture and this would have been good to show that even in supposedly liberal California, this kind of discrimination was still a reality which could have mirrored the "The Grapes of Wrath" in how it shed the romanticism of that manifest destiny.

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Try to name one 'based on a true story' film that didn't change a single 'fact' in the story it purports to represent.

If you can name just one film that is 100% accurate, I'll buy you a car. A nice one, like a Honda Civic, or something!



Never defend crap with 'It's just a movie'
http://www.youtube.com/user/BigGreenProds

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